Western Wall Tunnel Tour ©
4)
TUNNEL ENTRANCEWe begin our journey into the tunnels by entering a room that British
explorer Charles Warren dubbed "The Donkey Stable."
Built at the end of the
Middle Ages as part of
the existing city, this room, and several others in the area, eventually became filled
with rubble. It took 17 years to gradually uncover all the accumulated rubble
from these underground rooms and reveal them once again to the world.
Today, continuing restoration work has revealed a series of
underground vaults and arches that formed a platform supporting the
buildings above the Tunnels. When Saladin defeated the
Crusaders in 1187, he embarked on a plan to build mosques and schools, and to give people
greater access to the Temple Mount.
Until that time, the existing city was lower than the Temple Mount. Saladin raised the
level of the city to the level of the Temple Mount through the
construction of a series of arches and vaults. The area where we are was part of that
underground support system. 
With the city above, areas like this were sealed off and used as water cisterns
and for storage.
A golden light beyond our view beckons us to see what's
next. A turn through the next arch, and we enter an area known as
the Secret Passage.
| Jewish Calendar Date |
MODERN TIMELINE |
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1808: Disciples of Vilna Gaon settle in Jerusalem; strengthen community. | ||
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1827:
Sir Moses Montefiore visits Jerusalem, aids Jewish economy. 1831: Egyptians under Muhamad Ali conquer Jerusalem; forbid repair of Kotel prayer area. |
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| 5600 | |||
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1840: Local bedouin recapture Jerusalem for Turks; British, other empires gain influence. | ||
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1850: Archaeologists study Temple Mt.; first major excavations begin. | ||
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1866: Montefiore renovates Kotel area; for first time since 614, Jews are majority in city, pop: 20,000. | ||
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1887: Baron Edmund Rothschild tries to redeem area in front of Kotel. | ||
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1889: Sultan Abdul Hamid confirms Jews right to pray at holy places. | ||
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1913: Anglo-Palestine Bank tries to purchase site for synagogue at Kotel. | ||
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1917: British, under Allenby, conquer Jerusalem: England issues Balfour declaration favoring Jewish state. | ||
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1920: Arab riots make desolate Jewish holy places. | ||
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1929: Arab riots start at Kotel, spread to Hebron, many Jews perish. | ||
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| 5700 | |||
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1948: STATE OF ISRAEL BORN, Jordanians occupy Old City, Jews barred from Kotel. | ||
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1967: Six-day War, Israel liberates Old City amid great rejoicing; Kotel made accessible to all nations. | ||
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1973: Yom Kippur War, begins era in which many Jews worldwide return to traditional Judaism. | ||
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1976: Raid on Entebbe saves 100 Jewish hijack hostages. | ||
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1987: Intifada begins, terror attacks increase in Jerusalem. | ||
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1991: Gulf War; 39 Scuds fired on Israel; Jerusalem miraculously spared from any hits. | ||
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1996: Kotel Tunnels open exit on Via Delorosa; Palestinians stage deadly riots throughout country. | ||
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