Historic Site · Jerusalem, Israel
Western Wall
The Western Wall is an ancient retaining wall of the built-up hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount of Jerusalem. Built c. 20 BC.
Photo: Golasso via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Jerusalem, Israel |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Built | c. 20 BC |
| Height | Height: 19 m |
| Coordinates | 31.7767° N, 35.2345° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Western Wall is known for
The Western Wall is an ancient retaining wall of the built-up hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount of Jerusalem.
About Western Wall
The Western Wall is an ancient retaining wall of the built-up hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount of Jerusalem. Its most famous section, known by the same name, often shortened by Jews to the Kotel or Kosel, is known in the West as the Wailing Wall, and in the Arab world and Islamic world as the Buraq Wall.
History
According to the Hebrew Bible, Solomon's Temple was built atop what is known as the Temple Mount in the 10th century BCE and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE, and the Second Temple completed and dedicated in 516 BCE. Around 19 BCE Herod the Great began a massive expansion project on the Temple Mount. In addition to fully rebuilding and enlarging the Temple, he artificially expanded the platform on which it stood, doubling it in size.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Western Wall website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Jerusalem |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) |
| Distance from the airport | 26.4 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) · Tel Aviv, Israel · 26.1 miles away
- Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) · Amman, Jordan · 44.7 miles away
- Marka International (Amman Civil) Airport (ADJ) · Amman, Jordan · 46.4 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Israel
More historic sites
Frequently asked questions
What is Western Wall?
The Western Wall is an ancient retaining wall of the built-up hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount of Jerusalem.
Where is Western Wall located?
Western Wall is in Jerusalem, Israel. Its coordinates are 31.7767° N, 35.2345° E.
How do I get to Western Wall?
The nearest town is Jerusalem, and the nearest airport is Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), about 26.4 miles away (straight line).
When was Western Wall built?
Western Wall was built c. 20 BC.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Wall — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q134821 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://thekotel.org/he — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.