Situated along the southern flank of the Tower of David complex, the Kishle holds a layered history that mirrors the political shifts of Jerusalem itself. Initially constructed by Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt in 1834 CE, during his brief control over Palestine, the building was designed for military purposes but was absorbed into Ottoman governance following the Egyptian withdrawal in 1841 CE. In subsequent decades, it operated as a garrison and prison facility. During the British Mandate period (1917–1948 CE), it was used as a central prison where both common criminals and members of underground Jewish resistance organizations, such as the Irgun and Lehi, were detained. Under Jordanian control from 1948 to 1967 CE, it continued to function as a prison, before being repurposed by Israeli authorities after the Six-Day War.

In the early 2000s, archaeological investigations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority, in conjunction with the Tower of David Museum, transformed understanding of the site. Excavations beneath the Kishle exposed successive layers of occupation, from fortifications associated with the First Temple period (10th–6th century BCE), through Hasmonean and Herodian defensive systems, and up to Crusader and Ottoman construction phases. These discoveries positioned the Kishle as a critical archaeological locus for understanding Jerusalem’s fortifications and urban continuity.

circa 1700 CE

The Kishle building itself reflects mid-19th-century Ottoman military architecture, consisting of thick limestone walls, vaulted interiors, and elongated rectangular planning adapted for both barracks accommodation and confinement cells. Though relatively austere in its surviving form, the prison retains key Ottoman design features, including heavy masonry construction and limited fenestration, aimed at security and control. The prison cells were narrow, dimly lit spaces, and the walls bear graffiti from later periods, including inscriptions left by Jewish underground fighters held there during the Mandate era.

The more striking elements of the Kishle, however, lie beneath its 19th-century surfaces. Excavations revealed a 20-meter-long segment of fortifications attributed to the 8th century BCE, possibly linked to the fortifications of King Hezekiah or Manasseh, forming part of Jerusalem’s southern defensive system. Overlying these remains are traces of Hasmonean-period walls (2nd–1st century BCE), which reinforced the city’s defenses and reflect the urban expansion south of the citadel. Herodian stonework of monumental scale was also identified, in line with his extensive building projects throughout Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount. Above these strata are remnants of Crusader-period structures integrated into the city’s fortification line, followed by the Ottoman construction of the barracks itself.

The multi-layered stratigraphy uncovered in the Kishle offers a microcosm of Jerusalem’s urban evolution, demonstrating how successive rulers repurposed and reconstructed the city’s defenses across three millennia. Today, the Tower of David Museum incorporates the Kishle into its exhibition spaces, where visitors can view these exposed archaeological layers alongside historical displays on the site’s use as a prison.

circa 1700 CE

Beyond its architectural and structural features, the Kishle holds enduring importance for the study of Jerusalem’s history and archaeology. The site encapsulates over 2,700 years of urban development, preserving in one location fortifications and construction phases that range from the Iron Age through the Hasmonean, Herodian, Crusader, and Ottoman periods. For historians, it provides a rare stratified sequence that illustrates how different powers fortified and reshaped the same sector of the city across successive eras. For archaeologists, it serves as a key reference point for understanding the evolution of Jerusalem’s defenses and the interaction between political authority, military necessity, and urban planning. Its integration into the Tower of David Museum allows these remains to be examined within their broader historical context, ensuring that the Kishle is preserved not only as a physical remnant of Jerusalem’s long past but also as an active resource for scholarship and interpretation.