Tower of David, Jerusalem, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Tower of David is the ancient citadel beside Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, today home to a museum of the city's history. Despite the name, it has little to do with King David: the name comes from an old mistake, and the walls and minaret you see were shaped over many centuries by different rulers.

The story behind it

A fortress has stood on this spot, the most exposed point of the Old City's western side, for a very long time. Byzantine-era visitors took one of the towers for the palace of King David and began calling the place after him. Scholars today generally place David's Jerusalem on the ridge known as the City of David, outside the present walls, so the name is a misunderstanding that stuck.

The citadel was rebuilt several times, and much of what you see now dates from the Mamluk and Ottoman periods. Under Ottoman rule the fortress held a garrison and a mosque for its soldiers, and the slender minaret was added for it. That minaret is now the tower people photograph, and it still carries the Hebrew king's name, a Muslim structure wearing a Byzantine label.

What to look for

• The minaret rising above the courtyard is the best-known silhouette of the citadel, and you can spot it from the approach near Jaffa Gate.
• The thick stone walls and moat-like setting show how this corner of the city was defended, since the fortress guarded the main western entrance.
• Stones and foundations from different eras sit side by side in the courtyards, so you can see how later builders reused and extended earlier work.
• The ramparts and the top of the tower give a wide view over the rooftops, domes and towers of the Old City.

Tips for your visit

• Allow an hour or two if you want to walk the courtyards and ramparts and see the museum exhibitions.
• You can go inside, as it is a museum, so check current opening hours and entry details before you go.
• Late afternoon is pleasant for the views over the city, and the stone courtyards are less comfortable in the midday heat.
• Jaffa Gate is right beside it, and the Armenian Quarter and the Christian Quarter are a short walk away, so it fits well at the start or end of a day in the Old City.

See it on a quest

Play Science Fiction in Jerusalem: Historic Cultures to see the Tower of David as one stop on a longer walk through the Old City, where different cultures have left their mark. The app tells you about each place as you reach it, and you solve a puzzle on the spot, so you look closely at the walls and streets instead of just passing them. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.