Walk up, touch it, feel the rough texture of thousands of battles, hear the echoes of millennia of prayers, see the honey yellow glow of past civilizations. Then step back, take a seat, and feel its presence, feel that which is beyond words and confined to the world of the spirit. Bask in its radiance and majesty, so unexpected of a wall of stone.
The wailing wall is the last remain of the Jewish Second Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70AD, and as such is the holiest Jewish site in the world. It has significance to Muslims too, not only does it stand adjacent and supporting the al-Haram from which the Profit Mohamed ascended to heaven, but it is also considered to be the site where he tethered his horse before his flight.
The sheer size of the wall is outstanding, dwarfing the large esplanade at its foot. Thousands of devotees come to the wall for prayers, and on Sabbaths and religious festivals the esplanade spills over with religious fervor. The Wall is also believed to be a direct point of communication to god, and the gaps between the gigantic stones, which make up the wall, constitute God's post box. Religious Jews write down their prayers on slips of paper, leaving them between the rocks for God to read. These papers are removed every so often, and buried carefully, as it is forbidden to treat them with disrespect.
The faithful stand, dwarfed by the massive stones too high and sheer for them to climb. Their hands often grasping the cold stone, bodies rocking back and forth, whispers, cries and wails of joy, anger, love and sorrow. The wailing wall.