The Old City of Jerusalem and its walls are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and therefore are subject to special preservation rules designed to present the city and its heritage to its visitors, while developing and upgrading it to the benefit of its residents and employees. The Old City is the most visited place in Israel with about 10 million visitors each year.

The Old City accessibility is being funded by the Jerusalem and Heritage Ministry and the Jerusalem Development Authority, together with the Ministry of Tourism, the Accessibility Department of the Jerusalem Municipality, the National Social Security Agency and the Israel Antiquities Authority, carried out by the East Jerusalem Development Company and accompanied by accessibility consultants according to local topographical restrictions, at a cost of over 20 million NIS.

The accessibility of the Old City is an innovative and groundbreaking project that enables the disabled to enjoy the historic and cultural wealth of the city. Among other things, four kilometers of streets in the Muslim, Armenian and Christian quarters were adjusted, and about 2 kilometers of handrails were installed alongside staircases. The accessibility is carried out with the cooperation of the merchants and the residents of the area.

For the first time in years, residents of the houses within the walls are enables to move around the narrow and steep streets and alleys, while significantly improving the quality of life.

There is a relatively small number of historical cities in the world that combine archeological findings, tourist sites and human activities that continue for thousands of years, and as far as is known, there is no historic city that is also defined as a World Heritage City that has carried out a large-scale access project like that in Jerusalem.

The accessibility of the picturesque alleys of the Old City is intended to ease the congestion in the main streets and to enable the users of freight carts (including strollers), wheelchairs and other handicapped people, to visit the city’s tourist attractions.

Topography: Old Jerusalem is originally a Jewish city, with Roman streets grid, covered by Mamluk building and Ottoman borders, and serves residents and tourists with needs of the 21st century. The height difference between the highest and lowest points in the Old City is about 55m. The unique fabric of the Old City, which is characterized by uneven measurements, uneven angles, sometimes excavated space and high or low street entrances, is a challenge to contemporary professional standards. The main purpose of which, is to make the open space accessible to every person, while strictly maintaining the character and uniqueness of the city for future generations, an additional layer in the construction and repair of the Old City.

Facilitation includes: Roads fixing; Fixing and renovation of public services (including accessible); Adding direction and explanatory signs to the main sites and spatial maps along the main tourist routes; Upgrading the current cleaning and garbage collection system; Replacement of stone cladding; Highlighting historical or archaeological findings of public interest; Installation of infrastructure cladding for water clocks and a garbage collection point in the tourist area according to the “street language”; Renewal of business complexes, facades and facilities along the route; And the completion of promenades from Zion Gate to the Dung Gate along the northern outer wall.

In order to complete the process, the East Jerusalem Development Company also produced a printed accessibility orientation map along with a dedicated application in 8 languages that enables real-time navigation between the alleys and sites (GPS-based, similar to Google Maps).

The city visitors can now plan their way with a unique and free application called Accessible JLM-Old City (available in 8 languages) that enables real-time navigation between alleys and sites.

Download the app:
Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pami.accessibility.sayyes

Apple:
https://itunes.apple.com/il/app/accessible-roads-jerusalem/id1434672106?mt=8

YouTube on how the app works:

In addition to these projects, complementary projects were implemented to make holistic solution to the city accessibility: The Old City can be reached by means of the free P&R shuttle to the Old City, which runs from the First Station Compound to the Dung Gate and back on a daily basis (Sunday through Thursday from 8:00 to 20:00, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 07:00, Friday – until one hour before Shabbat enters). The shuttle departs every 20 minutes, with an accessible shuttle for wheelchairs once an hour. The parking is on a daily basis (approx. NIS 17 per day).

Visitors to the Old City are invited to download, free of charge, accessible guided tours in the “Vocal Tours of the Old City” application (in the Jewish Quarter, Via Dolorosa, Har Habayis, Jaffa Gate and Zion Gate).

Holistic solution: Free Accessibility map, navigating APP, vocal tours and P&R shuttle

The accessible routes:
South to north – from Zion Gate to the Shar Shechem (the Cardo Route).
West to east – from the Jaffa Gate to the New Gate – to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Kosel Plaza (accessible). Moreover, partial access to David St. and HaShalselet Street.

The rest of the hinges are marked on the map.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)