Independence Park (Jerusalem)

Independence Park (Hebrew: גן העצמאות‎, Gan ha-Atsma'ut) is a municipal park bounded by Agron Street, King George Street, Hillel Street, and Menashe Ben Yisrael Street in central Jerusalem, Israel.[1] It is located next to the Mamilla cemetery, and is Jerusalem's second largest park.[2][3]

Aerial view of the park. August 2013

Independence Park in Jerusalem

The park, rededicated as the Harry Wilf Park by the Jerusalem Foundation in 1996,[4] is home to the Lion's cave. Jewish, Muslim, and Christian legends all maintain that the remains of their faithful are buried there, and that a lion, created by God, was placed there to guard the dead.[5] Jewish tradition states that the bones of Jews killed by the Seleucid Greeks are buried there. Muslims state that Allah transferred remains from the nearby Mamilla cemetery to the cave to save them from a fire. Christians believe that the cave houses the remains of monks who were massacred by the Persians in 614.[5] There are also Muslim graves at the bottom of the park which dates to the 13th century.[6]

The park is also one of the gay cruising areas in Jerusalem, and has become a focal point for many LGBT activities, including the annual gay pride parade.[7]