I doubt you’ll meet a person who goes to Israel without seeing Jerusalem. It’s the most important city in history, and it offers so much to see. But often, it’s seen only from this view.
There are many great views of Jerusalem. Like looking at the various facets of a diamond, each direction offers a different perspective on the same city.
Here are 4 views of Jerusalem every visitor should see—from the north, south, east, and west.
Good news: 3 of the views are free.
A marvelous lookout from Mount Scopus on the campus on Hebrew University allows visitors a view of the Old City from the northeast. Many groups stop here after entering Jerusalem from Jericho.
Mount Scopus corresponds with the biblical city of Nob, which served as a city of priests in King Saul’s day.
From the slopes of Mount Scopus after the Six-Day War in 1967, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra gave a concert to celebrate the newly reunified Jerusalem.
Named after Daniel Haas, a fallen soldier from the first Lebanon war, the Haas Promenade offers the best view of Jerusalem from the south. A lovely garden with terraced walkways and benches provide visitors a casual atmosphere.
Tradition states that the Sanhedrin met on this hill to conspire to turn Jesus over to Roman officials; hence the hill bears the name, “Hill of Evil Counsel.”
Ironically, the hill also hosted the headquarters of the British Mandate and more recently, the United Nations building.
This is the iconic view of the Old City because it shows so many locations at once. The best view from the east is from the Mount of Olives at or just below the parking lot of the Seven Arches Hotel.
This view from allows you to see the Temple Mount, the Old City, the Kidron Valley, and the City of David from the vantage that Jesus saw them in His day.
The Mount of Olives served as the place of a number of key events in Jesus’ life:
A great view of the Old City from the west is from atop Phasael Tower in the Citadel. (Another cheaper option might be from the roof of the nearby Petra Youth Hostel.)
Part of Herod the Great’s original Praetorium, the Citadel had three towers that he named after his wife Miriam, his friend Hippicus, and his brother Phasael.
My wife and I stood atop the Phasael Tower one afternoon and enjoyed reading the events of the Passion Week as recorded in the gospels.
Well, there you have it. Great views from the north, south, east, and west.
Tell me what you think: Do you have a favorite view of Jerusalem? To leave a comment, just click here.