Jerusalem quarries

In 1907, the Turkish authorities resumed works on the extraction of stone in these catacombs. The material was used to build the clock tower on the Jaffa Gate. Under the British, the quarry was virtually abandoned, but became a major tourist attraction. Local authorities became concerned about the cave only in the mid-1980s. The East Jerusalem Development Corporation built paths, installed railings and lights, and of course installed a cashbox at the entrance, where an elderly, good-natured Arab collects a small bribe in shekels for entering the legendary catacombs...