Aelia Capitolina
Archaeological Site Roman colony founded on Jerusalem after 135 CE
Aelia Capitolina is the Roman-era name for Jerusalem after 135 CE; traces of Roman streets and the Cardo lie beneath the Old City. Historians and visitors come for archaeology and proximity to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Temple Mount precincts.
Aelia Capitolina was the Roman colony founded on the site of Jerusalem by Emperor Hadrian in the second century CE, established following the suppression of the Bar Kokhba revolt.
Archaeological remains associated with Aelia Capitolina include parts of a Roman street grid, sections of the Cardo Maximus, and Roman-period installations that lie beneath and alongside later Byzantine, Islamic and Crusader layers. These Roman city features are visible in excavations and underlie portions of the modern Old City.
The foundation of Aelia Capitolina dates to the reign of Hadrian around 135 CE, when the emperor reorganised the city as a Roman colony and introduced Roman urban and religious elements; the site then evolved through Byzantine, early Islamic and medieval periods as control of the city changed hands.
The Roman colony occupied the hill and environs of what is now Jerusalem’s Old City; remains linked to Aelia Capitolina are concentrated within and immediately outside the present Old City walls, adjacent to major sites such as the Western Wall and the Temple Mount precinct.
- Founding: Established by the Roman emperor Hadrian after the Bar Kokhba revolt, the city was intended as a Roman colony imposed on the Jerusalem site.
How to Get to Aelia Capitolina #
Aelia Capitolina refers to the Roman/Byzantine town at the site of today’s Jerusalem Old City. From Tel Aviv it’s about a 50-60 km drive east along Highway 1 to Jerusalem. Once in Jerusalem, the Light Rail (Red Line) to the Jaffa/City Hall area or arrivals at the Jerusalem Central Bus Station put you within a 10-25 minute walk of Jaffa Gate; alternatively local buses and taxis serve the Old City gates (Jaffa Gate, Damascus Gate, Zion Gate) - the Old City itself is pedestrianized.
Tips for Visiting Aelia Capitolina #
- Explore early in the morning when the Old City area that corresponds to Roman Aelia Capitolina (notably the Cardo/ancient street sections in the Jewish Quarter) is much quieter and Roman pavement and columns are easier to photograph.
- Enter the Old City via Jaffa Gate if you want a relatively direct walk toward the Cardo and nearby Roman-era remains; combine that walk with a focused archaeological or guided tour to make sense of the multi-layered Roman, Byzantine and later remains.
- Check opening hours and prayer schedules for specific sites within the Old City before you go-some archaeological displays and smaller chapels fluctuate opening times and guided-visit availability.
Best Time to Visit Aelia Capitolina #
Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable weather for visiting Aelia Capitolina (historic Jerusalem); summers are hot and winters are cooler and wetter.
Weather & Climate near Aelia Capitolina #
Aelia Capitolina's climate is classified as Hot-Summer Mediterranean - Hot-Summer Mediterranean climate with warm summers (peaking in August) and cold winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 5°C to 28°C. Semi-arid with limited rainfall with a pronounced dry season.
January
January is the coolest month with highs of 11°C and lows of 5°C. The wettest month with heavy rain (107 mm).
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February
February is cold with highs of 13°C and lows of 5°C. Regular rainfall (90 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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March
March is cool with highs of 15°C and lows of 7°C. Moderate rainfall (73 mm).
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April
April is cool with highs of 21°C and lows of 10°C. Light rainfall.
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May
May is mild with highs of 25°C and lows of 14°C. Almost no rain and mostly sunny skies.
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June
June is mild with highs of 27°C and lows of 16°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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July
July is mild with highs of 28°C and lows of 18°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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August
August is the warmest month with highs of 28°C and lows of 18°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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September
September is mild with highs of 27°C and lows of 17°C. The driest month with just 0 mm and clear sunny skies.
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October
October is mild with highs of 24°C and lows of 15°C. Light rainfall and clear sunny skies.
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November
November is cool with highs of 18°C and lows of 10°C. Moderate rainfall (53 mm) and mostly sunny skies.
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December
December is cold with highs of 13°C and lows of 6°C. Regular rainfall (81 mm).
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