Very few countries in the world can boast of being revered by the world's three primary religions. But then, there are very few countries like Israel to begin with!

Religion, politics, passion, history, social injustice and a standing army are not the ideal ingredients for a 'get away from it all' holiday. However, these are the things that draw thousands of visitors (and thousands of emigrants) to Israel every year. This is 'where it happened', a land that grips at the imagination of every Christian, Jew and Muslim in the world, and inflames a fair few of them to hatred and violence. It's the intangibles of Israel - standing in the footsteps of gods, breathing the air of the messiah - that bring people here. But, Israel today, is a far cry from what it was in Biblical times. So, be prepared for a bustling, noisy country that threatens to overpower the casual visitor with its rich, religious legacy.

Israel is a country that's been touched by the hand of God and Mother Nature alike, making it a charming place to spend a holiday in. More so, if you belong to the Christian, Muslim or Jewish faith. The vegetation here is far from lush, considering that the river Jordan is the main river that flows through it. In fact, this is a country that has more than its fair share of deserts and dry areas. Despite the inhospitable climate, a fifth of the country has been converted into national parks and the Israelis are renowned for having turned the desert into a garden, as well as having reintroduced a number of species which have become locally extinct since Biblical times. So all those faithful who flock here by the millions have many more places to find peace and tranquillity.

Israel's history seeps from the past into the present, in a country where everyday interactions are shaped by thousand-year-old conflicts. In the last 4000 odd years of its tumultuous history, Israel has seen the influence of the Jews, Romans, Christians, Muslims, Arabs and the British, all of whom have claimed it as their own at some point of time or the other. Today, all these influences have combined to form a cosmopolitan society, rich in tradition and culture. Be it music, architecture, agriculture or literature, you can rest assured that an Israeli has made his mark in one of these fields - worldwide. All these factors, along with the natural warmth and hospitality of its people, make Israel an extremely attractive tourist destination. So let's take a whistle-stop tour through this hallowed land, more famous for its miracles, both past and present. Shalom.

Ten measures of beauty were bestowed upon the world; nine were taken by Jerusalemand one by the rest of the world. Thus goes an ancient Babylonian inscription, proclaiming Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, to be the most beautiful city in the world. Jerusalem's beauty may have faded over the last three thousand years, but a walk around the city is all you'll need to convince yourself that the inscription wasn't very far off the mark. The Old City of Jerusalem is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world; archeologists estimate its age at more than 4,500 years. The walls surrounding the Old City encompass an area of barely a third of a square mile (1 sq. km.). These walls were built by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in the sixteenth century, roughly following the course of the walls built by the Romans to encircle Jerusalem in the second century.

Today, they are revealed in their full height and splendor, after rubble accumulated over centuries was cleared away. The Rampart Walkway on top of the walls gives you a birds-eye view of Jerusalem and its surroundings. The area around the walls consists of flowering gardens and promenades, as well as archeological parks, which give you a deeper insight into the many layers that make Jerusalem what it its today. The walls and gates set in them were, built in the 16th century by Suleiman the Magnificent. . Seven of the eight gates are open, while one remains sealed. The four main gates - Jaffa Gate, Damascus Gate, Lion's Gate and Zion Gate - were constructed according to the four directions of the compass and led to the main cities of the land. Today, they lead to the Christian, Jewish, Armenian and Muslim quarters, almost as if thy take you from one world to another.

As you walk around the city, you'll come to the most controversial monuments in all of Jerusalem. The Haram-ash Sharif/Temple Mount is a beautiful monument that unfortunately has become a bone of contention between the Muslims and the Jews. This is where Mohammed rose to heaven and where God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son. The magnificent Dome of the Rock mosque dominates the Mount, with the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Islamic Museum a little to its south. The Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, at the base of the mount, is all that remains of the First Temple, the Jews' most holy shrine. It is now an open-air synagogue. To complete the holy sites trilogy, drop in at the Christian Quarter for a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This church is built over the site where Jesus was (probably) crucified, buried and resurrected - its appeal relies on its historical links rather than its architectural splendour. Most people arrive here after walking down the Via Dolorosa, the route Jesus followed as he carried his cross. Jerusalem has so many beautiful Christian, Jewish and Muslim monuments, each vying to tell its own tale … in stone.

More >>