Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Jerusalem
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iii, vi
Reference	148
Region†	Arab States (site proposed by Jordan)
Inscription history
Inscription	1981  (5th Session)
Endangered	1982-
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Old City (Hebrew: העיר העתיקה ha'ir ha'atika, Arabic: البلدة القديمة AlBalda Al Qadimah) is a 0. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex These are thirty sites which the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to include on a list of World Heritage Sites in danger; this list also shows the year Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language 9 square kilometre (0. 35 square mile) area within the modern city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the ^[1] Until the 1860s this area constituted the entire city of Jerusalem. The Old City is home to several sites of key religious importance: the Temple Mount and its Western Wall for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, and the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims. The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram The Western Wall (הכותל המערבי translit: HaKotel HaMa'aravi) sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall or simply the Kotel (lit PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The Dome of the Rock ( Arabic: مسجد قبة الصخرة translit Al-Aqsa Mosque ( Arabic:المسجد الاقصى /æl'mæsdʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/ {{Audio|ArAqsaMosque A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion

Traditionally, the Old City has been divided into four quarters, although the current designations were introduced only in the 19th century. ^[2] Today, the Old City is roughly divided into the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Armenian Quarter. SukAlKataninJPG||thumb|left|Market of the Cotton Workers reconstructed in 1336 by the Mamluk ruler Emir Tankriz governor of Damascus]] The Muslim Quarter is one of the The Christian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the ancient walled Old City of Jerusalem, the other three being the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter For the article on Jewish Quarters throughout the Jewish diaspora, see Jewish Quarter (diaspora The Jewish The Armenian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Jordan proposed the Old City to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List in 1980. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex ^[3] It was added to the List in 1981. ^[4] In 1982, Jordan requested that it be added to the List of World Heritage Sites in danger. These are thirty sites which the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to include on a list of World Heritage Sites in danger; this list also shows the year ^[5]

History

Suleiman I, attributed to Titian c. Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c 1485 &ndash August 27 1576 better known as Titian, was the leading painter of the 16th-century Venetian 1530

Before King David's conquest of Jerusalem in the 11th century BCE the city was home to the Jebusites. David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible According to the Hebrew Bible, the Jebusites ( were a Canaanite tribe who inhabited the region around Jerusalem prior to its capture by King David The Bible describes the city as heavily fortified with a strong city wall. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin See also List of cities with defensive walls A defensive wall is a Fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors The city ruled by King David, known as Ir David, or the City of David, is now believed to be southwest of the Old City walls, outside the Dung Gate. The City of David, also known as the Ophel (העופל perhaps meaning "fortified hill" is the name of the narrow Promontory beyond the southern The Dung Gate ( also known as Sha'ar Ha'ashpot Gate of Silwan Mograbi Gate) is one of the gates in the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. His son King Solomon extended the city walls and then, in about 440 BCE, in the Persian period, Nehemiah returned from Babylon and rebuilt them. King Solomon ( Ge'ez: ስለሞን Arabic: ar سليمان, Sulayman, all from the Triliteral root S-L-M, "peace" The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Nehemiah or Nechemya ( Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq In 41-44 CE, Agrippa, king of Judea, built a new city wall known as the "Third Wall. Agrippa redirects here For other uses of the name see Agrippa (disambiguation. Judea or Judæa ( Hebrew: יהודה Standard Yəhuda Tiberian Yəhûḏāh, "praised "

In 1219 the walls of the city were razed by Mu'azzim Sultan of Damascus; in 1229, by treaty with Egypt, Jerusalem came into the hands of Frederick II of Germany. This is a list of rulers of Damascus from ancient times to the present This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Frederick II ( December 26, 1194 &ndash December 13, 1250) of the Hohenstaufen dynasty was a Pretender to the title In 1239 he began to rebuild the walls; but they were again demolished by Da'ud, the emir of Kerak. This article is about the English name for other uses see David (disambiguation. Karak (also Kerak) (Al-Kerak الكرك is a city in Jordan that contains a famous Crusader castle

In 1243 Jerusalem came again under the control of the Christians, and the walls were repaired. The Kharezmian Tatars took the city in 1244 and Sultan Malik al-Muattam razed the city walls, rendering it again defenseless and dealing a heavy blow to the city's status. Khwarezm were a series of States centered on the Amu Darya River delta of the

The current walls of the Old City were built in 1538 by Suleiman the Magnificent. Suleiman I (سليمان Sulaymān, Süleyman almost always Kanuni Sultan Süleyman) ( 6 November 1494 5/ 6 September 1566 The walls stretch for approximately 4. 5 kilometres, (2. 8 miles), and rise to a height of 5–15 metres, (16–49 feet), with a thickness of 3 metres, (10 ft). ^[6] Altogether, the Old City walls contain 43 surveillance towers and 11 gates, seven of which are presently open.

In a survey conducted by the American television program, 'Good Morning America' and the American newspaper 'USA Today,' Jerusalem's Old City was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Quarters

The Old City's quarters

Armenian Quarter

Main article: Armenian Quarter

The Armenian Quarter is the smallest of the four quarters of the Old City. The Armenian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem. Although the Armenian people are Christians, the Armenian Quarter is distinct from the Christian Quarter. The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The Christian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the ancient walled Old City of Jerusalem, the other three being the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter Despite the small size and population of this quarter, the Armenians and their Patriarchate remain staunchly independent and form a vigorous presence in the Old City. A patriarchate is the Office or jurisdiction of a Patriarch. A patriarch as the term is used here is either one of the highest-ranking After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the four quarters of the city came under Jordanian control. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Jordanian law required Armenians and other Christians to “give equal time to the Bible and Qur'an” in private Christian schools, and restricted the expansion of church assets. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The 1967 war is remembered by residents of the quarter as a miracle, after two unexploded bombs were found inside the Armenian monastery. Today more than 3,000 Armenians live in Jerusalem, 500 of them in the Armenian Quarter. Some are temporary residents studying at the seminary or working as church functionaries. The Patriarchate owns the land in this quarter as well as valuable property in West Jerusalem and elsewhere. In 1975, a theological seminary was established in the Armenian Quarter. After the 1967 war, the Israeli government gave compensation for repairing any churches or holy sites damaged in the fighting, regardless of who caused the damage.

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Christian Quarter

Main article: Christian Quarter

The Christian Quarter is situated in the north-western corner of the Old City, extending from the New Gate (see below) in the north, along the western wall of the Old City as far as the Jaffa Gate, along the Jaffa Gate - Western Wall route in the south, bordering on the Jewish and Armenian Quarters, as far as the Damascus Gate in the east, where it borders on the Muslim Quarter. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the This article explores the different names of Jerusalem and their linguistic natures etc This article chronicles the history of Jerusalem. Antiquity (prehistory - 1000 BCE The earliest traces of human occupation in Jerusalem go back to the late This is a partial timeline of major events in the History of Jerusalem:; 1800 BCE: The Jebusites build the wall Jebus ( Jerusalem Jerusalem neighborhoods and settlements Thoroughfares Bethlehem Road (part of Highway 60 (Israel) Hebron Road-King Founded around 3000 BCE the Old City of Jerusalem is divided into Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Armenian quarters. This is the list of Mayors of Jerusalem in chronological order The city of Jerusalem, located in modern-day Israel, is significant in a number of religious traditions including Abrahamic religions Judaism See also Religious significance of Jerusalem For Christians, Jerusalem's place in the life of Jesus gives it great importance in addition to its See also Religious significance of Jerusalem Jerusalem in Islam is considered a sacred city and has played a significant role in the faith See also Religious significance of Jerusalem Since the 10th century BCE Jerusalem in Judaism has been the holiest city, focus and spiritual centre of Transport in Jerusalem is characterized by a well-developed inter-city network and an emerging developing intra-city network The Christian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the ancient walled Old City of Jerusalem, the other three being the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter The Western Wall (הכותל המערבי translit: HaKotel HaMa'aravi) sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall or simply the Kotel (lit The Old City (העיר העתיקה HaIr HaAtika, البلدة القديمة al-Balda al-Qadimah) is a 0 SukAlKataninJPG||thumb|left|Market of the Cotton Workers reconstructed in 1336 by the Mamluk ruler Emir Tankriz governor of Damascus]] The Muslim Quarter is one of the The quarter contains the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of Christianity's holiest places. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Sanctum Sepulchrum also called the Church of the Resurrection, ( Greek: Ναός της Αναστάσεως Naos tis Anastaseos

Jewish Quarter

Western Wall and Dome of the Rock

Main article: Jewish Quarter

The Jewish Quarter (Hebrew: הרובע היהודי‎, HaRova HaYehudi or the Rova) lies in the southeastern sector of the walled city, and stretches from the Zion Gate in the south, along the Armenian Quarter on the west, up to the Cardo in the north and extends to the Western Wall and the Temple Mount in the east. For the article on Jewish Quarters throughout the Jewish diaspora, see Jewish Quarter (diaspora The Jewish The Armenian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem. In Ancient Roman City planning, a cardo or cardus was a north-south-oriented street in cities military camps and coloniae Sometimes called The Western Wall (הכותל המערבי translit: HaKotel HaMa'aravi) sometimes referred to as the Wailing Wall or simply the Kotel (lit The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram The quarter has had a rich history, with a nearly continual Jewish presence since the eight century B. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ C. E. In 1948 its population of about 2,000 Jews was besieged, and forced to leave en masse. The quarter had been completely sacked by the Arabs, with ancient synagogues destroyed. A synagogue (from Greek: grc συναγωγή transliterated synagogē, "assembly" he בית כנסת beit knesset, "house of The quarter remained under Transjordanian control until its capture by Israeli paratroops in the Six-Day War of 1967. The Emirate of Transjordan ( Arabic: ar إمارة شرق الأردن) was a former Ottoman territory incorporated into the British Mandate of Palestine For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Paratroopers are Soldiers trained in Parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt The quarter has since been rebuilt and settled, and has a population of 2,348 (as of 2004)^[7], and many large educational institutions have taken up residence. Before being rebuilt, the quarter was carefully excavated under the supervision of Hebrew University archaeologist Nahman Avigad. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (האוניברסיטה העברית בירושלים الجامعة العبرية في القدس abbreviated HUJI) is Dr Nahman Avigad (1905-1992 born in Zawalow, Galicia (then Austria, now in the western region of Ukraine) was an Israeli archaeologist The archaeological remains, on display in a series of museums and outdoor parks to visit which tourists descend two or three stories beneath the level of the current city, collectively form one of the world's most accessible archaeological sites.

Muslim Quarter

Main article: Muslim Quarter

The Muslim Quarter is the largest and most populous of the four quarters and is situated in the northeastern corner of the Old City, extending from the Lions' Gate in the east, along the northern wall of the Temple Mount in the south, to the Damascus Gate route in the west. SukAlKataninJPG||thumb|left|Market of the Cotton Workers reconstructed in 1336 by the Mamluk ruler Emir Tankriz governor of Damascus]] The Muslim Quarter is one of the The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram Its population was 22,000 in 2005. Like the other three quarters of the Old City, the Muslim quarter had a mixed population of Jews as well as Muslims and Christians until the riots of 1929, and was previously called the Mixed Quarter. In the summer of 1929 a long-running dispute between Muslims and Jews over access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem escalated and erupted into a series of Today 60 Jewish families live in the Muslim Quarter, and a few yeshivot are located there. The main one is Yeshivat Ateret Cohanim

Gates

During the era of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, there were four gates to the Old City, one on each side. Ateret Cohanim, ( lit Crown of the Priests also known as Ateret Yerushalyim, is a Religious Zionist Yeshiva located in the Muslim Quarter The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents This article is about the Christian kingdom For the history of the city see History of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian The current walls, built by Suleiman the Magnificent, have a total of eleven gates, but only seven are open. Suleiman I (سليمان Sulaymān, Süleyman almost always Kanuni Sultan Süleyman) ( 6 November 1494 5/ 6 September 1566 Until 1887, each gate was closed before sunset and opened at sunrise. As indicated by the chart below, these gates have been known by a variety of names used in different historic periods and by different community groups.

Open gates

Sealed gates

History of the gates

Jaffa Gate at dusk. The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram Solomon's Stables is the common name of an area located directly underneath the south eastern corner of the Temple Mount, an area where the bedrock falls away steeply from the Herod (הוֹרְדוֹס Horodos, Greek: Herōdes) also known as Herod I or Herod the Great (73 BC – 4 BC in Jericho The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram Herod (הוֹרְדוֹס Horodos, Greek: Herōdes) also known as Herod I or Herod the Great (73 BC – 4 BC in Jericho The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram The Huldah Gates are the two sets of now-blocked gates in the south wall of the Temple Mount, which is also one of Jerusalem's Old City walls. Herod (הוֹרְדוֹס Horodos, Greek: Herōdes) also known as Herod I or Herod the Great (73 BC – 4 BC in Jericho The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram The actual gate is on the left of the photo, with the open space the breach that is now used for vehicular traffic.

• Jaffa Gate

Next to Jaffa Gate is a breach in the wall that was opened to accommodate the entourage of the German emperor, Wilhelm II, in 1898. The ancient Roman gates (one large gate flanked by a small gate on each side) are visible below street level at the Damascus Gate.

• Lions' Gate

Legend has it that Suleiman dreamed he would be eaten by lions if he did not build the Old City walls. He ordered two lions carved above one of the gates to commemorate this dream. These lions are still visible today.

• New Gate

The New Gate dates from 1889, when the French Catholic clergy asked the sultan, Abdul Hamid II, to open the wall opposite the Notre Dame convent to facilitate access to the Christian Quarter. For 19 years, when east and west Jerusalem were divided, the New Gate was blocked up and the Jordanians built a military outpost above it.

• Huldah Gates

Visible from the Southern Wall excavations is a series of blocked gates called the Huldah Gates. The Huldah Gates are the two sets of now-blocked gates in the south wall of the Temple Mount, which is also one of Jerusalem's Old City walls. Dating from the Herodian period, these gates (single, double and triple) were used by the throngs of pilgrims visiting the Second Temple. The Second Temple (בית המקדש romanized 'Beit HaMikdash' meaning 'Holy House' was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem which stood between 516 BCE and 70 CE They were inside the city walls until Crusader times. The gates led to a series of tunnels beneath the Temple Mount. The Temple Mount ( הַר הַבַּיִת, Har haBáyit) also called the Noble Sanctuary ( الحرم القدسي الشريف, al-haram One gate was used to enter the Temple compound and the other to exit it. Today the Temple Mount is also accessible from gates inside the Old City, such as Bab el-Kattanin.

Virtual Tours

• Virtual tour of the Muslim Quarter
• Virtual tour of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
• Virtual tour of the Cardo
• Virtual tour of the Damascus gate
• Virtual tour of the Kotel

See also

• List of places in Jerusalem
• Defensive wall
• List of cities with defensive walls
• Gates of the Temple Mount
• Zedekiah's Cave

References