Western wall tunnels

In front of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, an incredible labyrinth of tunnels, arches, and passageways remained untouched for centuries. Immediately after the Six Day War, the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Israel began the project of exposing the entire length of the Western Wall in Jerusalem old city.

This difficult operation involved digging beneath residential neighborhoods that had been constructed on ancient structures from The Second Temple period and were built up against the Western Wall.

After almost twenty years the Western Wall Tunnels were excavated. This lengthy project unearthed many remarkable archeological finds and revealed ancient Jerusalem in all its glory.

Archeologists uncovered genuine treasures: well preserved carved stone; remains of the Herodian road which ran alongside the Temple Mount, ancient cisterns, impressive construction efforts from the Muslim era, and a Hasmonean period aqueduct that had been blocked by Herod's construction of the Western Wall.

Best known of the remaining Herodian Temple Mount constructions is the traditional Jewish prayer area of the Western Wall (The "Wailing Wall") which has stood exposed, above ground level, for two thousand years. The Six-Day War provided an opportunity to explore along the continuation of the Jerusalem Western Wall from the prayer plaza northwards. The work is far from completed. Much more still lies hidden than has been revealed at the foot of the Temple Mount. But more then just bricks and stones, Jewish people also discover a whole new spiritual world - literally under our feet, and all thanks to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation of Israel.