Recent Activities in Old City Jerusalem Free Tour The Citadel and the Tower of David Museum
16 August 2010 1329 (GMT +3) Jerusalem, Israel
For the last week or so, I have been enjoying some very welcome company which has granted me to re-explore some of the things that I’ve seen around Jerusalem thus far – the Old City, Mount of Olives, Masada and the Dead Sea – and to play tour guide for a while. As they say, you learn ideal by teaching, and even though I had seen most of these sights two, three, or more times, I enjoyed pointing out some of the major features, and telling some of the stories I’ve picked up along the way, and I can only hope that I was effective in this.
In any event, it also gave me a chance to explore some new areas, and do some things that I might not normally do. For example, I took advantage of a free tour of the Old City, sponsored by a European company – New Jerusalem Tours – that offers several different tours around Jerusalem. This particular tour works on tips only, and is a three hour walking tour of the Old City streets. It does not go into sites like the Holy Sepulchre or
the Temple Mount (the paying tour does), but it does take you to some pretty neat spots that would be tough to find on your own, such as an Ethiopian village and chapel on the roof of the Holy Sepulchre. Some of these spots would be tough to find unless you happened to be lost and you are not sure what you are looking at anyway. If you want to get aquainted with the often confusing streets of the Old City, this is a pretty good way to do it. The tour meets at the Jaffa Gate every day at 1100.
I did learn a bit of bad news from the tour, though. Apparently the Temple Mount is closed to non-Muslims during the month of Ramadan, which began on 12 August and will last for the next month. So, it looks like I might not be able to make it up there on this trip.
After the tour we had a shawerma lunch near the Jaffa Gate, then explored the Citadel which included the Tower of David. Like many such sites around here, the name is something of a misnomer, in that the David to whom is referred had nothing
to do with this structure. Rather, it is a Crusader-era construction, with some additions by Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th Century.
The Citadel offers some very remarkable views, of both the Old City and west Jerusalem, and houses the Tower of David Museum. The entry fee is 30 NIS, and once inside there are three routes that one can follow depending on whether you are interested in the scenery, the archeological excavations, or the museum exhibitions that trace the history of the city back to the Canaanites and beyond. (In fact, I learned that the Citadel was built over the ruins of Herod’s palace, and likely the site of Jesus’ trial.) Of course, if you are already paid your 30 NIS, you might as well just follow all three routes. But if you only go for the views, you will not be disappointed. Be sure to check out the 1870s model of the Old City on the lower level. Built to scale, it might not be as cool as the model of the Second Temple city (I will let you know for sure when I visit the Israel Museum), but this is the city as it would have been
seen by folks like Mark Twain when he visited in the mid 19th Century.
I also had the chance, finally, to get a picture for one of my favorite eateries in Ellensburg; a chance to put my permanent mark on the place, or at least get free Garlic Mothers for life.
Oh yes, and if you find yourself on the beach in Tel Aviv, stop by Mike’s Place next to the American Embassy. The fish and chips are awesome.
With only a few weeks left, I’m thinking about getting out around the country for some more day trips. More to follow.
-MG
More Source:
Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem | About the ...Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem | Visitor Info
Tickets for the Night Spectacular Show - Jerusalem Tours, Israel ...
The Night Spectacular show at the Tower of David - Various Dates ...
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Submited at Monday, August 16th, 2010 at 6:00 pm on Middle East by sofia
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