An animated presentation showing the paths of the most prominent tunnels under Al-Aqsa Mosque and Old Jerusalem, through which the occupation continues to spread its propaganda, including falsehoods that contradict the facts of history.
Below is a brief overview of the most popular tunnels that visitors are allowed to enter:
Hasmonean Tunnel: Its length is about 500 meters and its depth is about 6-7 meters. It starts from the bottom of Bab al-Silsila, while its main entrance is from inside the Buraq Wall plaza, parallel to the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and extends to the Via Dolorosa, where it exits.
Mujir al-Din al-Hanbali called the tunnel “the crypt,” and its most prominent features today are: the Pit of Generations, which is very deep; Robinson’s Arch, which is a prayer hall for Jewish men located under the Tankiziya School; the Pomegranate Synagogue; the large stone, 13 meters long and weighing about 572 tons; settlements and wells, including a well under the Ottoman School.
Other landmarks of the tunnel include a cement-built area, a Greek aqueduct carved into the rock, and two Roman pools near Bab al-Ghawanmeh.
Big Bridge Underpass Tunnel: It is 150 metres long, 15 metres deep underground, and is located below Bab al-Silsila, the Tankiziya School, and the Khalidiya Library. It contains antiquities, a water facility, a mikveh (water purifier), and a Roman theatre.
On this day in 1996, an exit to the tunnel was opened, which was the spark that led to the outbreak of what became known as the “Tunnel Uprising.”
Silwan Tunnel (Givati): It starts from the town of Silwan and has an exit in the town, and continues to Bab al-Maghariba. There is an exit at the Davidson Garden near the Umayyad palaces.
There are tunnels that visitors are not allowed to enter, including a tunnel at Bab al-Amoud, a tunnel between Bab al-Sahira and Bab al-Amoud, and a tunnel at the Qarmi neighborhood inside the Old City.