Renovation

TThis spring, a 2,500-year-old Jerusalem fortress will debut a new look for the 21st century: The Tower of David renewal project seeks to reinstate the ancient citadel as the beacon of the Old City of Jerusalem.

The site has been undergoing a $40-million renovation, which includes a new entrance pavilion and a state-of-the-art permanent exhibition.

The Tower of David, also known as the Citadel, was first named by the Byzantine Christians, who believed it to be the palace of King David dating to the First Temple period. The title is taken from the Song of Songs attributed to Solomon, King David’s son, who wrote: “Thy neck is like the Tower of David built with turrets, whereon there hang a thousand shields, all the armor of the mighty men.” (Song of Songs 4:4)

The Tower of David was known for thousands of years as the “lighthouse” of the city, serving as Jerusalem’s first landmark on the horizon for those approaching the city and guiding pilgrims coming from the west. The Citadel spans a massive area measuring 12 dunams (three acres), which is larger than the Temple Mount complex, and sits on the edge of the Old City, within its walls. The tower has played an extremely significant role over many generations.

Over the centuries, sections of the compound were regularly renovated and reconstructed by different rulers during various time periods, such as the Hasmonean, Herodian, Byzantine, and early Muslim eras.

It’s a surreal feeling, but this is the site where everything happened, so many years ago. And now is the moment we take a big step into present time.

The new entrance pavilion will be called the Patrick and Lina Drahi Entrance Pavilion (funded by the Drahi family, who founded the European media group Altice and are the owners of Sotheby’s).

The pavilion, part of the overall plans designed by

Kimmel Eshkolot Architects, will be a 1,000-meter (3,281-feet) sunken steel, stone, and glass building dug 17 meters (56 feet) below ground, between the ancient walls of the Citadel and the Old City. The entrance will allow comfortable access from the western neighborhoods of Jerusalem to the eastern side of the Citadel, beyond the Old City walls, reinstating the status of the Tower of David as the entry point to the Old City.

The entire compound will include a coffee shop, a gift shop, and a shaded seating area open to the public and museum visitors, and it will be easily accessible to parking lots and a planned light-rail stop near Jaffa Gate.

Using sustainable building and construction methods, the project also includes the modernization of the exhibition rooms; a new elevator to access most areas of the museum; wheelchair accessibility; underfloor heating and air-cooling systems; and a new glass facade facing the high walls of the Citadel, offering constant shade to visitors.

The renewal project is being led by funding from the Clore Israel Foundation, as well as from the Municipality of Jerusalem; the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage; the Ministry of Tourism; and the Israel Antiquities Authority, which has been digging for about a year and a half, and has had several major findings, including inscriptions that belonged to ancient rulers of Jerusalem.

While the renovation is expected to draw many firsttime and return visitors, many tourists have already been thoroughly enjoying the Tower of David light show, a mesmerizing multimedia and multisensory presentation that takes place in the Citadel courtyard. The popular show incorporates music and virtual reality images telling the stories of King David, the Roman conquest, the Crusaders, and more.

With the renovation set to open imminently, visitors will have even more ways to travel back thousands of years in time to see and experience Jerusalem in an incredible new way.