Tower of David facts for kids
The Tower of David, also known as the Citadel, is an old fortress located near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem.
The fortress you see today was built during the Mamluk and Ottoman times. It stands on the remains of even older forts from the Hasmonean, Herodian, Byzantine, and early Muslim periods. These older forts were often destroyed during the last years of the Crusader presence in the Holy Land by their Muslim enemies. Inside the Tower of David, archaeologists have found amazing things from over 2,500 years ago, including a stone quarry from the First Temple period. Today, it's a place for fun events, craft shows, concerts, and cool light and sound shows.
An Israeli archaeologist named Dan Bahat explains that the first three towers built here by the Hasmoneans were changed by Herod. He says that "The northeastern tower was replaced by a much larger, stronger tower, called the 'Tower of David' starting in the 5th century C.E." Over time, the name "Tower of David" moved from this Herodian tower to a minaret (a tall tower of a mosque) built in the 1600s on the other side of the fortress. After the Six-Day War in 1967, the name was officially used for the entire fortress.
Contents
Understanding the Names of the Citadel
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Why is it Called "Tower of David"?
The name "Tower of David" was first used for the Herodian tower in the 5th century CE by Byzantine Christians. They believed this spot was the palace of the famous King David. They got the name from the Song of Songs, a book in the Bible often linked to Solomon, King David's son. It says: "Your neck is like the Tower of David, built with turrets, where a thousand shields hang, all the armor of mighty men" (Song of Songs, 4:4).
Arabic Names for the Fortress
One Arabic name for the huge Herodian-Mamluk tower in the northeast is Burj al-Qalʾa, which means "Citadel Tower."
During the early Muslim and Ayyubid periods, it was known in Arabic as Miḥrāb Dāwūd. This means "David's miḥrāb" (a prayer place). There's also another prayer niche called Miḥrāb Dāwūd inside the Southern Wall of the Haram esh-Sharif/Temple Mount.
A Look at the Citadel's History
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The Hasmonean Period Fortifications
In the 2nd century BCE, the Old City of Jerusalem grew to include the area known as the Western Hill. This hill, which is 773 meters high, includes the modern Armenian and Jewish Quarters and Mount Zion. It was surrounded by steep valleys on all sides except the north. The first settlement here was around 150 BCE, during the time of the Hasmonean kings. This is when what Josephus Flavius called "the First Wall" was built to protect the city.
Herod the Great's Strong Towers
Herod, who took control from the Hasmonean family, made the city's defenses even stronger by adding three huge towers between 37 and 34 BCE. He built them at the weak northwest corner of the Western Hill, where the Citadel is now. His goal was not only to protect Jerusalem but also to keep his own royal palace, located nearby on Mount Zion, safe.
Herod named the tallest tower, which was 44 meters (144 feet) high, Phasael, after his brother who had died. Another tower was called Mariamne, named after his second wife whom he had executed. He named the third tower Hippicus, after one of his friends. Today, only the base of one of these three towers remains. Experts believe it is either the Phasael or the Hippicus Tower. You can still see about sixteen layers of Herod's large stone blocks rising from the ground. Smaller stones were added on top later, making the remaining part of the tower much taller.
During the Jewish war against Rome, Simon bar Giora lived in the tower. After the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 CE, they kept the three towers standing. They wanted them to show how strong the city's defenses were, which the Roman legions had still managed to overcome. The site then became a camp for Roman soldiers.
When the Byzantine Empire made Christianity its main religion in the 4th century, a group of monks settled in the Citadel. It was during this Byzantine period that the remaining Herodian tower, and later the whole Citadel, got its other name: the Tower of David. This happened because the Byzantines mistakenly thought the hill was Mount Zion and believed it was David's palace, as mentioned in the Bible (2 Samuel 5:11, 11:1–27, 16:22).
Early Muslim, Crusader, and Ayyubid Periods
After the Arab conquest of Jerusalem in 638 CE, the new Muslim rulers improved the Citadel. This strong building survived the attack of the Crusaders in 1099. Its defenders only surrendered when they were promised safe passage out of the city.
During the Crusader period, many pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem through the port at Jaffa. To protect them from robbers, the Crusaders built a tower with a moat (a ditch filled with water) around it on top of the Citadel. They placed lookouts there to guard the road to Jaffa. The Citadel also protected the new palace of the Crusader kings of Jerusalem, which was just south of the Citadel.
In 1187, Sultan Saladin captured Jerusalem, including the Citadel. In 1239, the Ayyubid emir of Karak, An-Nasir Dawud, attacked the Crusader soldiers and destroyed the Citadel. In their siege of the city in 1244, the Khwarazmians defeated the Crusaders and drove them out of Jerusalem for good, destroying the entire city. The Mamluks destroyed the Citadel again in 1260.
The Mamluk and Ottoman Citadel
In 1310, the Citadel was rebuilt by the Mamluk sultan Al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun. He gave it much of the shape it has today.
The Citadel was made even bigger between 1537 and 1541 by the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. His architects designed a large entrance with a place for cannons behind it. For 400 years, the Citadel served as a garrison (a military base) for Turkish soldiers. The Ottomans also built a mosque near the southwest corner of the Citadel, often called the Mihrab el-Qal'a ed-Dawood ("Prayer niche of David's fortress"). They added a minaret (the tall tower) between 1635 and 1655. In the 1800s, this noticeable minaret, which is still there today, became commonly known as the "Tower of David." At least two mosques are known to have existed inside the Jerusalem Citadel.
During World War I, British forces led by General Edmund Allenby captured Jerusalem. General Allenby officially announced this event while standing on a platform at the outer eastern gate of the Citadel.
British and Jordanian Periods
During the time of British rule (1917–1948), the High Commissioner created the Pro-Jerusalem Society. This group worked to protect the city's cultural history. They cleaned and fixed up the Citadel and opened it to the public. It became a place for concerts, charity events, and art shows by local artists. In the 1930s, a museum about Palestinian folklore opened in the Citadel, showing traditional crafts and clothing.
After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the Arab Legion took control of Jerusalem. They turned the Citadel back into a military base, as it had a great view over the armistice line into Jewish Jerusalem. It stayed a military site until 1967.
The Tower of David Museum
Since the Six-Day War in 1967, the Citadel has returned to its role as a cultural center.
The Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem opened in 1989, thanks to the Jerusalem Foundation. It is located in several rooms within the old Citadel. The museum has a courtyard with archaeological finds that are 2,700 years old.
The exhibits tell the story of Jerusalem's 4,000-year history, from when it was a Canaanite city to modern times. Using maps, videotapes, holograms, drawings, and models, each exhibit room shows Jerusalem under its different rulers. Visitors can also go up to the walls, which offer amazing 360-degree views of both the Old City and the New City of Jerusalem.
By 2002, the Jerusalem Foundation reported that over 3.5 million people had visited the museum.
Archaeological Discoveries
In 2010, Yehudah Rapuano from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) conducted a survey of the site, uncovering more historical details.
See also
In Spanish: Torre de David para niños
- Jaffa Gate, the Jerusalem city gate protected by the Citadel
- Illés Relief, a model of Jerusalem built between 1867 and 1873
- Tower of David Period, a nickname for Jewish art in Palestine during the 1920s
