Accepted by most members of the United Nations as the de facto capital of Israel, Tel Aviv is not, in fact, the city that Israel names as its capital. Officially, the city of Jerusalem is the nation's capital - a city with a long and complicated history that has meaning for members of three major world religions.

Jerusalem has been the holiest city in the Jewish tradition since the days of King David and King Solomon. For Christians, the city is holy because it is said to be where Jesus was crucified. And in Islam, Jerusalem is the third-holiest city in the world. Within Jerusalem's small Old City, many sites of tremendous religious importance now sit.

Jerusalem makes an easy day trip from Tel Aviv - being only an hour away - and is a popular and spiritual place to visit for people from around the globe. If you are considering a day trip to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, here are the highlights along the way:

Mount of Olives - A scenic viewpoint above Jerusalem that allows you to see the Dome of the Rock at the Temple Mount from afar.

Garden of Gathsemane - Located in the Kidron Valley, this is said to be where Jesus prayed before his crucifixion.

Temple Mount - The Temple Mount ("Haram ash-Sharif" in Arabic) is a plateau in Jerusalem's Old City on which the Dome of the Rock, the Western Wall, and the al-Aqsa Mosque sit. In Judaism, this is considered the center of the world, from which humanity originated. In the Islamic tradition, this is the location where Muhammad ascended to heaven.

The Dome of the Rock - Built atop the site of the Second Jewish Temple around 690 CE, the gold-gilded Dome of the Rock is the oldest and most famous Islamic shrine in the world.

The Western Wall (Wailing Wall) - This is the holiest of Jewish sites, and functions as an open-air synagogue for thousands of worshippers each day who make pilgrimages here from all corners of the world. It is the last remaining remnant of the Second Temple built by Herod the Great around 19 BCE.

Al-Aqsa Mosque - Also located on the Temple Mount, this mosque is the third-holiest site in Islam.

Via Dolorosa - The Via Dolorosa refers to the route Jesus took through Jerusalem to the site of his Crucifixion at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The route is marked by the 14 Stations of the Cross and is an important pilgrimage for many Christians.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre - Located within the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem, the site of this church is said to be the site of Golgotha, where Jesus was crucified, as well as the site where he was buried and resurrected from.