Zion Gate, on the opposite end of the ancient thoroughfare from Damascus Gate, con-
nects the Armenian Quarter with Mount Zion.
THE TOWER OF DAVID (CITADEL)
To the right inside Jaffa Gat4hr. info Sa-Th 9am-
5pm, F9am-2pm; Nov.-Mar. Sa-Th 10am-4pm, F 10am-2pm. NIS35, students and seniors
NIS25, children 5-12 NIS15; includes tour in English Su-Fat 11am only. Nighttime programs
several nights per week. Occasional international jazz shows 0ct.-June; call for dates.
The Citadel complex gives an outstanding historical introduction to the Old City.
The Citadel, also called the Tower of David (Migdal David in Hebrew), resembles
a Lego caricature of overlapping Hasmonean, Herodian, Roman, Byzantine, Mus-
lim, Mamluk, and Ottoman ruins, but nothing from David's era (during his reign,
this area was outside the city and unsettled). The tower provides a superb vantage
point for surveying the Holy City. Winding through the rooms of the fortress, the
high-tech, information-packed museum tells the story of the city in Hebrew, Ara-
bic, and English. Begin with the excellent 14-minute introductory movie.
THE TEMPLE MOUNT
The entrance to the Mount is up the ramp, just right of the Western Wall. It is also accessible
from the end of Bab al-Silsilah St. Visitors may enter the Temple Mount area Sa-Th 7:30-llam
and l:30-2:30pm; hours are subject to change during Ramadan and other Islamic holidays,
usually open 7:30-10:30am. Tickets are sold until 3pm at a booth between al-Aqsa Mosque
and the museum (to the right when entering from the ramp). NIS38, students NIS25. The
Mount is sometimes closed to visitors without notice.
HSECURITY. Remember that the area is highly sensitive-incidents in the past
have resulted in violence. Any conspicuous action, no matter how innocent, may result
in ejection. Modest dress is required and wrap-around gowns are provided for those
who need them. Be aware that many sections considered off-limits by the police are
not marked as such, including the walls around al-Aqsa, the area through the door to
the south between al-Aqsa and the museum, the garden walkway along the eastern
wall, and the Muslim cemetery. Bags and packs are not permitted inside al-Aqsa or the
Dome of the Rock and must be left outside along with your shoes; theft is not usually a
problem, but you should refrain from bringing valuables when you visit. Photography is
permitted on the Temple Mount, but not inside al-Aqsa or the Dome of the Rock.
The Temple Mount (al-Haram al-Sharif in Arabic, Har Ha-Bayit in Hebrew), a 35-
acre area in the southeastern corner of the Old City, is one of the most venerated
religious sites in the world. A spiritual magnet, the hill is central to Judaism and
Islam, and it served as a holy site for at least 10 ancient religions. The Temple
Mount is traditionally identified with the biblical Mount Moriah, where God asked
Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:2). King Solomon built the First
Temple here in the middle of the 10th century ВСЕ (2 Chronicles 3:1), and Neb-
uchadnezzar destroyed it in 587 ВСЕ, when the Jew's were led into captivity (I
Kings 5-8; II Kings 24-25). The Second Temple was built in 516 ВСЕ, after the Jews'
return from exile (Ezra 3-7). In 20 ВСЕ, King Herod rebuilt the temple and
enlarged the Mount, reinforcing it with four retaining walls. Parts of the southern,
eastern, and western retaining walls still stand. Religious scholars believe that the
Holy of Holies, the most sacred and important spot on the Temple, where only the
High Priest was allowed to enter once a year, was closest to what is now the West-
ern Wall, making this wall the holiest approachable site in Judaism. Some Jews
won't ascend the Mount because of the chance that they will walk on the Holy of
Holies, which is off-limits until the Messiah arrives.