Vilnius Its Jewish influence has led to it being described as the "Jerusalem of Lithuania" and Napoleon named it "the Jerusalem of the North" as he was passing through in 1812. In 2009, Vilnius was the European Capital of Culture, together with the Austrian city of Linz. The name of the city originates from the Vilnia River. The city has also been known by many derivate spellings in various languages throughout its history: "Vilna" was once common in English. The most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city include: , , , , , , ("Vilne"). A Russian name from the time
Ancient city walls around the City of David Ancient city walls around the City of David The ancient city walls around of the City of David refer to what archaeologist Eilat Mazar believes are the remains of the fortifications that once encompassed the city. The remains were re-excavated near a natural ridge to the north of the City of David in 2010 by Eilat Mazar, who believes them to date to the late 10th century BCE. They are located between areas commonly known as the Ophel to the north and the City of David to the south. According to , King Solomon built "the wall of Jerusalem round