The Citadel and the Tower of David That Isn’t

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My first day in Jerusalem I walked to the Old City. Jerusalem is divided into the Old City, which has existed for at least 4,000 years, and the New City, which dates to 1860. That was the point at which Sir Moses Montefiore, a wealthy Jewish stockbroker from England, built the first neighborhood outside the walls of the Old City, complete with a windmill for grinding grain. Since living outside the city walls was considered to be risky business at the time, he offered financial incentives – which sounds much nicer than “bribes” – along with employment to anyone who would move to the new neighborhood.

I entered the Old City through the Jaffa Gate, which is an actual gate that used to be closed at night. Immediately inside the gate is the Citadel, which dates to the 8^th century BCE. This fortification was built, knocked down, rebuilt, and so on, literally for centuries.

Throughout the years, though, this has always been a fort. It has thick stone walls complete with arrow slits and observation points, a moat, guard rooms and a water source. The initial fortifications were built by King David and his son, King Solomon. King Herod added three great towers to the Citadel, and built his palace close by. The soldiers who were present at the crucifixion of Jesus are rumored to have been quartered here, and around 70 CE the Romans turned the Citadel into barracks.

As different empires took over the city, the conquerors brought their style of architecture and religion with them. The Ottomans rebuilt the Citadel about 1540 CE after their conquest, and included a mosque in their plans. Integral to the mosque was a very tall minaret, which stands today.

When then Christian Crusaders entered Jerusalem, they saw this tall tower and, ignoring the crescent moon at its peak, decided it was the Tower of David. They figured that this was the ancient site of King David’s palace, or maybe it was his tomb. Even though they were about as wrong as they could be, the name stuck.

Today, the Citadel is a museum, and it’s well worth entering. They also have tours in English. The area immediately in front of the Citadel still functions as a defensive position – the Jerusalem Police Department has a station here.

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Photos

Herodian ruins
These walls date from the time of King Herod.

round stones
These stones were used by the Selucid Army trying to breach the Citadel's walls, about 150 BCE.

Chihuly glass
In 2000, the glass artist Dale Chihuly held a major exhibit here. The glass grass shown here was part of the exhibit.

Comments

[Tammy]

Beautiful
Fascinating! It looks beautiful. Must be thrilling to be in such ancient buildings! Stay safe!