THE OLD CITY WESTERN WALL JERUSALEM’S OLD CITY A family passes through Jaffa Gate into Jerusalem’s Old City They first explore the Armenian Quarter ducking into shops to admire bright pottery In the Jewish Quarter they join a crowd at the Western Wall Locals and visitors slip written prayers into the wall’s cracks 4
DRESS FOR SUCCESS Visitors to Jerusalem’s Old City should dress modestly Shoulders upper arms and knees should be covered to respect the city’s holy sites OTHER TOP SITES FORTRESS OF MASADA JAFFA OLD CITY RAMON CRATER YAD VASHEM The family crosses stone streets to the Muslim Quarter where people sell clothes jewelry and food from shuks or outdoor markets Their journey ends in the Christian Quarter at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre The Old City is a vibrant blend of cultures This is Israel 5
LOCATION Israel is a long narrow Asian country just north of Africa It belongs to a region called the Middle East Israel is bordered by Lebanon to the north and Syria to the northeast Jordan and the West Bank line Israel’s eastern side The Dead Sea is part of this border To the south Israel meets the northern tip of the Red Sea Egypt lies to the southwest The Mediterranean Sea borders Israel’s western coast The Gaza Strip is tucked between Egypt and Israel’s coast Israel covers 8,019 square miles 20,770 square kilometers It is slightly larger than the state of New Jersey Jerusalem the capital of Israel lies in the center of the country 6
LEBANON SYRIA MEDITERRANEAN SEA HAIFA WEST BANK JERUSALEM TEL AVIV GAZA STRIP BEERSHEBA DEAD SEA ISRAEL JORDAN EGYPT RED SEA JUST A KID Israel is a young country only founded in 1948 The land it sits on was formerly called Palestine 7
