Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls

World Heritage Research

Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.

• Squaring the Israeli nation: politics, poetics, and performances of dominance in Safra Square, Jerusalem

  Safra Square in Jerusalem, designed around the historic British Town Hall and inaugurated in 1993, serves as a representational space that symbolizes Israeli dominance over a 'unified' Jerusalem post-1967 occupation. The square's design and spatial practices—marked by memorials, artifacts, and performative elements—reflect a narrative of political legitimacy through an intertwined mechanism of petrification (immobilizing history) and mundanization (normalizing control). Strategically located near the Green Line and Old City walls, Safra Square's visual and narrative dynamics reinforce Israeli administrative and military authority. The study analyzes these mechanisms to uncover how spatial design constructs dominance while legitimizing political control.

  Janson, T., & Kärrholm, M. (2026). Squaring the Israeli nation: politics, poetics, and performances of dominance in Safra Square, Jerusalem. City, Territory and Architecture, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40410-026-00299-7

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• Graffiti and Other Evidence of Bulgarian Pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the Ottoman Period: A Photographic Survey

  A groundbreaking photographic survey reveals the long-standing presence of Bulgarian pilgrims in Jerusalem's Greek Orthodox monasteries during the Ottoman period, spanning over 500 years. By employing advanced multispectral and RTI imaging techniques, researchers uncovered previously hidden graffiti inscriptions that not only document the pilgrimage routes but also identify specific individuals and their origins. This method allowed for a reconstruction of Bulgarian pilgrimage patterns, enriching our understanding of historical religious travel in the region.

  Chernin, M., & Halevi, S. (2025). Graffiti and Other Evidence of Bulgarian Pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the Ottoman Period: A Photographic Survey. ’Atiqot, 116(1). https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040x.1131

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• Excavations in the Mamillah Area, Jerusalem: The Medieval Fortifications (pp. 125–152)

  Recent excavations in the Mamillah Area, northwest of Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, uncovered a medieval fortification line, including a wall and tower, constructed outside and parallel to the city's existing defenses. The structure featured a rock-cut lower section and an upper part built with stone set in grayish mortar, preserved only in its eastern segment. Archaeological findings, such as pottery from the Roman-Byzantine periods and the 12th–early 13th centuries CE, along with mason’s marks, coins, architectural fragments, and fresco remnants depicting religious motifs, suggest a post-Crusader origin and pre-Mamluk destruction. The fortification's dating was determined through stratigraphic analysis and artifact study, revealing its strategic significance during a transitional period in Jerusalem's history.

  Reich, R., & Shukron, E. (2025). Excavations in the Mamillah Area, Jerusalem: The Medieval Fortifications (pp. 125–152). ’Atiqot, 54(1). https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040x.1337

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• Crusader Remains in the Muristan, Old City of Jerusalem: A Decade of Archaeological Gleanings (pp. 137–153)

  Archaeological excavations at the Muristan, located in the Christian quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, have uncovered significant Crusader-era remains from the 12th century CE. These include massive piers and ashlars with distinctive diagonal tool marks, along with stones bearing mason's marks, providing crucial evidence for reconstructing the Hospitaller Quarter during this period. The findings, though limited, offer valuable insights into the architectural and organizational structures of the area under the Hospitaller Order of St. John, which included a hospital, ecclesiastical buildings, and secular structures.

  Re’em, A., Seligman, J., Adawi, Z., & Raya, R. A. (2025). Crusader Remains in the Muristan, Old City of Jerusalem: A Decade of Archaeological Gleanings (pp. 137–153). ’Atiqot, 66(1). https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040x.1378

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• A Late Iron Age Rock-Cut Tomb on the Western Slope of Mount Zion, Jerusalem (Pp. 1–24)

  Archaeologists uncovered a First Temple period burial ground on the western slope of Mount Zion, Jerusalem, featuring five rock-cut tombs. Notably, Tomb A was found sealed with its original blocking stone, providing rare insight into burial practices from the seventh century BCE until the Babylonian destruction in 587/6 BCE. This 'bench-tomb' type structure, designed for multiple and simultaneous burials, contained significant artifacts that illuminated the rituals and customs of Jerusalem and Judah during this pivotal period.

  Kloner, A., & Yezerski, I. (2025). A Late Iron Age Rock-Cut Tomb on the Western Slope of Mount Zion, Jerusalem (Pp. 1–24). ’Atiqot, 98(1). https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040x.1998

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• Remains from the Late Byzantine, Early Islamic, Mamluk and Late Ottoman Periods in Ẓahal Square Tunnel, Jerusalem (pp. 193–210)

  Excavations at Ẓahal Square, Jerusalem, have uncovered critical remains that trace the city's urban expansion and fortification systems from the late Byzantine–Umayyad period to the late Ottoman era. Among the discoveries is a rare Greek inscription etched in bedrock, providing direct evidence of Jerusalem's development during this transitional period. The excavation also revealed hewn walls of a deep moat and remnants of a forewall, offering unprecedented insights into the city's early Islamic fortifications along its northwestern corner. These structures were part of a broader defensive system that fell into disuse following destruction by the Ayyubid Sultan al-Malik al-Mu‘azzam ‘Isa in the 13th century CE. The findings reconstruct Jerusalem's evolving urban landscape and military architecture, contributing significantly to our understanding of its historical layers.

  Weksler-Bdolah, S. (2025). Remains from the Late Byzantine, Early Islamic, Mamluk and Late Ottoman Periods in Ẓahal Square Tunnel, Jerusalem (pp. 193–210). ’Atiqot, 104(1). https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040x.1926

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• “Lev Ha’ir” Mahane Yehuda and Nahlaot: A Kurdish Neighborhood in the Heart of the City Jerusalem

  Kurdish Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem, Mahane Yehuda and Nahlaot—collectively known as 'Lev Ha’ir' or 'The Heart of the City'—emerged in the mid-19th century as cultural and historical hubs for Kurdish Jews migrating from Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria. These neighborhoods, established outside Jerusalem’s medieval walls, played a pivotal role in shaping Jewish identity within Israel while reflecting the city's layered religious, social, and political history. Through fieldwork and interviews conducted between 2011 and 2012, this study uncovers the narratives of Kurdish Jews' settlement, their positionality, and the significance of these areas in Jerusalem’s broader narrative. The research contributes to historical anthropology by illuminating the intersection of migration, identity, and urban transformation in a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  Şanlı, S. (2025). “Lev Ha’ir” Mahane Yehuda and Nahlaot: A Kurdish Neighborhood in the Heart of the City Jerusalem. International Journal of Kurdish Studies, 11(1), 131–150. https://doi.org/10.21600/ijoks.1628511

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