Everything about The Tower Of David totally explained
The
Tower of David (
Hebrew: מגדל דוד,
Migdal David) is an ancient
citadel located near the
Jaffa Gate entrance to the
Old City of Jerusalem. Built to strengthen a strategically weak point in the Old City's defenses, the citadel was constructed during the
second century BC and subsequently destroyed and rebuilt by, in succession, the
Christian,
Muslim,
Mamluk, and
Ottoman conquerors of Jerusalem. It contains important archeological finds dating back 2,700 years, and is a popular venue for benefit events, craft shows, concerts, and sound-and-light performances.
History
During the
2nd century BC, the
Old City of Jerusalem expanded onto the so-called Western Hill. This 773-meter-high prominence, which comprises the modern Armenian and Jewish Quarters as well as
Mount Zion, was bounded by steep valleys on all sides except for its northwest corner.
King Hezekiah may have been the first to fortify this area. Centuries later, the
Hasmonean kings, surrounded the area with an impressive wall and large watchtowers, which historian
Josephus Flavius (
1st century AD) refers to as
the First Wall.
Herod, who assumed power after the fall of the Hasmonean dynasty, added three massive towers to the fortifications in
37-
34 BC. He built these at the vulnerable northwest corner of the Western Hill, where the Tower of David is now located. His purpose wasn't only to defend the city, but to safeguard his own royal palace located nearby on
Mount Zion. Herod named the tallest of the towers, 145 feet in height, the
Phasael in memory of his brother who had committed suicide. Another tower was called the
Miriam, named for his second wife whom he'd executed and buried in a cave to the west of the tower. He named the third tower the Hippicus after one of his friends. Of the three towers, only the Phasael still stands today
(External Link
).
Following the
destruction of Jerusalem by the
Romans in
70 AD, the site served as barracks for the
Roman troops. When the Roman Empire adopted
Christianity as the imperial religion in the
4th century, a community of monks established itself in the citadel.
After the Arab conquest of Jerusalem in
638, the new
Muslim rulers refurbished the citadel. This powerful structure withstood the assault of the
Crusaders in
1099, and surrendered only when its defenders were guaranteed safe passage out of the city.
During the Crusader period, thousands of pilgrims undertook the pilgrimage to Jerusalem by way of the port at
Jaffa. To protect pilgrims from the menace of highway robbers, the Crusaders built a tower surrounded by a moat atop the citadel, and posted lookouts to guard the road to Jaffa. The citadel also served as the seat of the Crusader kings of Jerusalem.
In
1187, Sultan
Saladin captured the city and the site. The
Mamluks destroyed it in
1260 and later rebuilt it. The citadel was rebuilt yet again between
1537-
1541 by the
Ottomans, who designed an impressive entrance, behind which stood a cannon emplacement. For 400 years, the citadel served as a
garrison for Turkish troops. The Ottomons also installed a
mosque at the site and added the
minaret, which still stands today. It was during this time that the complex began to be called the "Tower of David," after the founder-king of Jerusalem.
After the defeat of the
Prussians and their Ottoman allies in
World War I General Allenby declared the British capture of Jerusalem on the platform outside the entrance to the Tower of David.
During the period of the
British Mandate (
1917-
1948), the British
High Commissioner established the
Pro-Jerusalem Society to protect the city's cultural heritage. This organization cleaned and renovated the citadel and reopened it to the public as a venue for concerts, benefit events and exhibitions by local artists. In the
1930s, a museum of Palestinian folklore was opened in the citadel, displaying traditional crafts and clothing
(External Link).
Following the
1948 Arab-Israeli War, the
Arab Legion captured Jerusalem and converted the citadel back to its historical role as a military position, as it commanded a dominant view across the armistice line into Jewish Jerusalem. With the unification of Jerusalem in
1967 after the
Six Day War, the citadel's cultural role was revived.
Tower of David Museum
The Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem was opened in 1989 by the
Jerusalem Foundation. Located in a series of chambers in the original citadel, the museum includes a courtyard which contains archeological ruins dating back 2,700 years.
The exhibits depict 4,000 years of Jerusalem's history, from its beginnings as a
Canaanite city to modern times. Using
maps,
videotapes,
holograms, drawings and models, the exhibit rooms each depict Jerusalem under its various rulers. Visitors may also ascend to the ramparts, which command a 360-degree view of the Old City and New City of Jerusalem.
As of 2002, the Jerusalem Foundation reported that over 3.5 million visitors had toured the museum.
Further Information
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