Tower of David (Museum of the history of Jerusalem) description and photos - Israel: Jerusalem (Topic)

Tower of David (Museum of the history of Jerusalem) description and photos - Israel: Jerusalem. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Tower of David (Museum of the history of Jerusalem).

Photo and description

The Tower of David is part of an ancient citadel located at the Jaffa Gate, in the west of the Old City. Now there is a museum of the history of Jerusalem.

To the biblical king David, the founder of ancient Israel (X century BC), the tower has a very indirect relationship - the fortress at the highest point of the city was erected by the kings of the Hasmonean dynasty only in the 2nd century BC e. After the Hasmoneans, King Herod the Great came to power, who in 37 - 34 years BC. e. added three powerful towers to the citadel. He called them by the names of close people: "Fasail" - in honor of his brother-suicide, "Miriam" - in memory of his second wife, whom he himself killed, and "Hippicus" - in honor of one of his friends. Only the tallest tower, Fasail, has survived countless sieges and destruction of subsequent eras. - its lower part is called today the Tower of David.

This name apparently refers to the times of Byzantium: Eastern Christians believed that it was on the Western Hill 773 meters high that the palace of King David was once located. The Arabs, having conquered Jerusalem in 638, fortified the citadel so that the crusaders were unable to take it by attack in 1099. However, it was taken in 1187 by the great warrior Saladin. It was destroyed and rebuilt in the XIII century by the Mamluks, for four hundred years the Ottoman Turks were garrisoned here. They added to the tower a minaret that still dominates the city.

In World War I, when British troops occupied Jerusalem, it was at the entrance to the Tower of David that the British commander, General Allenby, solemnly accepted the surrender. The Museum of Palestinian Folklore was located here between the World Wars. After the Arab-Israeli war of 1948-1949, the fortress temporarily regained its military role: the Jordanian Arab Legion was based there. Only after Israel's victory in the 1967 Six-Day War did the citadel become a peaceful object: since 1989, the Museum of the History of Jerusalem has been located here.

The exposition of the museum allows you to imagine how Jerusalem grew and developed over forty centuries. This process is clearly illustrated by excellent three-dimensional models of the city, videos and holograms. Part of the exposition is the inner courtyard of the museum - an archaeological park with ruins up to 2700 years old. Visitors have the opportunity to climb the ramparts from which they can view the whole of Jerusalem, including the Old City.

The Tower of David is a traditional venue for city festivals, folk craft fairs, and concerts. An impressive laser show is regularly held here: staged episodes from the centuries-old history of Jerusalem are projected onto the walls of the citadel to authentic music. The show is organized after sunset, and tourists are advised to bring warm sweaters with them - it can get cold in Jerusalem at night.

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Topic: Tower of David (Museum of the history of Jerusalem) description and photos - Israel: Jerusalem.