Walls of Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Israel

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ReferenceKulturenvanteri↗

The Walls of Jerusalem encircle the Old City, a compact area of approximately one square kilometer, and represent a striking palimpsest of the region's architectural and political history. Constructed of limestone between 1537 and 1541 under Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the walls replaced earlier fortifications that had fallen into ruin. Stretching 4,018 meters around the city, they average 12 meters in height and 2.5 meters in thickness, punctuated by 34 watchtowers and seven principal gates, with two additional gates later reopened by archaeologists. Though the walls incorporate ancient Roman and Islamic architectural traditions visible in their stonework, the structure recognizable today is primarily an Ottoman achievement, rebuilt nearly five centuries ago and prominently featured on maps of Jerusalem since that era. The walls were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 as part of the Old City of Jerusalem.