CITYSIGHTS: Discover the four quarters of the Old City by walking on the 50-foot-tall, 2,000-year-old walls.
By ITRAVELJERUSALEM.COM STAFFJerusalem Old City Jaffa Gate 311(photo credit: Yehoshua Halevi)
What better way to take in the diverse life of the Old City then from above? A walk along the ramparts affords an intimate look into the various quarters of the ancient town as well as a real sense of the awe-inspiring work that went into building the walls. The imposing project was the brain-child Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and follows the route of the Old City's Roman-era ramparts, erected some 2,000 years ago.The walls stretch for some 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles), rising to a height of up to 15 meters, (49 feet), with an average thickness of 3 meters (10 ft). Along the course of the walls are 11 gates to the Old City, seven of which are open: New Gate, Damascus Gate , Herod's Gate, Lions' Gate, Dung Gate, Jaffa Gate, and Zion Gate.
Although they're striking all year long, one event that really makes the walls shine is the annual Festival of Light. During the week-long event, Jerusalem is flooded with a series of scintillating displays, with some of the world's top light designers and artists illuminating the ramparts of the Old City in bold and unexpected ways and to create a world of dazzling beauty.iTravelJerusalem.com is a new online international travel portal offering all the latest information on things to do , places to eat and places to stay in Jerusalem.
