Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

Gates in Jerusalem's Old City Walls

There are eight (nine) gates in Jerusalem's Old City Walls.

Gates in Jerusalem's Old City Walls
Name Alternative names Construction Year Location
The Damascus Gate, [1] Nablus Gate, Bab al'Amoud - The Gate of the Pillar, Sha'ar Shechem 1537 CE Middle of the northern side
The Dung Gate, [1] Gate of Silwan, Mograbi Gate, Sha'ar Ha'ashpot 1538-40 South-eastern side
Herod's Gate, [1] Flowers Gate, the Sheep's Gate, Bab-a-Sahairad ??? North-eastern side
The Golden Gate, [1] Gate of Mercy, the Gate of Gold, the Gate of Eternal Life, Sha'ar Harahamim 5th century CE Middle of the eastern side
The Jaffa Gate, [1] Gate of the Friend, Bab al-Halil (Chevron Gate), The Gate of David's Prayer Shrine, Porta Davidi, Sha'ar Yaffo 1530-40 Western side
The Lion Gate, [1] Lions' Gate, The Gate of Jehoshafat, St. Mary's Gate - Bab Sitt Miriam, St.Stephen's Gate, The Gate of the Tribes 1538-39 Western side
The New Gate, [1] Gate of Hammid, Bab al-Jedid, Sha'ar Hahadash 1887 North-western part
The Zion Gate, [1] Gate of the Prophet David, Gate to the Jewish Quarter, Sha'ar Tzion 1540 Southern part

Note: The links after the gate names links to photos of the gates

There is also another series of blocked gates called the Huldah Gates, accessible from the Southern Wall Excavations. Dating from the Herodian period, these two gates were used by pilgrims coming to the Second Temple and were within the city walls until Crusader times. The gates lead to a series of tunnels beneath the Temple Mount. Because of the large crowds of people that thronged the Temple during the pilgrimage festival, one gate was used to enter the Temple compound and the other to exit it. One exception was mourners, who would use the opposite route.

See also: Jerusalem's Old City Walls, Jerusalem's Old City, City gate

External Links & References