Visitors view the Israeli contemporary art exhibition “Umbilicus” at the Kishlebir, part of the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem on July 9, 2024. Photo by Sharon Altschul. Facebook
(JNS) – At the excavation site of a former barracks/prison known as Qishre (Turkish for prison), Jerusalem’s Tower of David Museum opened a unique art exhibition Tuesday evening.
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Part of the Tower of David complex, located just inside the Jaffa Gate into the capital’s Old City, this impressive space was created following extensive archaeological excavations in 1999-2000 led by Dr Amit Rehm, Jerusalem district archaeologist for the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Kishre was built as a prison by the Ottoman Turks in the 1800s and was used by the British to hold captured Jewish militiamen in the 1940s. During excavations, former prison cells were found in the stone walls, complete with graffiti from Irgun members who were held there during the British Mandate. This 450-metre long, slender, vaulted structure allows you to experience Jerusalem’s colourful and complex history.
Contemporary art at Kishrebil, a former Ottoman and British prison in the Old City of Jerusalem, July 9, 2024. Photo by Sharon Altshull.
As you make your way along newly improved walkways, thousands of years of exposed history are revealed alongside archaeologists’ markings in carefully curated art exhibitions. For the first time, the vast space, whose walls contain 2,800 years of Jerusalem’s history, is now home to a contemporary art exhibition.
Layers of history overlap: beneath the remains of the Mandate prison and the graffiti of Irgun prisoners, there is a medieval Jewish dyeworks mentioned in the writings of Benjamin of Tudela (12th century), the walls of Herod the Great’s royal palace with drainage channels and escape routes dug into the rock, an impressive Hasmonean fortress, and the oldest remains in the complex, an impressive wall built on top of the bedrock and dating to the time of Judean King Hezekiah and the First Temple period.
The Kishle building, part of the Tower of David, is currently in the planning stages of conservation and renovation. Prior to the completion of the archaeological excavation, which has seen the installation of sandbags, scaffolding and archaeological markers, the site was selected by curators Dr. Adina Kamien and Mar Zayon to host the “Umbilicus” exhibition.
Director and Chief Curator Eilat Lieber is excited to see the Kishreh reinvigorated and recognise its potential to tell the different stories of Jerusalem and the connections between old and new.
Contemporary works by artists such as Hannan Abu Hussein, Sharon Balaban, Matan Daskar, Yehudit Sasportas, Merav Sin Ben Alon and Lihi Turjeman are beautifully integrated into the stone settings.
The Tower of David Jerusalem Museum has reopened to the public after extensive renovation. The museum features 10 exhibition galleries containing original artifacts, films, video projections and interactive exhibits, tracing Jerusalem’s historical development to become the central city for billions of believers from around the world (Jews, Christians and Muslims) and its re-emergence as the capital of modern-day Israel.
Kishle’s new exhibit can only be accessed by climbing a flight of stairs – a vast improvement on accessibility over the previous arrangement – but there are plans to make it accessible for people with disabilities.
