How Big is Jerusalem?

Many people will say that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. However, it is interesting to note that the international community may not exactly recognize this city as that nation's capital. This is city is very significant to a lot of people of different cultural, historical, and religious backgrounds. This is also one reason why many people ask how big is Jerusalem.

When people ask how big is Jerusalem they will usually have to clarify what exactly they are asking for. One may be asking for total land area while another might simply be asking about the size of the population living within the city's boundaries. The figures you will get today only reflect the present day characteristics of modern-day Jerusalem, which is definitely larger than what its old city used to have.

In terms of land area, the city of Jerusalem has a total land area of 125.1 square kilometers. That is the equivalent of almost 50 square miles, which is actually 48.3 square miles to be exact. The city's residents number to around 763,800. Of course you can expect the population figures to change as the years go by. However, if we include the area and population figures from East Jerusalem then this city will be the largest city in all of Israel.

The city itself is located within the confines of the Judean Mountains. It is situated in between the Dead Sea, at the sea's northern edge, and the Mediterranean Sea. Tourists and pilgrims visit the city both for its historic and religious value. It is in fact one of the oldest cities in the world.

Religious Significance

Another interesting fact about Jerusalem is that its religious significance. To be specific, all the Abrahamic religions in the world consider this city to be sacred. The said world religions include Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. According to the Torah, David the King established the city during his reign and his son Solomon was the one who commissioned the construction of city's first temple.

Christians hold this city as sacred due to the fact that Jesus walked its streets, preached to its ancient peoples, and was crucified here in atonement for the sins of mankind in 30 CE. To Muslims everywhere, the city is the first Qibla, the center of prayer in 610 CE and according to tradition; it is here where Muhammad took on his Night Journey.

A lot of people ask how big is Jerusalem. The city itself isn't only big due to the size of its land area and the size of its population. But its significance to many different people of various cultural and religious backgrounds makes it one of the important sites in the world today.