The wall was built by Ottoman Turks in the 16th Century in order to fortify Jerusalem. The gate combined the best fortification techniques of the time. On both sides are slits through which the soldiers could shoot through, from protected positions, and above the arch is a small balcony, known as ‘meshikuli’ in Arabic, with an opening through which the defenders could pour boiling oil on attackers.
On the upper edges of the walls are the rows of battlements. The “elbow’ shaped gate was designed to stall invaders. Until the end of the 19th century, the gates massive doors were locked at sundown. The ornamentation of the gate is distinguishable, similar to the decorative arches above the slits and the plaque above the entrance, with an Arabic inscription praising the powerful ruler who built it, the Ottoman Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent.
Glance to the right, towards the new city. Building outside the walls began, only 150 years ago. The staircase at the end of the square leads to the New Alrov, Mamilla Blvd, an upscale shopping area, built where the commercial center of Jerusalem, once stood. In late 1947, a few days before the UN General Assembly voted to partition Palestine into a Jewish and Arab state, the center was attacked by the city’s Arab residents, shops were pillaged and burned and the area was gradually abandoned. The modern shopping area preserved some building facades from the early 1920’s, merging the old with the new.
The Stern House, where Theodor Herzl (founder of the Zionist movement), stayed only one time in 1898 was restored with the original stones of the facade and today it is book shop and memorial gallery to recall the visit of the Zionist delegation to Jerusalem.
Enter Jaffa Gate and stop at the old photograph of the city where you can acknowledge the many changes, the gate has undergone. The photograph of the gate was taken outside the walls over a century ago and shows ‘carriages’ or ‘diligences’ arriving from the port of Jaffa after a long journey. Jaffa Gate, once a busy center for merchants, tourists and travelers, lost its importance, as the city expanded westward. The British changed its appearance by removing some buildings in front of it, as well as the Clock Tower which had been built in honor of Ottoman Sultan, Abdel Hamid, the second. Omar Ibn el-Katid, the name of the square is indicated on 2 ceramic plaques on the wall. The Arabic and English date to the period when the city was controlled by the Jordanians and the Hebrew was added after 1967.
A few steps forward is a fence enclosing a small terrace with 2 Muslim graves, which according to legend are Ottoman tombs of 2 engineers that built the wall for Suleiman the Magnificent. Some say that after the construction of the wall, Suleiman had them beheaded, to punish them for leaving Mt. Zion and the “Prophet” David’s tomb outside the wall. Others say that he executed them so they could not build anything so magnificent for anyone else.
Return towards the gate, on the same side of the street as the graves and climb the staircase, stopping at the Observation Terrace, looking towards the City of David.
The Observation Terrace
- Standing on the terrace overlooking Jaffa Gate, view the tower in front of you with the flags on its roof. This is the only surviving tower of three that were built by King Herod, 2000 years ago. These towers were named after 3 people dear to him, his brother Phasa’el (which the remaining tower is named after), his best friend Hippicus and his wife, Miriamme, whom he murdered, out of jealousy. Today, it is called the “Tower of David”, with whom Byzantine monks wrongly identified the remnants. The name has also been linked to the Ottoman minaret on the western side of the fortification, to confuse matters. The large stones at the lower part, reminiscent of the ones in the Western Wall, are original while the upper sections were reconstructed by the Mamluks in the late middle ages.
- The Tower of David served the city’s rulers over many centuries: the Roman 10th Legion in the first century CE – the Crusaders, who dug a dry moat around it in the 12th C. and -the Mamluks, who gave it, it’s current shape. In the 16th C. , the Ottoman, sultan Suleiman, the Magnificent, rebuilt the city wall and included the citadel within. The British, finding remains there, turned it into a cultural and archaeological center.
- Between the years 1948 – 1967, the citadel was on the border between Israel and Jordanian Jerusalem and its strategic position was a vantage point for the Jordanians over the Israeli side of the city. Today, it is a museum for the history of Jerusalem.
- The street, entering the Old City below, was paved in honor of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1898. The Kaiser requested to enter the city riding his own horse with a large entourage. For this purpose, the access road was made and the moat was filled.
The Latin Patriarch
- Climb the stairs and turn left. In front, are the roofs of the Christian quarter and some of the most important Christian institutions. The pointed tower with the balcony is the Greek Orthodox church, whose community was established in the 18th C., when a faction left the Greek Orthodox Church and joined the Catholic church, in communion with Rome. The Melkite Greek Catholic Church is the largest Christian community in Israel.
- To the left is a prominent structure with pointed gables and the Vatican Flag (white and yellow), which is the seat of the Latin Patriarch (highest Catholic functionary in the Holy Land) and his residence. For many years, after the Crusaders were expelled from the Holy Land, there was no Latin Patriarch till 1847, when it was renewed. Since 1987, the position has been filled by Christian Arabs. The Patriarch resides in a fine building with elaborate church which is not open to the public. To the west, a little further is the Alrov Mamilla Blvd.
- Standing on the wall and looking at the people passing below gives one the sense of strategic advantage. When the city was divided, Jordanian snipers were a constant threat to the Israeli neighborhoods across the valley. The King David Hotel on the left, is one of the most prestigious hotels and where dignitaries and heads of state stay when they visit Jerusalem. In 1946, the southwest corner of the hotel was blown up by the Irgun, an Israeli militant group.
The Northeast Corner
- Walk to the sharp corner, which is the northeast corner of the wall. The playground near the wall belongs to the school of the fraternity college “Les Freres”, one of many orders that arrived in Jerusalem after the Patriarch was established and who provided, education, medical and charity services. The school serves both Muslim and Christian communities. In the years when Jerusalem was divided , the soccer balls of the boys playing at recess often flew into “no-man’s land”. In 1965, just before Christmas, the UN reps asked Israel to collect the balls and return them as a holiday gesture. 28 balls were returned in a festive ceremony.
- Below is Jaffa Street and Tzahal Square, which refers to the Israeli Defence Forces. On the corner the building with a round facade, flying an Israeli flag, is the historic municipal building, built by the British in 1934. It was built in that location to emphasize the connection between new and old. In 1949, at the end of the War of Independence, the building remained Israeli territory and the Old City in the hands of the Jordanians. The street between them was a border for 19 years, with barbed wire.
- In 1965 when Teddy Kollek became mayor of Jerusalem, many people advised him to move the municipality to a safer location. But he did not feel it was right to retreat while there were citizens on the front line and just 2 years later, the city was re-united. Walk along the wall till you see a mosque with a white dome.
Saint Louis French Hospital and Notre Dame Center.
- The white dome inside the nearby wall belongs to a family called “Qameria”, one of few mosques in the Christian quarter.The St. Louis French Hospital is the asymmetrical facade with turquoise shutters, outside the wall, named for King Louis IX of France, who led the seventh crusade and was known for his piety. The building was open in 1896 and is run by nuns who give terminal care to people of all religions.
- The Notre Dame de Jerusalem Center was originally the Notre Dame de France built as a product of the missionary movement at the end of the 19th C. The French wanted to strengthen the Roman Catholic presence in Jerusalem, in response to the Russian Orthodox missionaries. But when some one thousand French pilgrims arrived, they found that accommodations were lacking and they collected money to establish a large modern guest house. The building was damaged in 1948 and was used as an observation point by the Israelis alongside the monks that lived there. After the six-day war, the building was returned to the Vatican and was renovated and re-opened as a pilgrim guest house.
- Further ahead and to the right is the northern wall of the Old City and on the horizon, the tower of the Hebrew university of Mt. Scopus. To the right of that tower is the bell tower of Augusta Victoria Lutheran hospital between Mt. Scopus and Mt. of Olives.
The New Wall
- Continue walking along the wall till you come to a point above the New Gate, one of the 8 gates in the old city wall. It was opened in 1889 for the purpose of connecting the Christian institutes outside the walls with the Christian quarter. The gate’s Arabic name is Bab el-Ghadid or Bab Abdul Hamid, in honor of the Ottoman sultan that ordered its opening. On the right, the compound of the Franciscan order, with the landmark of the sharply pointed tower of the Church of St. Saviour. The Franciscan order was established by St. Francis of Assisi, who preached a life of simplicity, poverty and charity.
- After the fall of the Crusader Kingdom, the St. Franciscan order insisted in staying on. In the 14th C., they were entrusted by the pope to maintain custody of the Holy Land (Custodia Terra Sancta) and protect Catholic interests in the east. They adopted the emblem of the Jerusalem Cross – 1 big cross with 4 small ones in each corner.
- Exit the Ramparts walk at this point by descending to the New Gate. The path divides as you approach Damascus gate. Proceed along the right path that descends to Damascus gate and stop at the balcony, a rooftop for a view of the Old City.
Damascus Gate
- In Arabic, Bab Al Amud, the ‘gate of the column’ – because of the tall column that once stood in the Roman plaza – is the strategic, central gate of the Northern Wall. The gold domed mosque to the east is the ‘Dome of the Rock’, third holiest shrine in Islam. The street that runs from the gate into the Old City’s Moslem quarter, soon divides into two preserving the route of the ancient Roman streets. On the right is ‘Khan al Zeit’,– ‘Beit Habad’ in Hebrew and ‘Oil Press’ in English. On the left is ‘El-Wad’ St. – ‘HaGuy’ –or the ‘Valley St’. Both are commercial streets crossing the city from north to south.
- The Roman emperor Hadrian, whose statue adorned the top of a column in the plaza, rebuilt the city in the 2nd century CE. Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of the plaza and the Roman gate which was magnificent, in its day.
Sultan Suleiman Street
- After visiting some other sites, return to Damascus Gate, Ramparts Walk and ascend the stairs to the small terrace where the path makes a slight turn. The street opposite is named after the Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent, who built the walls. The bus and taxi station takes residents to East Jerusalem neighborhoods and west bank destinations like Ramallah and Bethlehem.
- The Rocky cliff at the back of the bus station is’ Golgotha’, the location of the crucifixion of Jesus, identified by the British General, Charles Gordon. In some Protestant circles, the Garden Tomb is considered to be that location.
- On the left, an impressive building with arches, towers and domes, reminiscent of a German Castle is Paulushaus, a hostel built by the German Association of the Holy Land in 1908 to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims. The British army used the building after WWI and it was turned back to a hostel in the 1960’s. Nearby is the Schmidt Girls School.
Herods Gate or Gate of Flowers
- Stand on top of Herod’s gate, which used to be a small opening in the wall, almost always closed until it was permanently opened by the Muslims outside the walls in 1975 . The Arabic name Bab a-Sa’hira is connected to a Muslim belief that the resurrection will take place in the cemetery on the hill in front of it. Through the years the name was distorted and changed to Bab a-Za’hara, which means flower, giving it the Hebrew name, ‘Gate of Flowers’, which also relates to the rose-like carvings in the stone around it. A church was built nearby during the Crusader period where they assumed Herod had once had a palace.
- Continue walking to the Northeast corner of the wall.
The North East Corner – The Stork Tower
- The Northeast corner, the Stork Tower, is a name that dates back to the crusades. Beyond the walls is Rockefeller Museum, built during the British Mandate by the generosity of the American Rockefeller family. It’s architecture combines symbols of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as eastern and western cultures. It now functions as a branch of the Israel museum.
- To the right is the ridge of Mt. of Olives and Mt. Scopus, separating Jerusalem from the Judean desert. The three towers seen from this point are, The Hebrew University Campus on Mt. Scopus, on the far left. In the middle, the tower of the Augusta Victoria Lutheran hospital, named for Kaiser Wilhelm II’s wife. On the right is the bell tower of the Russian Church of Ascension, built in the late 19th C. where Jesus traditionally ascended to heaven after his resurrection.
- Continue to the Observation point overlooking the Old City and Mt. of Olives.
The Old City
- The observation terrace provides a panoramic view of the Mt. of Olives and the Old City. To the east is the Mt. of Olives, sacred to all religions and of many traditions. Beneath the 7 Arches Hotel is the ancient Jewish cemetery with 1000’s of tombstones. According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will appear here and the resurrection of the dead will begin. This is why for generations many Jews from near and afar have asked to be buried here – simple people, distinguished rabbis and public figures.
- During the Byzantine period many churches and abbeys were built on the Mt. of Olives, which is also sacred in Christianity. The Russian church with the golden onion shaped dome is named for Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus, claimed to have been the first to see him after his resurrection.
- Below it the Church of All Nations, with the multicolored mosaic gable, is a tribute to the Catholic community that supported its construction. This church is located in the Garden of Gethsemane, the location where Jesus was arrested and hence became know as ‘the Basilica of Agony’.
- Under the wall where you are standing there is a Muslim cemetery that talks about the Day of Judgment, believed to begin here.
- Turn around and face the Old City, on the left is the golden Dome of the Rock, at the center of the Temple Mount – Haram al Sharif in Arabic (the Noble Sanctuary), whose construction was completed at the end of the 7th C. On the right is the white stone of St. Anne Church built by the Crusaders in the 12th C. over the supposed spot where the Virgin Mary was born. This Romanesque building is characterized by its simplicity. After the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem, it was turned into a ‘madrasa’, a study house named for Saladin, the leader who defeated the crusaders and brought the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem to an end. Today it is a monastery of the ‘White Fathers’. Remains of the ancient pools of Bethesda and a Roman Temple were found in excavations near the church.
- Descend to Lion’s Gate.
Lions Gate
- One of the 7 gates and the only one in the eastern wall. The stone reliefs on the outer facade represent the lions in the coat of arms of the Mamluk Sultan Baybars who built the lower part of the gate in the 13th C. The upper part dates to the rebuilding of the walls by the Ottoman Turkish Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th C. According to legend, the Baybars dreamed he saw lions about to devour him as a punishment for leaving the City of Jerusalem unprotected and he hurried to repair its defences.
- The Arabs call the gate Bab el-Miriam because of the proximity to the traditional tomb of the Virgin Mary. Christians call it St. Stephen’s gate in memory of the first Christian martyr who was stoned to death nearby. On Palm Sunday thousands of Christians pass through here following the footsteps of Jesus.
- Throughout history the gate has undergone changes, specifically its original “elbow” shape in order to stall invaders, to the straight gate of today, enabling access for vehicles.