Mount Scopus or Mount Lookout is a mountain (elevation: 2710 feet or 826 meters above sea level) in northeast Jerusalem, Israel. Overlooking Jerusalem, Mount Scopus has been strategically important as a base from which to attack the city since antiquity. The Roman Legions and Crusaders used this place as a base to carry out their sieges of the City. As a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, parts of Mount Scopus became a UN protected Jewish property. Today, Mount Scopus lies within the municipal boundaries of the city of Jerusalem.
Pictures taken from the top of David's Citadel.
Picture 1 - this area is called Yemin Moshe, and easily identifiable by the large windmill at the top of the hill overlooking the Hinnom Valley on King David Street. The windmill, was originally built to serve the milling needs of the residents of Montefiore's new developments, but it was never operational because of the lack of wind where it was situated. Picture 2 - To the left of Yemin Moshe, the houses here are much sought after and very expensive. It was once an artists' colony. A great route into the Old City is to walk down the stairs past the windmill and through the Yemin Moshe gates to the street and walk across and up the hill to Zion Gate. This takes you into the city right near the Jewish Quarter and is a relatively quick way to get to the Western Wall.
The Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem is located in the medieval citadel known as the Tower of David, near the Jaffa Gate, the historic entrance to the Old City. The Museum presents Jerusalem’s story. It details the major events in its history beginning with the first evidence of a city in Jerusalem in the second millennium BCE, until the city became the capital of the State of Israel, as well as its significance to three religions.
The Citadel itself is a fascinating archaeological site. The finds uncovered within are a testimony to Jerusalem’s eventful past and produce a representation of Jerusalem and its various historical periods in microcosm. The Citadel’s towers offer a 360-degree view of the Old City of Jerusalem as well as the city’s modern areas. In addition to being a museum of history, the Tower of David relates to both the past and the future.
A segment of the wall which surrounded Jerusalem during Hasmonean times (2nd century BCE runs through the courtyard. In Herod’s time and in the later Byzantine period, additions were made to the wall.
The Tower of Phasael - of the 3 towers built by King Herod and name for his wife Miriam, his close friend Hippicus and his brother Phasael. The towers were built to defend the city and Herod’s palace which was located nearby. The top of the tower, marked by its small stones, is a later addition from the Mamluk period. The roof of the Tower of Phasael is a spectacular lookout point offering a 360-degree view of Jerusalem’s East and West.
This tower is called the minaret, built in 1635 by the Turkish rulers. The minaret was added onto a mosque which had been active in the citadel during the Mamluk period.
Exhibits from the Museum - An Egyptian curse on Jerusalem.
Exhibits from the Museum - Dome of the Rock.
Exhibits from the Museum - Priests carrying the Menorah.
Exhibit from the Museum - Building of the Robinson's Arch.
Exhibits from the Museum - Soldiers.
Irene with the statue of David with Goliath's head at his feet.
Picture 1 - Irene showing how big each slab of stone is. Picture 2 - group photo taken at the site.
Picture 1 - Damascus Gate, facing the north of Jerusalem. Picture 2 - Zedekiah's Cave – also known as Solomon's Quarries – is a 5-acre underground meleke limestone quarry that runs the length of five city blocks under the Old City of Jerusalem. It was carved over a period of several thousand years and is a remnant of the biggest quarry in Jerusalem, having once stretched all the way from Jeremiah's Grotto and the Garden Tomb.
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