New J’lem map launched to help visitors navigate treasured sites

A new map geared toward visitors to Jerusalem and the Old City was launched in a special ceremony on Wednesday by Construction and Housing Minister Yoav Gallant in cooperation with the Society for the Rehabilitation and Development of the Jewish Quarter, headed by chairman Moti Rinkov and the Israel Mapping Center.

The map presents a detailed illustration of the Jewish Quarter in the capital’s Old City.

The Housing Ministry explained that a map of the entire Old City is on one side and a map of the Jewish Quarter is on the other. “In the margins of the map there is a lot of information about the tourist attractions and the main sites in the Jewish Quarter, and on the map is a detailed index of sites and streets.”

The main tourist routes are highlighted and main tourist sites are marked, which include, for the first time, all the underground attractions in the quarter, including the Western Wall tunnels, the new hidden channel connecting the City of David with the Archaeological Park, and the Davidson Center.

In addition, also for the first time, many other attractions have been made available to the public throughout the Old City, including the Hurva Synagogue, Aish Hatorah, the Tower of David and more. The walking routes in the Jewish Quarter have also been marked in order to make it easier for visitors to get around the city.

One of the special things on the map is the combination of an oro-photo (terrain view) – a colorful picture of an aerial view of the city along with a street map.

As part of the project, the ministry said the stories behind the historical sites throughout the Jewish Quarter have been made accessible using barcodes that can be scanned by smartphones – a feature which has been integrated into the map – enabling visitors to hear and read information about the sites they visit and the stories behind them.

Among other things, one can find rare historical pictures of Jerusalem, as well as the possibility of connecting to the Western Wall cameras live, Segway tours and more.

Immediately after the launch, opened tours were held for free to the public, under the theme “Between the Ruins of Glory” led by the instructors, Rabbi Yisrael Galis and Tal Hania. The tour is about an hour and a half long, and you must register for tours on the site of the Jewish Quarter Development Company in Jerusalem.

However, despite the excitement, the launch didn’t come without controversies. The map boasts a picture of Gallant on the side, which the Movement for Quality Government has objected to, stressing that he is self-promoting his achievements using public money.

In a statement to The Jerusalem Post, the groups’ attorney Tomer Naor, director of the legal department, said that “there seems to be a prohibition to use public assets and public funds in order to glorify the name and personal performance of Minister Gallant – in a way that leads to election propaganda prohibited by law.”

“In light of the above, the Movement for Quality Government will immediately turn to Gallant and his office to ask for clarifications regarding the costs of advertising, and... submit a petition to the Central Elections Committee accordingly,” he said.

Asked for comment on the matter, the Housing and Construction Ministry said that their legal adviser had approved it and would not comment further.