Western Wall Archaeological Site

Address: Western Wall Plaza, Old City, Jerusalem

Website: https://www.thekotel.org/

Hours: Open 24 hours (subject to security and prayer times)

Admission: Free

The Western Wall is the exposed western retaining wall of the Temple Mount platform in Jerusalem, revered in Judaism as the closest accessible site to the former Temple’s Holy of Holies. The visible prayer section measures roughly 57 metres in length.

Pilgrims and worshippers gather at the open-air plaza for prayer beside the ancient Herodian stones, with notes and prayers commonly placed in wall crevices. Nearby published tours and guided visits often include access to the Western Wall Tunnels, which reveal longer stretches of the original wall below street level.

The retaining wall was constructed during the Herodian expansion of the Second Temple complex under Herod the Great, around the late 1st century BCE. The Second Temple itself was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE, after which the wall remained a focus of Jewish reverence and pilgrimage through subsequent centuries.

The Western Wall is in the Old City of Jerusalem, at the foot of the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif complex; it is adjacent to other religious and historic sites in the city’s eastern sector.

• Dimensions: The visible prayer section of the Wall is about 57 metres long and reaches up to around 19 metres in height; additional wall sections continue below ground and along the tunnel system.
• Prayer arrangements and peak times: The plaza is divided into separate prayer sections for men and women and is busiest on Jewish holidays and the Sabbath morning, when capacity is limited by the open-air plaza size.

What to See#

• Prayer plaza: An open-air plaza directly in front of the exposed western face of the Herodian retaining wall, divided into separate men’s and women’s prayer areas and used for public worship and private prayer.
• Western Wall Tunnels: A network of underground passages and excavated sections that extend the visible remains of the ancient retaining wall and allow access to earlier courses of Herodian masonry.

The Western Wall (Kotel) is in Jerusalem’s Old City Jewish Quarter. The plaza is a short walk from Jaffa Gate (about 10 minutes) and is reachable on foot through the Old City alleys. From Jerusalem’s central bus/rail hub you can take local buses or a taxi to the Old City area and then walk to the Western Wall Plaza; there is also vehicle drop‑off access at the plaza for visitors with mobility needs.

• Enter the Western Wall Plaza via the Dung Gate (south side) for the most direct access to the prayer area and the Davidson Center archaeological exhibits nearby.
• Visit early morning or late evening to observe prayer activity with fewer tourists; avoid Friday afternoons and Saturday morning when the plaza is busiest because of Shabbat preparations and services.
• Book the Western Wall Tunnels or Davidson Center tour in advance if you want the archaeological context and subterranean views - these ticketed experiences reveal sections of the Temple Mount area that casual visitors usually miss.