The walls and gates of the Old City are not only a monument, but also a four kilometre long observation deck. You can walk along the walls and admire the views of Jerusalem: from every point it looks new, and the roofs of the Old City are at arm's length.
The oldest walls of Jerusalem date back to the Bronze Age - their remains are found above the tunnel of Hezekiah. They were built by Kings David and Solomon, and expanded by Herod the Great. But the fortifications did not save Jerusalem in 70 - the Romans destroyed the city to the ground along with the bastions.
The current walls were erected in 1535-38. Jerusalem was then part of the Ottoman Empire, ruled by the great warrior Suleiman the Magnificent. The sultan erected defences twelve metres high. Thirty-four watchtowers controlled the neighbourhood. Eight gates provided entry and exit. The gates were also administrative centres: near them transactions were made, the court was held.
The oldest, the Golden Gate (its second name is the Gate of Mercy), was built in about 520 and led directly to the Temple Mount. Tradition says that it was through them that the Messiah was to re-enter the city. To prevent this from happening, they were bricked up under Suleiman the Magnificent.
The most famous gate is the Jaffa Gate, through which most tourists enter the Old City. It is believed that the last conqueror will enter Jerusalem through the same gate. In 1917, the British commander General Allenby walked through the Jaffa Gate out of respect for the city he had taken.
The 16th century Zion Gate is located on the border of the Armenian and Jewish neighbourhoods. During the 1948 War of Independence, it was the scene of fierce battles with Jordanian troops. In the Six Day War of 1967, Israeli paratroopers broke through to the Temple Mount through the Lion Gate, built in 1539.
The current Garbage (Dung) Gate is about the same age, but it is mentioned in the Old Testament (in the book of Nehemiah). They were destroyed to the ground and repaired for thousands of years, until the same Suleiman the Magnificent built the final, current version.
There are three gates facing the north: on the border of the Christian and Muslim quarters - Damascus Gate, to the west - New, the youngest, built by the Turks in 1889 to facilitate access of pilgrims to the shrines of the Christian quarter, to the east - Herod's Gate. It was here in 1099 that the Crusaders demonstrated how much Jerusalem needed reliable fortifications: the Knights of Gottfried of Bouillon broke through the wall and entered the city.
The walls and gates of Jerusalem have not changed much since the days of Suleiman, when the Janissaries marched through them. Now tourists stroll along the narrow pedestrian path, where two people cannot separate. On one side is a stone wall with loopholes, on the other side is a railing. There are two routes along the walls: the northern route, from Jaffa Gate to the Lion's Gate, and the southern route, from the Tower of David to the Garbage Gate. At the end of the southern route, you can descend from the wall (but be careful, the steps are very steep) and continue the tour in the Jewish Quarter.
