Overlooking the rolling hills of the Judean Mountains, Gylo is a suburban enclave slightly off the beaten path of Jerusalem's regular tourist path. Offering its residents a tranquil place to live, spacious woodland and great views of modern-day Jerusalem, Gylo is recovering from the turn-of-the-century recession and is quickly becoming a popular choice for residents seeking a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Gylo is named after a biblical city that was once identified with Beit Jala, located to the east of the region, but this identification has since been disproved and is no longer accepted.
Gylo was established in 1971 as one of the ring districts after the 1967 Six-Day War and, at 857 metres above sea level, is the highest district in Jerusalem.
The biblical city of Gyro
Giloh is mentioned in the Book of Joshua as part of the southern hill country of “Goshen, Holon and Giloh.” It is also known as the home of Ahithophel the Gilohite, advisor to King David and his son Absalom, and Eliam, one of David's warriors. Located in the southern hills of Jerusalem, Giloh offers magnificent views of the entire city. (Photo by Mark Israel Sellem)
Archaeological finds at Gyro include an Iron Age I settlement and “tower” and an Iron Age II watchtower. These structures suggest that the site may have had a religious dimension, including an ossuary for breeding pigeons for sacrifice.
The area continued to be inhabited after Biblical times, thanks to nearby springs such as Ein Yael and Ein Lavan, and during Roman times a prominent family settled nearby, the remains of whose house can be seen at the ruins of Ein Yael at the foot of the district.
present day
During the Ottoman period, the area was inhabited by local Arab families from villages such as Beit Jala, Al Malha and Beit Safafa. After the Six-Day War in June 1967, the area was occupied and annexed to Jerusalem. Gylo was established in 1971 as part of the ring district plan built around the city after the war.
Gylo's population grew in the 1980s as new immigrants settled in the district's absorption centers. In the early 1990s, with the development of Efrat in Gush Etzion, the population decreased slightly to about 30,000. However, the population continued to grow, reaching about 39,000 in the late 1990s. As of 2022, the population is 32,000, of which just under a third (9,510) are young people.
During the Second Intifada, Gilo became a target of Palestinian terrorism, receiving direct machine gun fire from neighboring towns such as Beit Jala and Al-Khader. There were around 100 shooting incidents in 2000. No residents were killed, but several were injured and property was damaged. A concrete wall was built on part of Margalit Street to protect the neighborhood. After the Second Intifada, the security situation improved and the wall was removed in 2010.
In 2009, plans to expand the area drew opposition from the United States. President Barack Obama said that construction in Gylo would “complicate efforts to resume peace talks.” Israeli leaders, including President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and opposition leader Tzipi Livni, have stressed that Gylo is an inseparable part of Jerusalem.
Further construction in Gylo, due to its location across the Green Line, has been repeatedly criticised by international figures over the years. In 2012, after the announcement of further apartment construction, Yaffa Shitrit, director of the Gylo Community Centre, said that international anger over the construction in Gylo was due to a “lack of understanding of Gylo's location”.
“They need to look at the map, when they come here they will understand this is not a settlement, this is part of Jerusalem,” Shitrit said.
Modern Neighborhood
The architects who designed the ring, including Gilo, were concerned that building a large district so far from the city center would lose Jerusalem's identity, so they incorporated traditional Jerusalem architectural features, such as interconnected buildings with courtyards that resemble homes in the Old City. Other features include arched windows, stone arches, and Jerusalem stone.
A quiet suburban area, Gylo lacks some of the tourist attractions that dot Jerusalem, but it does serve its residents' needs with plenty of dining options, a shopping mall, several supermarkets and facilities from Israel's major health care funds.
Recent improvements to Begin Boulevard and Route 60, which leads to Gush Etzion, have eased some of the traffic congestion around Gylo, a problem that has plagued the suburb for years.
Jerusalem's light rail is also being extended to Gylo. Due for completion by 2025, the Green Line will connect the two campuses of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, running through the city and along the Gylo Forest, terminating in Gylo West.
Estimated population: 32,522 (2022)
Average property price:
House (purchase): 3.3 million NIS
Apartment (rent): NIS 5,500/month