Jerusalem

el asqua mosque and the dome of the rock

　　jerusalem is arguably the world's most revered city. it's the city of king david （1，000 b.c.）， the place of christ's last ministry and crucifixion（钉死于十字架）， and the site where the prophet mohammad is believed to have ascended to heaven. over a turbulent 3，000-year history， jerusalem has seen more than its share of sieges， while jews， christians， and muslims have all tried their hand at ruling the city.

　　during the centuries of the crusades（十字军东征）， jerusalem was the ethereal （天国的）vision that moved the armies of europe and islam， but for almost 700 years after the crusades ended， the actual city of jerusalem existed as a shadowy， forgotten backwater（荒僻处）， slowly falling into ruin and decay. not until the 19th century did the city again begin to come alive and reemerge from behind its walls.

　　during the years of the british mandate（托管）（1918-48） the current incarnation（原意为化身）of jerusalem developed as a quiet religious center， tourist attraction， and university town in a remarkably beautiful mountain setting. nineteen years of division by war， barbed wire（有刺铁丝网）， and minefields （1948-67） brought jerusalem's gentle renaissance（复兴，复活）to a temporary halt.

the mosque of umar， located next to the church of the holy sepulcher， features a syrian-type minaret.

　　situated along an edge of the west bank in east-central israel， jerusalem is the nation's capital and largest city， with a population of around 560，000. it is comprised of the history-drenched old city， and modern urban neighborhoods that have grown up outside the old city's walls.

　　modern jerusalem is a center of government， culture and tourism. naturally， the old city is of most interest to visitors， given sacred landmarks like the curch of the holy sepulcher， the dome of the rock， and the wailing wall. numerous museums and other historic sites lend further appeal to one of the world's holiest（最神圣的）cities.