Jerusalem has a long, rich history, ruled by different empires over the millennia. The city also plays a fundamental role in three religions. CGTN's Stephanie Freid and Adel El Mahrouky take a look back at a complex history and its role in a modern conflict.

Jerusalem - one of the world's oldest - and holiest - cities dates back to 3500 BC.

RONNI ELLENBLUM HISTORIAN, JERUSALEM "This is the place connecting between heaven and earth. This is the place where people - the chosen people, the very few who can connect between God and human beings - were born Or they came here." "When you come to think about all the people who were here - It's Abraham, it's Solomon, it's David, it's Jesus, it's the Virgin Mary. It is Mohammed. The prophet of Islam."

That metaphysical draw to the land may explain why, throughout history Jerusalem has been fought over, conquered, destroyed twice & captured and recaptured 44 times.

RONNI ELLENBLUM HISTORIAN, JERUSALEM "You can see a lineage of super generals who conquered Jerusalem and the way they were conceived by their own culture was bigger than what they were."

Famous conquerers like King David, Cyrus the Great, Alexander the Great, Caliph Omar, the Crusaders, Sallahadin, Suleiman the Magnificent, General Allenby, & Moshe Dayan.

Empires and dynasties include Hasmonean Babylonian, Seleucid, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and British.

DR. YOUSSEF NATSCHE HISTORIAN, JERUSALEM "Jerusalem changed hands but one should be careful what is the result of that. Whether it is peaceful, a continuation of civilization or it is a destruction and it is something which affected the human history and the interests of the people at that time."

Three different entities have controlled Jerusalem during the past century - the latest, the State of Israel. With statehood Israel took control of West Jerusalem - Jordan controlled the East.

STEPHANIE FREID JERUSALEM "Then, the Israel - and Palestine - map changed radically in 1967 in the wake of war broke out between Israel and combined forces of Egypt, Jordan and Syria."

ADEL EL MAHROUKY JERUSALEM "While Israel's borders Expanded into the lands of neighboring countries, during that war, Jerusalem once again was paying the price. The Israeli flag swallowed East Jerusalem dissecting the Palestinian society into three different groups."

Arabs who have lived in 1948 territories had no choice but to become Israeli Citizens. In the West Bank and Gaza people only had the Palestinian identification papers. While Palestinian Jerusalemites became Jordanian.

KHALIL TAFAKJI DIRECTOR, MAPPING & GIS DEPARTMENT, JERUSALEM ARAB STUDIES SOCIETY "To understand how 1967 changed Jerusalem, we must look at what happened earlier in 1917, when the British expanded Jerusalem municipality from one square kilometer, that is the Old City, to 21 square kilometers by including all Jewish settlements built from 1860 until 1917, while leaving Palestinian villages out of this new definition of Jerusalem, and hence claiming that "Jerusalem" was mostly inhabited by Jewish people."

Some Arab neighborhoods near the Western Wall have been demolished to expand the Jewish prayer areas. 28 Palestinian villages and cities Joined Israel's new expansion to Jerusalem, which later reached up to 124 square meters. Palestinians still lived here, but the land they're standing on has no longer become theirs.

KHALIL TAFAKJI DIRECTOR, MAPPING & GIS DEPARTMENT, JERUSALEM ARAB STUDIES SOCIETY "Economically, Israel did not allow the Palestinians to create industrial areas which were exclusive to West Jerusalem. So Palestinians were forced to work like slaves in the Israeli factories. Culturally Israel controlled 65% of the schools, imposing their curricula. The Catastrophe was called "independence", the official flag and anthem became those of the Israelis, Hebrew has been imposed on us, and now the language has infiltrated the daily Palestinian language, our identity is being wiped out."

With such regulations West Jerusalem has grown much faster than East Jerusalem. Israel made Jerusalem its capital, bringing all executive and legislative authorities here.

KHALIL TAFAKJI DIRECTOR, MAPPING & GIS DEPARTMENT, JERUSALEM ARAB STUDIES SOCIETY "We only have 13% of our land. And even in those territories, Israeli settlements are being built. Part of what is known as the Sharon 1990 project, it's to create 26 settlements around Jerusalem to make it impossible to divide the city."

With Israel holding tight to it and Palestinians crying to make at least its Eastern side a capital for their independent state to be. Jerusalem has always been and will likely remain disputed. AMA CGTN JR.