Ammunition Hill is the site of one of the most hard won and important battles fought during the Six-Day War leading to the reunification of Jerusalem.
Today it is a memorial to the men who sacrificed their lives in battle and a museum of the Six-Day war.
The British built, the British built a police academy and an ammunition bunker on the hill during their Mandate.
Then the hill was conquered by the Jordanians during the War of Independence and became a military post, fortified with trenches and bunkers.
However, during the 1967 Six-Day War, Ammunition Hill had great strategic importance and the 66th Paratrooper Battalion were commanded to capture Ammunition Hill.
The Israeli Defense Force decided to forgo an aerial attack on the hill due to its proximity to civilian areas.
The instead, the paratroopers were commanded to capture Ammunition Hill and the fortified Jordanian Police Training School.
This lead to one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
The post consisted of tens of bunkers built along the three main trench systems surrounding the hill and gun emplacements covering each trench.
The winding fortified trenches were built on a slop and planned in such a way that one trench provides cover for other trenches.
The size of the Israeli assault force was based on incorrect intelligence, which detailed the hill as being defended by a single platoon.
When the ground assault began, they was discovered that the defending forces were three times larger than had been anticipated by Israeli Central Command.
The fighting that took place on the night of June 6, 1967 lasted four hours.
Ultimately, Paratroopers took the hill, but 36 men were lost in the process.
The victory led to the opening of the road to Mount Scopus and the Old City.
Jerusalem was ultimately reunified, however, 182 soldiers from Armored Harel, Paratrooper Divisions, and of the Air Force fell in the battle for the cause.
In 1975, a memorial site and museum were inaugurated on the hill.
In addition, 182 olive trees were planted on the hill, commemorating the 182 Israeli soldiers who fell in the battle for Jerusalem during the Six-Day War.
On-site, are battle canals, bunkers, armored vehicles from 1948, and half-track tank.
The guided tour tells the story of the battle on Ammunition Hill and you walk the paths of the paratroopers who fought there.
You also learn about morals that guided the soldiers during this crucial battle: heroism, courage, initiative, and more.
The tour includes a visit to the trenches and bunkers and a touching interactive presentation about Jerusalem’s Six Day War.
The Heritage Center includes an audio-visual presentation of veterans telling their personal war stories.
You can also hear the excited voices announcing “The Temple Mount ours!” to see the flag that was hoisted over the Western Wall at the end of the battle, hear the original announcements of the IDF’s Spokesman and more.
The museum is free and the tour and the movie can be arranged in English if it is booked in advance.
Check out the Ammunition Hill website for visitor information.
How to Get to Ammunition Hill
The Jerusalem Light Rail stops right in front of Ammunition Hill.
Also, bus 66 coming from the Jerusalem Central bus station and buses 19, 34, and 34A from the Center of Jerusalem all stop at Ammunition Hill.