Mount of Olives, Biblical mountain in East Jerusalem, Israel

Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley from the Old City, running 3.5 kilometres and formed of Late Cretaceous chalk and flint. Its western slopes facing Jerusalem hold a Jewish cemetery of about 150,000 graves, laid in terraced rows of pale stone markers stepping down the hillside. Atop the ridge sits the Palestinian neighbourhood of At-Tur, with the Chapel of the Ascension at 818 metres.

The slopes served as a burial place for influential families during the Kingdom of Judah, with rock-cut tombs from that era preserved in the south. Over the centuries, Christian sanctuaries and Jewish burial sites developed, shaping the appearance visitors see today.

The name comes from olive groves that once covered these slopes and still grow in patches today. Visitors see three major religious traditions side by side here, with cemeteries, churches, and pathways that pilgrims have walked for centuries.

Visitors reach the different sites along the ridge on foot or by taxi, though the climb from the Old City can be tiring. On hot days, a morning visit works well when the sun is not yet strong and the paths are less crowded.

The ridge rises about 80 metres above the Temple Mount, which is why Jews after 70 CE climbed it to view the ruined sanctuary and lament, especially on Tisha B'Av. An Italian pilgrim, Meshullam of Volterra, recorded in 1481 that the community went up and wept over the destroyed House.