Jerusalem Open House is an opportunity to enter buildings that are not usually open to the public, and to enjoy behind-the-scenes tours with experts to discover Jerusalem’s secrets.
The annual Jerusalem Open House weekend is based on similar events in London and New York, when the public are invited to visit, explore and discuss significant public and private buildings. There are tours of museums and library collections, visits to private homes, and tours of churches and monasteries that are not usually open to the public.
This year’s Jerusalem secrets highlights include a tour of the Cardo in the Old City by one of its architects, who will explain the complexities of rebuilding a Roman-Byzantine street to suit modern pedestrians, and why the project took 12 years to complete. Another fascinating Old City tour will explore plans for adapting its ancient cobbled streets to the requirements of the 21st century, through projects undertaken in collaboration with local residents, store owners and church administrators in the Christian and Muslim quarters.
Have you ever wondered where tourists stayed in the past? Emperor Wilhelm II and Moses Montefiore visited Jerusalem before today’s hotels were built, and the Jerusalem Open House event will enable you to visit the 19th century guesthouses, hostels and hotels that hosted pilgrims in the Old City in those days. If you have ever wanted to visit the Prime Minister’s house, now is your chance to visit the former Prime Minister’s Residence that was home to David Ben Gurion, Levi Eshkol and Golda Meir between 1950 and 1974.
Jerusalem Open House 2018 runs from October 18-20 2018 and registration is required for some tours – click here for details.
As experts in Jerusalem tourism, Shatour Israel enjoys taking visitors behind the scenes in Jerusalem to visit historical gems that are not generally known about. If you can’t make it to the Jerusalem Open House event in October, ask us to organize a behind-the-scenes tour of our favorite Jerusalem secrets.