Tour around the city walls (north-side) - october 13, 2003

Panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem from the north. The Bethzatha hill and Damascus Gate are in the foreground. Click to enlarge and then scroll to the rigth.

Jaffa Gate (Arabic: Bab al-Khalil - Hebrew: Sha'ar Yafo) is the starting point for the roads to Jaffa (turning right) and Hebron (turning left).

Our group is beginning the tour in front of the original gate from the Ottoman Period (ca. 1542 AD).

View of the city walls from the west. Road constructions are going on at the present time.

Remains of the crusader Tancred's Tower (Qasr Jalud, in Arabic) at the north-west corner of the Old City.

New Gate (Arabic: Bab al-Jadid - Hebrew: Sha'ar Hadash), was opened just about one hundred years ago (1887 AD).

Damascus Gate (Arabic: Bab al-'Amud - Hebrew: Sha'ar Shekhem) is the main gate of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Damascus Gate with its busy market, carefully watched from the top by an Israeli soldier.

Below the present gate lies the ancient entrance to the Roman city of Aelia Capitolina.

Standing in front of the opening to the large underground stone quarry called Solomon' Quarry or Cave of Zedekiah. The cave is a subject of much folklore.

Herod's Gate (Arabic: Bab al-Zahira - Hebrew: Sha'ar Perahim). Its name comes from Herod Antipas, whose house, according to one tradition, was standing nearby. A new gate was recently added to the original small one.

The beautifully decorated north-east tower is known as the Stork Tower (Arabic: Burj al-Laqlaq).

One of the most elabotated decorations in the east wall.

St. Stephen's Gate or Lions' Gate (Arabic: Bab Sitti Mariam - Hebrew: Sha'ar Arayot). From here you go down to the Kidron Valley to Getsemane, and up to the Mt. of Olives.

Frontal view of St. Stephen's Gate. The lions' reliefs are believed to be from the time of the Mameluke Sultan Baybars (1263 AD).

Panoramic view of Jerusalem as seen from the east. Click to enlarge and then scroll to the rigth.

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