Skip to main content

Jerusalem Archaeological Park

Pore over the remains of streets, columns, gates, walls, plazas and Jewish ritual baths at this archaeological site near Dung Gate. An audio guide is a helpful accompaniment at the open-air portion of the site, while video presentations (in Hebrew and English) at the visitors centre give an overview of the main excavations in the 1970s and reconstruct the site as it looked 2000 years ago.

Entering the Jerusalem Archaeological Park.
The Jerusalem Archaeological Park is located southwest of the Temple Mount.


Approaching the southwest corner of the Temple Mount.

Old Jerusalem's main street.
As you enter, you’ll notice on your left the remains of what was once Jerusalem's main street, which ran the length of the Temple's Western Wall.

  • Note the remains of an arch protruding from Herod’s wall – this is Robinson’s Arch (named after a 19th-century American explorer), once part of a bridge that connected Temple Mount and the city's main commercial area.
  • The piles of stones on the Herod-era street below the arch are said to be part of the Western Wall, hurled down by Roman soldiers as they destroyed the Temple in 70 CE.

Walking along the south wall (left) of Temple Mount.

East end of the south wall (left) of the Temple Mount.

Huldah Gates.
At the back of the site (ie closest to the Mount of Olives) are the Huldah Gates, also built in the Second Temple period.

  • These originally gave access to tunnels that led up to the Temple Mount enclosure.
  • Nearby is a largely reconstructed staircase that was once the main entry for pilgrims headed to Temple Mount.
  • Near the bottom of the steps you can spot more Jewish ritual baths.
  • See more at Huldah Gates - Wikipedia.

See also

Sources

Location

Location: מעלות הרב שלמה גורן, ירושלים