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Old City Of Jerusalem

David Citadel Contact 31 47 '00 "North
35 13 '00 "East / 31.783333, 35.216667 Country

Palestine Criteria (Ii) (iii) (iv) Number
Identification 148 Region Arab States ** Year Registration 1981 ^(5thSession ) Risk ranking 1982

* Name UNESCO
** UNESCO Geographical Classification change

The old city of Jerusalem consists of four neighborhoods that are surrounded in their entirety by the walls of Jerusalem. Its total area is less than 1 km ^2.

/ / The Walls of Jerusalem

walk up walls

Fragment of the second wall and arch of Hadrian in the Mission St. Alexander of Jerusalem

The old city of Jerusalem and its walls, is a site inscribed on the List of World Heritage ^{The Temple Mount}

Main article: Temple Mount.

Although part of the old town, the highly symbolic Mount for the monotheistic religions is a separate sector.

For Jews , it is the place where was built the Temple of Jerusalem.

For Christians , it is in this temple that several major events took place in the life of Jesus.

For Muslims , it houses the Temple Mount welcoming two shrines of Islam (after Mecca and Medina ): The Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa mosque.

Neighbourhoods of Old Town

Neighborhood
Christian

Neighborhood
Jewish

Neighborhood
Armenian

Neighborhood
Muslim

Mount
of
Temple

mosaic Madaba (which is not the Temple Mount )

The old city is divided into four parts. (This is the origin of the word neighborhood, which is etymologically the word shift). The axis of North-South separation follows the route of the cardo maximus of the Roman era. There was a door at the south end of the Cardo, a little farther east than the current Zion Gate. In the East-West, there were several Decumanus , not one.

The four quarters of the Old City divided its people according to their religious or ethnic belonging. They are also home to places of important political, military or religious, especially Jews and Christians:

The Jewish Quarter with the Western Wall (formerly Wailing Wall )
The Christian Quarter with the Church of Holy Sepulcher
The Armenian quarter with the Tower of David
The Muslim Quarter with the Church of St. Anne

The Gates of Jerusalem

Traditionally, the old city of Jerusalem has 8 doors (the figure corresponds to the marker on the map at the top left, only the "Gateway to the Tanners' is not listed on it).

1. The New Gate (Sha'ar HHadash or Bab al-Jadid)

Also called Gate Hammid : this door is the latest (it was built in 1887 ) and is located in the western part of the North Wall.

2. The Damascus Gate (Sha'ar Dameseq)

Also known as Shechem Gate (Sha'ar Shechem), or Pillar Gate (Bab al'Amoud): built in 1537 and located in the middle of the North Wall, this gate outputs a path that leads directly to the city of Shechem.

3. The Herod's Gate (Sha'ar Hordos)

Also called Porte des Fleurs (Sha'ar HaPerachim) or Sheep Gate (Bab-a-Sahairad): built in (???) and located in the eastern part of the North Wall.

4. The Lions' Gate (Sha'ar Ha'ariot)

the " lions "on the left of the door are actually leopards

Also called Gate Josaphat , St. Mary's Gate (Bab Sitt Miriam), Porte de Saint-Etienne or Gate of the Tribes: built between 1538 and 1539 and located in the northern part of the East wall. It is so called because it is flanked by two carved animals suggestive of lions , but they are actually leopards.

5. The Golden Gate (Sha'ar Harahamim)

Also called Gate of Mercy, or Gate of Eternal Life: built in the ^fifth century and in the middle of the wall is, and this door is closed because it is according to Jewish tradition, the door through which the Messiah will enter Jerusalem.

6. The Dung Gate (Sha'ar Ha'ashpot)

Also called Gate Silwan or Mograbi Gate: built between 1538 and 1540 and located in the eastern part of the South wall and is so named because people throw their garbage behind that door. ( a <view photo> ).

7. The Zion Gate (Sha'ar Tzion)

Gate also called David because it provides access to Mount Zion where the tomb of David. This is the entrance to the Jewish quarter : it was built in 1540 and is located in the middle of the South wall.

8. The Jaffa Gate (Sha'ar Yaffo)

Friends also called Gate (Bab al-Halil) or Gate of the Tower of David, built between 1530 and 1540 and located in the middle of the wall west. Its name comes from the fact that it leads straight to the town of Jaffa, a few miles from Tel Aviv.

6a. Tanners Gate (Sha'ar HaBursekaim)

Main article: he: .

Besides the previously mentioned 8 doors and without even mentioning the Huldah Gates ( ) or Suze which are sealed, there are at least a ninth is still open and in use: the "Gateway to the tanners, the XIII ^century century (in fact, it was reopened recently). This is a small door, 195 cm wide, located near the Dung Gate (15 m to the west) which is accessible only to pedestrians by a footbridge on the hillside. The name is derived from the tanners tanneries that were around, both inside and outside walls. This door was probably intended for the exclusive use of tanners, who lived more or less on the margins of society because they were considered unclean. Excavations around uncovered basins (for soaking the hides) and many animal bones.