The Western Wall Plaza

The Western Wall is a colossal limestone retaining wall composed of massive, hand-hewn blocks that rise above a wide, paved plaza. It remains the last fragment of the outer courtyard supporting the Second Temple compound, which Roman legions destroyed in seventy CE. For centuries, pilgrims traveled here to touch the ancient stones, often leaving written prayers in the narrow gaps between the blocks. When the area opened to the public in nineteen sixty-seven, workers removed medieval houses to create this expansive open space.