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 | Jerusalem Things To Do | Tips 21 - 30 of 729 |  |
 | |  |  | The Citadel (Tower of David): A Case of Mistaken Identity | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
Migdal David (David's Tower or David's Citadel), one of those icons that appear everywhere as a symbol of Jerusalem, is an outright case of mistaken identity. This white phallic-shaped tower that dominates the Old City skyline, which everyone thinks was built by King David, is just what it looks like, if you look again - a minaret. King David never set foot there.
The lower section of the so-called Tower of David was actually built by Herod the Great, known for his mania for monumental architecture (and a few other manias, among them paranoia, which led him to execute several members of his family). The massive stones of the tower have some of the distinctive architectural features of the Western Wall, such as the beveling around the edges of the stones.
Today, Migdal David is a museum. Before you go in, take a good look at the outside walls. The Herodian stones stand out clearly from the rest, rising to a height of 30-40 feet. The rest of the tower is a Turkish addition.
In fact, the only sign of King David you will find in David's Citadel is a bronze copy of Verrocchio's "David," a Renaissance sculpture of the young David (clothed, as opposed to Michelangelo's famous paragon of male nudity), a gift to Jerusalem from the city of Florence. Leave a Comment Phone: 02-6265310; 6265333Directions: Just inside the Jaffa Gate, in the Old CityWebsite: http://www.towerofdavid.org.il/eng/upload/gen/about.html
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| | | | Mount of Olives: Carmel of the Pater Noster [=Our Father] | Tip Rating: | | | | |
There are many legends around Mount of Olives and this site, specifically. This is where Jesus came after an evening with Martha, Mary and Lazarus - to pray with His disciples, and it is believed that here He taught them the Universal Prayer which unites all Christians and touches the very heart of mankind, the "Our Father", The "Pater Noster".
Here you can find 139 ceramic plaques of the Lord's Prayer, in any language on earth you have in your imagination.
In 326 CE, shortly after arriving in the Holy Land, Constantine's mother, St. Helena, began building on the Mount of Olives the Basilica of the ELEONA, from elaion in Greek, meaning olive grove. [The Basilica was also referred to as the Church of the Disciples]. The Basilica was destroyed and rebuilt twice, but the memory of Jesus' teachings remained.
The present church built, on the middle of 19th century, by The Princess de la Tour d'Auvergne, who had wanted this Carmelite monastery attached to the ancient Grotto as a witness to perpetual prayer Address: POB 19064Phone: 00-972- 2- 6283143Other Contact: Fax 6274664
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| | | | The Citadel (Tower of David): Gate of Tower of David Citadel | Tip Rating: | | | | |
At this gate of The Tower of David Citadel, General Allenby proclaimed the capture of Jerusalem by British and allied forces on December 1917.
The Tower of David Museum is located here, in the restored ancient Citadel which first constructed 2,000 years ago by Herod.
You can face here historical events and monuments related to Cana'anites and Hebrews, Greeks and Romans, Crusaders, Muslims, Turks, British, and Israelis, along the panoramic route with its views of the city. Directions: Close to Jaffa gate, Old City Jerusalem
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on March 30, 2006
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