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ISLAMIC SACRED SITES

After Mecca and Medina, considered the third most holy city Jerusalem is to Muslims. A shrine there, called Dome of the phet Muhammad by mosque, The Dome where Muslims Rock, houses the spot believe their pro- rose into heaven. of the Rock and a near- Al-Aqsa, are located on the Temple Mount, the site of the Jewish Temples. Because these most holy sites are so close togeth- er, they have been the site of clash- es between Jews and Muslims, A

THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM

After World War I, Britain and France divided the Ottoman lands in the Eastern Mediterranean region. France took the northern portion, including the present-day countries of Lebanon and Syria. Britain controlled the southern section, which included the present-day nations of Jordan and Israel. Britain and BACKGROUND The League of France were supposed to rule these lands until they were ready for inde- Nations gave the pendence. During the time of their control, the French frequently Otoman lands to played different religious groups against each other. Those tensions Pance and Britain. remain in the region today. The Syrians hated the French and in the 1920s and 1930s rebelled against them. Lebanon became independent in 1943, and Syria gained independence in 1946.

CHRISTIAN SACRED SITES

For Christians, Jerusalem is the sacred location of the final suffering and crucifixion of Jesus. Towns and villages important in the life of Jesus are found near Jerusalem. Every year, Christians visit places like the Mount of Olives and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre by the thousands. When Jerusalem was under Muslim control, Christians launched the Crusades to regain the lands and place them under the control of Christians. Eventually, the lands returned to the control

JEWISH SACRED SITES

For Jews, Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is the center of their modern and ancient home- land. Located in the old part of the city, the Temple Mount once housed the Temples. There, King Solomon built the First Temple, which was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. The Second Temple was constructed after the Jews returned to their homeland in 538 B.C. Modern Jews come to pray at the holiest site in Jerusalem, a portion of the Second Temple known as the Western Wall. It is the only remaining piece of the Second Temple, which was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Romans.

A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE

On September Judaism's holiest site. Muslims also have Jerusalem after a visit by an Israeli political Hundreds of people died in the vio- holy places located there. leader to the Temple Mount, 28, 2000, riots began in Palestinian leaders called for riots. lence that followed. To understand why a simple visit problems, it is necessary to understand the history of the region. to a holy place would cause such Palestinian Territories. (See the map on page 480.) In fact, the relations There is enormous disagreement over control of Jerusalem and the between Arabs and Israelis affect the entire region of the Eastern Mediterranean.

A History of Unrest

different A History of Unrest same groups The nations of the Eastern Mediterranean have been plagued with a history of political tension and unrest. The Ottoman Empire, a Muslim government based in Turkey, ruled the Eastern Mediterranean lands from 1520 to 1922. But the Ottoman Empire grew weaker and less able to solve problems with groups seeking independence. By the beginning of the 20th century, its collapse was not far away. The Ottoman Empire sided with Germany during World War 1 At the end of the war, the Ottoman Empire fell apart. Britain and France received Ottoman lands in the Eastern Mediterranean as part of the war settlement.

BRITISH PALESTINE MANDATE

independence The land controlled by Britain was known as the Palestine Mandate. In the 19th century, a movement called Zionism began. Its goal was to reestablish a Jewish state in the Jewish homeland. Jewish settlers started buying land and settling there, joining the resident Jewish community. By 1914, about 12 per- cent of the region's population was Jewish. After World War I, the British took command of the area and continued to allow Jewish and Arab immigration. Early on, Arabs and Jews in the region cooperated. But as more and more Jews poured into Palestine to escape persecution to reduce tensions the British halted Jewish immigration to Palestine. in Germany, the Arabs resisted the establishment of a Jewish state. In 1939,

Religious Holy Places

were founded in Southwest Asia. All three claim Jerusalem as a holy city. Three major monotheistic religions-Judaism, Christianity, and Islam- The City of Jerusalem, which covers 42 square miles, has Jewish, Christian, Armenian Christian, and Muslim sec- tions. Followers of all three religions come to the Old City to visit locations with strong spiritual meaning.