An essential part of any Jerusalem tour, the Jerusalem Time Elevator carries its passengers on an unforgettable journey through the 3000-odd eventful years of the Holy City's fractious history.

Israeli actor Chaim Topol, best known for his roles as Tevye in the film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof and the titular lead of the classic Israeli satire Sallah Shabati, stars in the Time Elevator's dramatic half hour multimedia presentation as Shalem, a 3000-year-old guide to Jerusalem history. Amid crashing ceilings, splashing water, seats with six axes of motion and other special effects, Shalem leads the audience through Jerusalem’s historic turning points firsthand: sweeping into the city with David's armies, watching Jeremiah confront King Zedekiah, and seeing the First and Second Temples burn. When the Romans take over, when Christianity begins, when the Muslims sweep in from the east and when the State of Israel struggles to gain its independence, the Time Elevator - and you - are there in the midst of the action.

While the show's original audio track is in Hebrew, surround sound headsets allow visitors to enjoy the action in English, Russian, French, Spanish, German, Mandarin or Italian as well.

The seats' level of motion and vibration can be adjusted on the fly, meaning nobody has to be jostled about more than they would like.

Tickets should be reserved in advance, with special online booking prices available via GoJerusalem.com.