The Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall in Jerusalem

As the modern capital of secular Israel, Jerusalem is both a bustling multicultural hub and a spiritual basketcase, its very existence a point of widespread contention.

This 3,000-year-old city has long been a sacred place for the world's three big monotheistic faiths - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Beneath Jerusalem's minarets, domes, church spires and high-rise apartments, you'll see monks, businesswomen, tourists, mullahs, students, rabbis, nuns and felafel hawkers going about their business with a level of purpose and energy you'll find in few other corners of the planet.

Jerusalem's focal point is its Old City, encircled by white, bullet-scarred Ottoman-period walls and crowned by the glistening gold Dome of the Rock. Roughly one-square-kilometre in size, the Old City is divided into four quarters - Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian - and is heaving with a glut of biblical landmarks, religious buildings and ancient ruins.

In the Jewish quarter, the 67-metre-long Western or "Wailing" Wall ("Kotel" in Hebrew) is Judaism's holiest site. It is believed to be the only surviving remains of the temple built by King Herod that was subsequently destroyed by Romans in 70AD. The walls' cracks are stuffed with notes penned to God and the plaza in front of the wall - divided into men's and women's sections - is constantly abuzz with emotional visitors and Orthodox Jews lost in prayer.

Directly above the Western Wall lies the Temple Mount, dominated by the ornate Al-Aqsa Mosque capped by the Dome of the Rock. This is the third-holiest site in Islam after the Ka'ba in Meca and the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina and is built on the spot where Abraham supposedly nearly sacrificed his son Ishmael. Non-Muslims may visit the mosque outside prayer times.

The prime attraction in the Old City's Christian quarter is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where Jesus is believed to have been crucified, buried and resurrected.

Even hardcore atheists can sense something holy emanating from the Old City's tangle of ancient alleyways and street vendors certainly know how to make the most of this spiritual Disneyland. The Old City features a selection of atmospheric markets where you can buy all manner of religious souvenirs and Middle Eastern trinkets.

Key religious landmarks outside the Old City walls include the Mount of Olives and Mount Zion as well as the ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish neighbourhood of Mea Shearim which resembles a 19th century European shtetl.

Beyond, in modern Jerusalem (geographically West Jerusalem), life carries on in a largely secular whirl. Here you'll find Israel's parliament buildings as well as skyscrapers, hotels, shops, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs and bars.

West Jerusalem also has a number of must-visit museums, namely Yad Vashem, a vast and affecting Holocaust museum, as well as the Israel Museum, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and other archaeological gems.

Hebrew is the main language spoken in West Jerusalem while Arabic is the main language in East Jerusalem. Areas of West Jerusalem have been targetted by suicide bombers in recent years. For more information on personal safety read the Survival Guide to Israel.