Jerusalem is an ancient Middle Eastern city of key importance to the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
The Western Wall, in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem, is generally considered to be the only remains of the Second Temple from the era of the Roman conquests. There are said to be esoteric texts in Midrash that mention God's promise to keep this one remnant of the outer temple wall standing as a memorial and reminder of the past. Hence the significance of the "Western Wall" (kotel hama'aravi) - also called the "Wailing Wall" by non-Jews, attesting to their perception of Jews' propensity to cry whenever they came before it.
Jerusalem has a large number of places of religious and historic significance including the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, among many others (See Religious Significance above). It is also home to a number of key Israeli government buildings, including the Kenesset and Israeli Supreme Court, and Israeli institutions, including Hebrew University.