One Thousand and One Nights

This summer, the ancient Citadel at the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum transforms into a palace straight out of the tales of One Thousand and One Nights ✨

Join us on a magical journey through time into the legendary stories of the East.

A Royal Treasure Hunt
Disaster has struck the kingdom! Bold thieves have stolen the Sultan’s royal treasure and hidden it throughout the Citadel. Now the Sultan needs your help.

Every family becomes a team of treasure hunters, searching the Citadel for the stolen gold coins. Complete challenges, solve riddles, and recover the lost treasure. At each successful station you’ll receive a golden coin. Collect enough coins, and a special gate will open, granting you access to the grand finale in the Sultan’s magnificent courtyard.

Palace Activities
✧ Dance of a Thousand Colors
An energetic, colorful Indian dance performance featuring dancers in magnificent traditional costumes who invite the audience to join in the movements and rhythms, bringing the palace festivities to life.
Location: Achar Amphitheatre

✧ Martial Arts of the East
Young warriors are invited to train with professional martial arts masters and discover the principles of movement, focus, self-discipline, and self-defense inspired by East Asian traditions.
Location: Dayan Family Minaret Plaza
This activity is not accessible for wheelchair users or strollers.

✧ The Royal Jeweler’s Workshop
Create your own royal necklace inspired by the treasures, colors, and stories of the East.
Location: Ronnie Hall

✧ The Spice Bazaar
Explore colorful jars filled with mysterious aromas. Smell, guess, and discover the treasures hidden inside each spice jar.
Location: Spice Garden

✧ Guardians of the Sultan’s Walls
Join Sultan Suleiman’s palace guards! Learn how the Citadel was defended, discover the weapons and defenses used by its guards, and uncover why Jerusalem’s walls tell a story of strength, ingenuity, and imagination.
Location: Gallery 7

✧ Lantern Tours
Take a lantern and set off on an evening adventure through the palace and fortress, discovering hidden stories and ancient secrets illuminated by the night.
Tours operate between 6:30pm and 8:30pm. Last tour departs at 8:00pm.

✧ Climb the Minaret (Additional fee: NIS 15)
Looking for the Sultan’s view? Climb to the top of the Citadel’s iconic minaret and enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of both the Old City and modern Jerusalem. This optional experience requires no challenge-just a magical moment to pause and take in the view.

To purchase tickets for the Minaret, click here or scan the QR code:

✧ Grand Finale: The Sultan’s Courtyard
Congratulations! You’ve recovered the treasure, solved the riddles, and restored peace to the kingdom.
The palace guards will open the gates to the Citadel’s ancient moat, transformed for one magical evening into the Sultan’s magnificent courtyard. Enjoy royal hospitality, musicians playing traditional instruments, and a festive closing performance.
Location: Citadel Moat

✧ Throughout the Citadel
The magic of the One Thousand and One Nights festival is everywhere: traditional musicians, themed décor that transforms the Citadel into a fairy-tale palace, and food and rest areas fit for royalty.

Recommended for children ages 5–12. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Activity stations in the Citadel courtyard close at 8:45pm, after which visitors will be directed to the Sultan’s Courtyard in the Citadel moat.

Advance registration is required. Your admission ticket includes all festival activities except the Minaret Climb, which requires an additional fee | Participation in individual activities is subject to availability | This event is not available through membership clubs or discount programs.