Site 13: The Umayyad Palace South of the South Wall
A large building occupies the space between the south wall of the Temple Mount and the present Old City wall. It was built by the Umayyad rulers in the early years of Muslim rule in Jerusalem (second half of the seventh and first half of the eighth centuries CE). Judging from the sheer size of the building, its location (adjacent to the Temple Mount) and the details of its plan, it was probably a palace. Restoration and reconstruction work has been carried out at the site.
The palace extends from the Temple Mount in the north beneath the Old City wall in the south, and from the main entrance in the west to the Ottoman city wall in the east (the Umayyad wall is narrower than the Ottoman wall above it and is built of lighter-colored stones). A rectangular courtyard in the center of the palace was surrounded by long rooms. Clearly visible in the walls of the rooms are pairs of piers, from which spring stone arches spanning each room and supporting the ceiling.
The west wall of the palace, north of the main entrance, has survived to a considerable height. Clearly it was built of large Herodian stones taken from the ruins of the Temple Mount walls. The other part of the wall, south of the entrance, had been demolished at some later date for use in other buildings, and was partly reconstructed in 1997. The reconstruction made use of Herodian stones from another Umayyad building, near Robinson's Arch, which had been dismantled in the course of the excavations.
North of the entrance path, at the end of a corridor, the excavators found a small lavatory compartment ('a' on plan) fitted with a bench set over a drain. This drain links up with a network of stone-built drains, some of which channeled rainwater from the roofs and courtyards of the houses, while others were sewage channels.
An area paved with large rectangular limestone slabs was exposed under the north wing of the palace ('b' on plan). These are the remains of a plaza from the Second Temple period, which bordered on the street running along the south wall of the Temple Mount.
The base of a flight of stairs ('c' on plan), which provided access between the floors of the palace, was exposed east of this plaza. Probably it was possible to cross by way of a bridge from the roof to the Temple Mount, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock were erected during this period by the Umayyad rulers.
Reconstructions of devices for transporting and hoisting massive building stones (see Tour 1, Site 14) are exhibited in the basement rooms at the southwest corner of the palace.
A flight of stairs, located in the northeast wing of the Umayyad palace, leads to a medieval building (see Tour 1, Site 15), from which there is a splendid view of the palace and the excavated area.
North (left) of the paved corridor leading to the east entrance to the palace, metal spiral stairs descends to a Byzantine-period structure (see Tour 1, Site 16), situated beneath the level of the palace. After visiting this structure (alternatively, after exiting through the double opening in the wall), one can tour the area of the Huldah Gates and the Ophel (see Tour 1, Sites 17–23).
Archaeological Park
& Davidson Center
Timeline
