Tower of David

The heavy stone citadel anchored at the Jaffa Gate holds a massive, conical minaret that towers over the surrounding walls. Despite its name, King David never set foot inside these walls, as the oldest parts of the foundation date to the second century before the common era. When Herod the Great expanded the fortress, he built three enormous towers here to protect his palace. Soldiers have occupied this strategic point through Roman, Crusader, and Ottoman rule, each layering stone upon the previous era.