For the first time at the Western Wall: A 2,000-year visit in augmented reality

In anticipation of the arrival of millions of visitors during the summer months and holidays: The Western Wall Heritage Foundation is launching an innovative AR application that will provide every visitor with a historical glimpse into the past and immersive guidance.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation is launching, for the first time, an augmented reality (AR) application that allows millions of visitors to experience their visit to the Western Wall in an experiential way, providing a 2,000- year historical perspective.

The application, named “Kotel AR,” incorporates cutting-edge augmented reality technology that essentially identifies the real world through the smart device’s camera (smartphone) by scanning the space at the Western Wall and overlays virtual information onto it. Users of the application, therefore, observe both the physical reality and the virtual reality simultaneously, all in one view.

As part of the new service, which is open to the general public free of charge and is available for download on Android and iOS devices, visitors can virtually see what they would have seen 2,000 years go from the exact point they are standing now. In this way, they can gain a detailed understanding of the dimensions and sections of the Western Wall, observe the royal portico columns that adorned the Temple, experience the Levites’ singing in the Temple, sense the ambience of the pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem, witness the priestly blessing from a bird’s-eye view, and even navigate through significant periods and landmarks in the history of the site from the Second Temple period.