5 things to know about the Givati Parking Lot:

  1. It’s one of the largest excavation sites in Israel, covering an area not less than 3,500 sq m.
  2. It was in use up until about 15 years ago as the central parking lot for people going to the Kotel.
  3. At the site, archaeological layers were found representing more than 10 different periods in Jerusalem’s history, beginning with the First Temple period up to the Abbasid period.
  4. Remnants of a building were found on the site that have been identified as the Acra Fortress – a Greek fortress built by Antiochus Epiphanes.
  5. At the end of 2008, a British woman who came to volunteer in the excavation at the Givati Parking Lot discovered a treasure trove of 264 gold coins from the Byzantine period.
Givati Parking Lot Photo: Kobi Harathi