| Jerusalem
(31°46′N 35°14′E; Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yerushalayim; Arabic: القُدس (help·info) al-Quds) is an
ancient Middle Eastern city on the watershed between the
Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea at an elevation of
650-840 meter. It is located east of Tel Aviv, south of
Ramallah, west of Jericho and north of Bethlehem. Jerusalem was the capital of the Jewish kingdoms of
Israel, Judah and Judea in the First Temple and Second
Temple periods and is the capital of the modern State of
Israel. It is the holiest city of Judaism and is of key
importance to Christianity and Islam. The status of the
eastern part of Jerusalem as part of the Israeli capital,
and the control over that part of the city and its holy
places, are internationally debated.
With a population of 704,900 (as of December 31, 2004
[1]), it is a heterogeneous city, representing a wide
range of national, religious, and socioeconomic groups.
The section called the "Old City" is surrounded by walls
and consists of four quarters: Armenian, Christian,
Jewish, and Muslim. The current mayor of Jerusalem is Uri
Lupolianski, the first Haredi to ever hold such position.
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