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Andrew’s Scottish Church and below that is the Begin Heritage Center, a building with white arches. Looking towards the southwest we can see the red-tiled roofs of the Yemin Moshe Quarter, which was built in the 1890s and is named for Moses Montefiore.īelow these houses is the Hinnom Valley, and next to it lies Mishkenot Sha’ananim, the first neighborhood built outside the walls of the Old City in 1860. The city’s border – A view to the southwest To achieve this, the moat surrounding the citadel was filled in and a road leading into the Old City was paved in honor of the Emperor and his retinue. The Emperor wished to enter Jerusalem astride his horse, as the Crusaders did when they conquered the city. The road leading into the Old City was paved for the visit to Jerusalem by German Emperor Wilhelm II in 1989. In recent history, the Tower of David has become identified with the minaret of the citadel’s Ottoman mosque, which wasn’t built until the 17th century. At night, there is an impressive sound and light show. The tower later became part of a citadel built during the Middle Ages, and the entire complex is presently used by the Museum of the History of Jerusalem.ĭuring the day, the Tower of David – Museum of the History of Jerusalem offers exhibits that follow the history of the city, taking visitors on a journey back in time. This is the Tower of David. The base of the tower was built about two thousand years ago, in the time of King Herod.īut during the Byzantine Period, the remains of the impressive tower was mistakenly identified with the period of King David, and the name remained. The Jaffa Gate during the Festival of Lightįrom the observation platform above the gate, we see a tower with flags waving overhead. The gate itself is constructed with an “L” shaped defensive entryway that is typical for many of the Old City’s gates, which is aimed at making it more difficult for invaders to gain entry to the city. Adjacent to the gate were stores and stalls, and the market that developed there welcomed visitors as they entered the city’s gates.Īlongside the gate was a stagecoach station, providing service between Jerusalem and Jaffa. The wall is pockmarked with bullet holes on either side of the gate, and above the archway, we can see a small cubicle, known as a “meshikuli” in Arabic, from the English “machicolation,” meaning a small balcony or turret that was used by the city’s defenders to observe those entering the city and if necessary – to pour boiling oil or tar on their enemies.Īt the upper edge of the walls, we can see the crenelations that provided shelter for the fighters who stood on the walls. In the second half of the 19th century, the traffic of visitors and pilgrims to Jerusalem had increased dramatically, and Jaffa Gate was the main entrance into the Old City. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer suffer disgrace.This is one of the city’s most magnificent and important gates and was the starting point of the road that led from Jerusalem to the port of Jaffa. Decision to Restore the Wallsġ7 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work. Then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate and so returned. ( B) 15 So I went up by way of the valley by night and inspected the wall. ( A) 14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no place for the animal I was riding to continue. 13 I went out by night by the Valley Gate past the Dragon’s Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. The only animal I took was the animal I rode. 12 Then I got up during the night, I and a few men with me I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. 11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days.