About the project
Tsahal (Israel Defense Forces) Square (formerly Allenby Square) is one of the most historically sensitive and prominent intersections in the city. The site, which sits atop a steep hill from the Old City, had been fortified and a tower constructed as early as the Fatimid period (969-1071). A crucial battle was fought here in the War of Independence (1948), and after that war’s cease-fire, the border between the Israeli and Jordanian halves of the city ran through the square. Following the reunification of the city in 1967, the square was developed, including creation of a garden with plantings, paving and benches in 1971. The garden was renovated several times as road improvements were made and the municipal government complex constructed. In 2007, the municipality began a complete reconfiguration of the Tsahal Square area that will create an amphitheater-like meeting space above a new tunnel east of the original Tsahal Square Garden.
