 In 1517 , the Turkish Ottomans conquered Jerusalem from the Mamluks who had held it since 1250 and various folktales relate Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent 's quest to locate the Temple site and his order to have the area " swept and sprinkled , and the Western Wall washed with rosewater " upon its discovery . In the late 16th century , Suleiman ordered the construction of an imposing fortress @-@ wall to be built around the entire city , which still stands today . At the time , Jews received official permission to worship at the site and Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan built an oratory for them there . In 1625 arranged prayers at the Wall are mentioned for the first time . 
