Jerusalem’s new Tower of David museum has opened following a three-year, $50 million renovation, offering an accessible and immersive visitor experience.
Located near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem, the Tower of David is an ancient citadel that once defended the city.
It now serves as a museum exploring Jerusalem’s 4,000-year history through immersive exhibits and interactive technology.
“No other museum can tell Jerusalem’s story in such a distinctive setting within this citadel that has witnessed so many eventful periods in the city’s past,” said the museum’s director and chief curator Eilat Lieber.
The museum broke ground on the development during the pandemic in October 2020. The project was carried out by a team of archaeologists, architects, curators, researchers, designers.
The redesign has doubled the size of the venue to 20,000 square metres. Additionally, the museum features a new sunken entrance at the Jaffa Gate.
Explore Jerusalem’s story in 10 new galleries
Visitors will explore the city’s story in 10 new galleries containing artefacts dating back as far as the 15th century BC. These include ancient coins, stone cups and a Roman sword.
“Alongside the physical conservation of the walls and towers of this ancient site, we have developed a completely new permanent exhibition and creative programming that tells Jerusalem’s long, complex and colorful history in respectful, innovative and engaging ways,” Lieber added.
Highlights include a vast interactive multimedia wall, called Sands of Time, which covers the length of the first gallery and immerses visitors in Jerusalem’s history.
Films created for the new museum include an animated history of Jerusalem, several animated short films, and an original film of the ancient city from 1896.
The ‘Circle of the Year’ is an immersive experience where images from different religious festivals are projected onto one of the citadel’s vaulted ceilings.
Additionally, for the first time ever, the citadel is accessible to all visitors with the first-of-its-kind elevator in Israel, as well as chair lifts and ramps.
Interactivity and accessibility
“Whether it is a school child from Israel or a visitor from overseas, I hope that the Tower of David can give them a basis for dialogue, tolerance and respect. Visitors from near and far will leave the museum with a better understanding of Jerusalem, this eternal city,” said Lieber.
In 2021, the Tower of David museum opened an adventure park called Towers in the Air to entice visitors during Covid-19 with an outdoor experience.
Images: Oded Antman / Ricky Rachman
