The Temple Mount ("Haram ash-Sharif" in Arabic) is an elevated plateau located in the Old City of Jerusalem that houses some the most important structures and relics in the history of religion, including Dome of the Rock, the retaining wall of Herod’s temple, the Western Wall, and one the oldest and most beautiful mosques in the world, Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In Judaism, the area is considered the center of the world, and the point from which all humanity originated. For Muslims, the mount carries a similar significance, as the location where Muhammad ascended to heaven.
Although the area has been under Israeli sovereignty since the Six-Day War, the Temple Mount is still controlled by the Islamic Waqf, making it a high tension point in the Middle East.
The Temple Mount covers over 35.5 acres of land and is accessible to anyone who wishes to visit via the gate next to the Western Wall. In terms of location, it makes up the northern portion of a narrow spur of a hill, peaking at a height of 2,428 feet (740 meters) and overlooking the Kidron Valley.
Making your way into the Old City in order to visit the Mount is not a difficult process, although it could require you are healthy enough to walk for significant distances as no parking or public transportation is available on site, but rather just outside the Old City.
