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See the Sights I Eat, Travel, Enjoy

Jerusalem Day: 5 ideas for what to see & do on a day trip to the capital From a visit to the ancient sites and landmarks of the Old City to a refreshing dip in a natural spring, or a walk along the country’s longest suspension bridge, and more – here are five recommendations for fun and interesting things to do in the capital to mark Jerusalem Day which takes place this year on May 25 th / By Nava Marton and Ariela Aflalo

The Ancient City Gate I Photo by Itamar Grinberg

01 | A journey through time The Ancient City Gate After three years of extensive

of this unique site. Visitors will also be able to admire the Byzantine Madaba mosaic map, an exhibition about the Ottoman wall gates, and an audiovisual tribute to the central column that once stood here, from which distances to other cities were measured, and which was the source of the Arabic name for Damascus Gate, “Bab al-Amud”, or Gate of the Column. The Ancient City Gate, fee and prior booking required, pami.co.il 02 | Between heaven and earth The longest suspension bridge in Israel Jerusalem’s recently inaugurated

renovations, the Ancient City Gate, uncovered beneath Damascus Gate, was inaugurated last February. The site dates back to the 2 nd century CE, when Jerusalem was under Roman rule - a tragic time in the history of the Jewish People, when Emperor Hadrian decided to build a Roman city, Aelia Capitolina, on the ruins of Jerusalem. The site, now referred to as the “Ancient City Gate”, first opened to the public in the 1980s, and now has a visitors’ center where an impressive light and sound installation tells the story

The Ancient City Gate I Photo by Pami

suspension bridge stretches to a length of no less than 202 meters, thereby breaking the previous Israeli record of 80 meters for the suspension bridge in Nahal HaBesor. Located in the Jerusalem Walls National Park, the bridge connects the Hinnom Valley and Mount Zion, 30 meters above ground, so it’s by no means for the faint of heart - indeed children under the age of 14 are required to be accompanied by an

14 ATMOSPHERE MAY 2025