Old City walls at night
Old City walls at nightIsrael news photo: Flash 90

The city of Jerusalem will turn off its lights on Thursday night in honor of Earth Hour. Knesset head Reuven Rivlin and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat will kick off the hour at 8:10 p.m. by turning off the lights illuminating the walls of the Old City and David's Citadel.

Residents of the city are encouraged to follow suit by turning off lights in their homes for one hour. Street lights and traffic lights will remain lit.

Following the ceremony led by Rivlin and Barkat, a presentation titled “The Energy of Tomorrow” will be broadcast on the wall of the Old City. The presentation will be followed by a performance by singer Shiri Maimon.

Earth Hour, which began in 2007, is aimed at raising awareness of environment issues, particularly climate change. In 2009, hundreds of cities worldwide took part in the initiative.

"Jerusalem is one of the most famous cities in the world,” Barkat said in advance of the ceremony. “I'm sure that the message sent by Jerusalem regarding energy efficiency will raise awareness of the issue.”