Khan Sha’ar Hagai National Heritage Site and the Sha’ar HaGai Scenic Lookout
When thinking about the siege of Jerusalem which took place from January 1948 until the opening of the Burma Road in June 1948, one tends to focus on the dramatic actions – the successful battle for the Castel and the unsuccessful struggles for the fortress of Latrun for example. However, there was another challenge that lasted for about 6 months and this was driving and accompanying the convoys that provided Jerusalem with supplies. This was a dangerous activity, and on each journey one’s life was in danger from Arab snipers in the hills above the narrow road. This museum memorializes this struggle. The presentations are in an Ottoman khan, and Sha’ar Hagai is effectively the gateway where the road begins its climb into the Judean Mountains from the Shefelah. A visit can be nicely rounded off by the short trip to the Lookout.
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Directions: Enter “Khan Sha’ar Hagai” into Waze.
Admision: This is a site of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Summer hours are Sunday to Thursday and Saturday 8. 00 AM to 5.00 PM and Friday and holiday eves: 8.00 AM to 4.00 PM. Closing is one hour earlier in the winter. Sessions are available in English. Reservations are done through their website. There is no charge for making a reservation. Times of the visit are adhered to strictly and you need to arrive 15 minutes before your appointment. Admission is 24₪ for adults and 20₪ in a group, children 10₪ and seniors 12₪. There are no picnic facilities or hiking at the site. There are some vehicles one can examine and enter into.
Public transport: It is a 1.9 km/24-minute walk from the nearest bus stop at מלבר ב.
During your 45-minute visit, you will immerse yourself in the stories of the people who made the journey to Jerusalem, hear their testimonies, and the fateful decisions they had to make. You will feel as if you are traveling in an armored vehicle and will see a moving presentation that describes the high price the generation of 1948 paid to keep the lifeline to Jerusalem open.
The Sha’ar HaGai Scenic Lookout (Mitzpe Sha’ar Hagai)
Only a very short distance from the national heritage site as the crow flies, although somewhat longer when travelling by car, is the Sha’ar HaGai Scenic Lookout. It is south of Sha’ar Hagai (Bab al-Wad in Arabic) on a small artificial hill created when the bypass road to Jerusalem was constructed. It is worth noting that the modern Highway 1 has substantially altered the landscape. This lookout is a memorial to the Palmach’s Fifth Battalion, whose principal task was protecting the road to Jerusalem, although the main importance of this site is the view.
From the lookout, and looking north toward the narrow valley of Sha’ar HaGai, you can appreciate the relationship of the modern roads to the old road through Bab al-Wad and the steep slopes on either side of Bab al-Wad that enabled Arab forces to fire on the road. The lookout is also close to the Burma Road and KKL (Keren Kayemet LeYisrael) has placed silhouettes and other installations in the surrounding area depicting the vehicles and fighters involved in the 1948 struggle. There are also Information signs describing the battles in this area during the 1948 War of Independence.
Directions: Enter “מצפור שער הגיא “ into Waze.
Public transport: : It is a 2.0-km/24-minute walk from the closest bus stop at מלבר .
Memorial to the Palmach’s Fifth Battalion at Sha’ar Hagai Scenic Outlook