Certain places carry meaning for more than one tradition, and several have been contested for centuries. This page introduces the principal sites.
Jerusalem
Sacred to all three traditions. For Jews it is the city of the Temple, whose Western Wall remains a place of prayer. For Christians it is where Jesus was crucified and, they believe, rose from the dead; the Church of the Holy Sepulchre marks the site. For Muslims it holds al-Masjid al-Aqṣā (المسجد الأقصى, the Farthest Mosque) and the Dome of the Rock, associated with the Prophet’s Night Journey. Read more in Jerusalem in Three Traditions.
Hebron
The Cave of the Patriarchs, known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque, is by tradition the burial place of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah. Jews, Christians and Muslims have all venerated the site.
Bethlehem
The traditional birthplace of Jesus, marked by the Church of the Nativity, and in the Hebrew Bible the home of David’s family.
Nazareth
The town in Galilee where Jesus grew up. The Basilica of the Annunciation recalls the angel’s message to Mary.
Mount Sinai
The mountain where, according to the Hebrew Bible, Moses received the law. Tradition identifies it with Jebel Musa in the southern Sinai Peninsula, beside the Monastery of Saint Catherine, although scholars have proposed other locations.
Mecca
The birthplace of Muhammad and the holiest city in Islam. At its centre stands the Kaaba, which Muslims believe Abraham and Ishmael built, and toward which Muslims pray. Mecca is the destination of the ḥajj.
Medina
The city to which Muhammad migrated in 622 and where he is buried. The Prophet’s Mosque makes Medina the second holiest city in Islam.