The Walls the Citadel

The present walls of the Old City were built by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1542 AD. The city had been without walls since 1219, when Al-Muazzan tore them down to prevent the Crusaders from seizing a fortified city. There are eight gates. The Golden Gate has been sealed since 1530, blocked by Muslim graves. It is thought to lie over the Closed Gate of the First Temple, the entrance through which the Messiah will purportedly pass (Ezekiel 44:1-3). The seven other gates open onto different parts of the city. Jaffa Gate is the most convenient entrance from West Jerusalem and is the traditional entrance for pilgrims, as there has been a gate here since 135 AD. Damascus Gate serves East Jerusalem, and St. Stephen’s Gate, also called the lion’s Gate, is the beginning of the Via Dolorosa. The Dung Gate, first mentioned in 445 BC by the prophet Nehemiah, opens near the Western Wall and was given its name in medieval times because dumping dung here was considered an especially worthy act. The Zion Gate connects the Armenian Quarter with Mt. Zion. Herod’s Gate stands to the east of Damascus Gate, and the New Gate, opened in 1889 to facilitate access to the Christian Quarter, lies to the west.

You can walk atop all parts of the wall except those surrounding the Temple Mount. In addition to the unsurpassed view of the Old City, this walk will give you an idea of the wall’s military importance throughout the centuries. Clearly labelled near Jaffa Gate are slits for pouring boiling oil on attackers. You can ascend the ramparts (as the walkway is called) after purchasing tickets at the Citadel and the Damascus or Jaffa Gates (tel. 23 12 21). (By the way, some people don’t give Jaffa Gate the respect it deserves. Gustave Flaubert, famed author of Madame Bovary, recalled: “We enter through Jaffa Gate and 1 let a fart escape as I cross the threshold very involuntarily. I was even annoyed at bottom by this Voltaireanism of my anus.” You would be too.) Each ticket is valid for unlimited admission within two days of the time stamped on your stub (3 days if you buy your ticket on Friday). Once you have a ticket in hand, you don’t owe a shekel to the self-appointed “guards” who might approach you along the way. Women should never walk alone on the walls, even during the day; cases of sexual assault have been reported-even if you can run, you can’t hide. (Walls open Sat.-Thurs. 9am-4pm, Fri. 9am-2pm. Admission NIS5, students NIS2.5O; ask about the NIS3.80 group rate.)