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 | Jerusalem The Citadel (Tower of David) Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 25 |  |
 | |  |  | 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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| | | | 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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| | | | The Citadel (Tower of David): The Citadel/Tower of David Museum | Tip Rating:  | | | | |
Located just inside the walls of the Old City at Jaffa Gate, the Tower of David Musuem represents a microcosm of Jerusalem's history and as such is now a museum to just that. Originally built by Herod, the original palace was destroyed in the Great Revolt of 66AD. 250 years later the Byzantines mistook the ruins for King David's palace (hence the name) and promptly built a new fortress on the site. Changing hands over the centuries (Muslim, Crusader, Ottoman), present site took its form in 14th century. Restored and rennovated relatively recently, its a fascinating musuem, providing much insight into the 3000 year history of the city as well as hosting international artists' exhibitions throughout the grounds - a recent Chihuly exhibition attracted more than 1 million visitors and, as a result, is one the world's most successful exhibitions. During the summer months, there are also a number of concerts arranged. There are also great views to had across the rooftops of the Old City. Entrance Fees: NIS 30 (adults) NIS 20 (students & pensioners) NIS 15 (Children) NIS 80 (Family Ticket of 2 adults and any number of children) Opening times: Saturday - Thursday: 10am - 5pm Friday: 10am - 2pm Leave a Comment Address: The Old City - Jaffa GatePhone: 02 6265333Website: www.towerofdavid.org.il
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| | | | The Citadel (Tower of David): Citadel (Tower of David) | Tip Rating: | | | | |
The Citadel combines a museum, an archeological site, and some of the best views you will get of the Old City anywhere in Jerusalem. All together they make the Citadel an unmissable part of any visit. The museum is fascinating, and charts the 4000 years of the cities existence. Being one of the oldest and most fought over cities on the planet, you can believe it is one of the best and most interesting city museums you will ever see. The exhibits are broken up into different eras, located in different parts of the citadel. One of the most curious exhibits was in section containing exhibits from the Islamic era. Here an Islamic painting of Mohammad's last journey to the Al Aqsa mosque had had the face of Mohammad obscured by a sticker. I wasn't sure if this was done out of sensitivity to Muslim feelings, as it is generally considered an offense in Islam to display an image of Mohammad, or if it was done as some ironic statement, because this was an Islamic painting depicting Mohammad, and my visit was only some months after the protests against the Danish comics painting Mohammad. The site has been built and rebuilt many times since its first construction, around the time of the First Temple between 1000 and 500BC. The Romans used it as a barracks, the Muslims constructed a fortress here which withstood the assaults of the Crusaders until their surrender, the place was destroyed and rebuilt by the Mamluks, before finally the Ottomans added decorations, including the minaret. Finally the views from the top of the citadel are fantastic. Leave a Comment Directions: Old City Jerusalem, to the right of Jaffa gate as you enter.Website: http://www.towerofdavid.org.il/eng/
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Jerusalem
on December 20, 2005
on January 28, 2007
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on July 25, 2007![Inside Tower of David [photo by scpinmd] - Jerusalem](http://cache.virtualtourist.com/1/3559108-The_Citadel_Tower_of_David-Jerusalem.jpg)
on March 18, 2007
