Keys to the Treasure Trove - Jerusalem's Old City Gates
By HEIKE ZAUN-GOSHEN
Jerusalem's heart and soul undeniably lies in its Old City, an area reflecting 5000
years of human history condensed in barely one square kilometer. Covering more
or less the original area of the age-old settlement in the Judean mountains, the
Old City's maze of narrow, and sometimes confusing, alleys and stairways hide
a treasure of historic, cultural and spiritual heritage beckoning further exploration.
The Old City's four quarters are home to an amazingly diverse mix of people, and the extent of ethnic and spiritual coexistence displayed here on a day to day basis greatly adds to this unique area's allure. The quarters are grouped around the Temple Mount, a spiritual focal point for Jews throughout the ages, as well as for Moslems since the Seventh century CE, when the Dome of the Rock and Al Aksa Mosque were built atop the Mount.
All this wealth is protected by a thick, imposing stone wall, 3 meters thick and
between 5 and 15 meters high. Erected by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in
the 16th century CE to protect the city's residents and its Islamic holy places - not the least against a possible resurgence of the Crusades - it is one of the
world's best preserved walls of that period. Extending over approximately 4.5
kilometers, the wall roughly follows the line of earlier foundations built by
Roman Emperor Hadrian and fortified in Byzantine times, and it is surrounded by a
beautifully landscaped green belt, which sets off its splendor.
The Old City Gates
Of the Old City's eight original gates, only seven provide access to the city today; most were built in 1538, in the course of the current wall's construction. Cars can enter through Jaffa Gate and New Gate only, and motorized traffic inside the Old City is very
limited. Everybody walks, which makes it an environmentally friendly neighborhood,
and the predominant traffic hazards are the occasional donkey-rider, small tractors and
two-wheeled wooden carts, in which goods are transported in the Moslem Quarter.
The carts are pushed by hand, and are sometimes used as sleighs on the sloping alleys by
local youngsters, forcing unsuspecting pedestrians to hurriedly disappear into the
walls.
Damascus Gate
Damascus Gate, with its many turrets, lies on the Old City's northern perimeter
and is the largest and most impressive of the gates. From the outside, wide rows
of steps lead down to a handsome, spacious plaza in front of the gate, which is
used both as a meeting place and by street vendors to display their goods.The road to
Damascus used to begin here, hence its name. Since the same route leads through
the town of Nablus, it is called Nablus Gate (Sha'ar Shekhem) in Hebrew.
Christian tradition has it that St. Stephen was martyred at the site, and in the
Byzantine period (324-638 CE), the gate was named after the saint.
Damascus Gate dates from the Ottoman period (1517-1917) and is built on the remains of an earlier, Roman entrance, which was unearthed during recent
restoration works and can now be visited by the public. The gate's doubly angled entry was designed defensely, to impede easy passage. The gate leads into the heart of the Moslem Quarter's bazaars just inside the walls.
The Dung Gate
The Dung Gate on the south eastern side of the Old City is also called Bab el-Silwan,
since it overlooks the Arab village of that name.The gate leads straight to the Western
Wall. According to legend, it was through this gate that Jerusalem's Christian
inhabitants, during Byzantine times, used to take their garbage to be dumped on the
Temple Mount. The original Dung Gate from the Second Temple period
(538 BCE - 70 CE) was situated near the Siloam Pool, which channeled water to the city in antiquity via an elaborate systems of shafts and tunnels.
Golden Gate (Mercy Gate)
The Golden Gate, built by the Omayyads in the Seventh century on the site of the
original (Shushan) entrance to the Temple, is the only gate on the Temple
Mount's eastern wall, which forms also part of the city walls. It has been blocked
since 1530, when the Moslems allegedly wanted to prevent the coming of the
Messiah, who, according to Jewish belief, will enter through this gate. The dead will
be resurrected on this day, and the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives faces the
Golden Gate for just this reason.
Herod's Gate
Early Christian pilgrims identified a structure near this gate as the palace of Herod Antipas, to whom Jesus was sent by Pontius Pilate on the night before his crucifixion. (Luke 23:7). In Hebrew and Arabic, the gate is also known as the Flower Gate, due to the ornamental flower engraved above the entry. and it leads directly into the Moslem Quarter. Originally, the gate was a mere wicket opening in the wall designed to ease the flow of traffic on the northern side of the Old City's walls, east of Damascus Gate. The present gate dates from 1875, when the old entrance nearby was closed.
Jaffa Gate
Jaffa Gate got its name from the road that once led from here to the Mediterranean
port of Jaffa. It is the busiest entrance to the Old City and the easiest to reach
from western Jerusalem. Protected by a heavy wood- and-iron door, Jaffa Gate;s entry is strategically built on an angle. Once inside the walls, the road leads either directly into the western part of the Arab bazaar, or south, into the Armenian quarter. A large part of the wall alongside of the gate was torn down in 1898 to allow Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany to enter in his carriage, and that broad opening is now utilized by the cars and taxis which drive in the Old City.
Jaffa Gate was built in 1538 on the ruins of an earlier Crusader gate, and it was through this gate that General Allenby led his troops into Jeruslem towards the end
of World War I, almost five centuries later. When the Old City fell into Jordanian
hands in 1948, Jaffa Gate, which opened towards the Western side of the city, was locked and walled in. Following the Six Day War in 1967, it was reopened and restored.
Lion's Gate
Located on the eastern side of the Old City, Lion's Gate derives its name from the double pair of lions (which are actually panthers) engraved on each side. The gate, built in
1538 by Suleiman the Magnificent, is known as Stephen's Gate
by Christians who believing that the saint was stoned to death here (in the Byzantine
period, Damascus Gate was thought to be the site). On Easter, the Christian
procession sets out at Lion's Gate to follow the Way of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa ‚ the path that Christians believe that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion. In Arabic, the gate is named Bab el-Maryam, since according to Arab belief, the Virgin Mary's birthplace is located inside.
New Gate
As its name suggests, New Gate is the youngest among the Old City's gates and
was opened in 1889 at the north western corner of the Old City by Sultan Abdul Hamid, at the request of the European Powers who wanted to facilitate movement between the
Old City's Christian Quarter and the new Christian buildings erected just outside of the
walls. It is the simplest and least adorned of the gates and was blocked by the
Jordanians in 1948, to be reopened in 1967.
Zion Gate
Poised at the southern corner of Jerusalem's Old City Zion Gate faces the adjacent Mount Zion, a factor in its naming. The Gate provides direct access to the Jewish and Armenian Quarters from areas outside of the Old City. The gate is called David's Gate (Bab el-Daoud) in Arabic, since, according
to tradition, King David is buried on Mount Zion. The many bullet holes with
which Zion Gate is riddled, bear witness to the heavy fighting that took place here
during Israel's War of Independence in 1948.
The Ramparts
One of the most extraordinary experiences visitors to Jerusalem can enjoy is a walk
around the top of the Old City's walls. The paved ramparts circuit, reinforced with safety rails, can be reached by stairways at five entry and exit points near the Old City's gates. A large number of vantage points offer a wonderful bird's eye view of the rooftops and domes below from ever-changing angles.
Opting for a ramparts walk might well be a unique way to become acquainted with
the Old City before diving into the maze of alleys and pathways at one's feet. A tour that begins or finishes at Jaffa Gate also provides an excellent
opportunity to visit the nearby Tower of David (Citadel) Museum, where a museum relates the story of Jerusalem's in all its splendor.
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