A new excavation site termed the Core excavations that opened to the general public in 2013 is located to the west of the Western Wall Plaza, below ground level and between the houses of the Jewish Quarter and the Plaza. The site contains unique archeological findings from many periods of Jerusalem’s 3,000 years of existence, and evidence of Jewish settlement and government from the First Temple, 2,700 years ago. During 2005, as part of a wider plan to improve services to visitors to the Western Wall, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation initiated the construction of a building – The Western Wall Heritage Center – that will house offices, lecture rooms, an auditorium and more. During preparation work for the site, early findings required a halt in construction and the commencement of a comprehensive excavation project which led to the finding of unique remnants that shed light on different periods in Jerusalem. Both the future building and these excavations which are of tremendous national and scientific significance are thanks to the generous support of Mr. Mortimer Zuckerman.