Jerusalem facts: ancient walls, sacred sites, and history

Jerusalem facts begin with a city that sits at the crossroads of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is one of the world’s oldest cities, with a history spanning over five thousand years, and its story has been shaped by faith, conflict, rebuilding, and rule.

Why is Jerusalem sacred to three religions?

Jerusalem is considered a holy city to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Old City is home to sacred sites for all three major Abrahamic religions, and its streets hold places that matter deeply to each tradition.

The Old City is divided into four uneven quarters: the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Armenian Quarter, and the Jewish Quarter. The Muslim Quarter is the largest and most populous of the four quarters. In the Christian Quarter stands the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, viewed by many as Christianity’s holiest place.

How old is Jerusalem?

Jerusalem is one of the world’s oldest cities, with a history spanning over five thousand years. The City of David shows first signs of settlement in the fourth millennium BCE.

That long history is marked by repeated destruction and renewal. The city has been destroyed at least twice, besieged twenty-three times, captured and recaptured forty-four times, and attacked fifty-two times. Those numbers reflect a place that has been fought over again and again across the centuries.

What happened to the Old City walls?

The Old City of Jerusalem was rebuilt with modern walls in the sixteenth century under Suleiman the Magnificent. The present walls of the Old City contain thirty-five towers.

Those walls still frame a compact space where religious history and urban history meet. The Old City was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1981, recognizing its exceptional historical importance.

What are the key modern political milestones?

Israel declared Jerusalem its "complete and united" capital in the Jerusalem Law of 1980. On 14 May 2018, the United States officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem’s population in 2024 was 1,050,153. That modern figure sits alongside the city’s much older identity, shaped by ancient settlement, sacred landmarks, and centuries of contest over its control.

Which quarter was hit hardest in 1948?

The Jewish Quarter was completely bombed during the Battle for Jerusalem in 1948. That detail sits within the wider history of a city that has repeatedly been captured, recaptured, and rebuilt.

Jerusalem’s layers are visible in its quarters, its walls, and its milestones: from the City of David’s early settlement to the sixteenth-century reconstruction under Suleiman the Magnificent, from the Holy Sepulchre to the present-day city with more than one million residents.

Test yourself on Jerusalem facts in the quiz below.