Jerusalem (/dʒəˈruːsələm/; Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם; Arabic: القُدس al-Quds, pronounced Al Quds, local pronunciation: is an ancient West Asian city, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea.

It is one of the oldest cities in the world and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Both Israel and Palestine claim Jerusalem as their capital; Israel maintains its primary governmental institutions there, and the State of Palestine ultimately foresees it as its seat of power. Neither claim, however, is widely recognized internationally.