The Gates of Old Jerusalem

The Gates of Old Jerusalem

When the  Crusades’ Kingdom reigned over Jerusalem the walls surrounding the city had only four gates, one on each side.  However Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1580) of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, had the walls of Jerusalem rebuilt and added impressive added.  Today there are eight gates to the Old City, of which only seven are open.The Old City of Jerusalem (Hebrew: העיר העתיקה‎, HaEer HaAtika) is a walled area within modern Jerusalem and is just a 0.9 square kilometer (0.35 square mile) in area. The small area within the walls constituted the entire city until the mid 1860s. The Old City was divided then into four quarters: the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Armenian Quarter. However, following the Israel's war of Independence, the Jordanians took control of East Jerusalem, and until the liberation of the city in 1967 Six Day War, when once again the Old City was in Jewish control, Jews were denied access not only to their homes but also the most sacred site in Judaism, the Kotel (Western Wall).  The Kotel is in the Jewish Quarter which you enter through the Zion Gate.

 The Eight Gates of The Old Jerusalem
 

Hebrew	עברית	English	Arabic	Other Names/Remarks	Year	Location
HaSha'ar HeHadash	השער החדש	New Gate	Al-Bab al-Jedid	Gate of Hammid	1887	West of northern side
Sha'ar Shchem	שער שכם	Damascus Gate	Bab al-Amoud	Sha'ar Damesek, Nablus Gate, Gate of the Pillar	1537	Middle of northern side
Sha'ar HaPerachim	שער הפרחים	Herod's Gate	Bab al-Sahira	Sha'ar Hordos, Flower Gate, Sheep Gate	unknown	East of northern side
Sha'ar HaArayot	שער האריות	Lions' Gate	Bab Sittna Maryam	Gate of Yehoshafat, St. Stephen's Gate, Gate of the Tribes	1538-39	North of eastern side
Sha'ar HaAshpot	שער האשפות	Dung Gate	Bab al-Maghariba	Gate of Silwan, Sha'ar HaMugrabim	1538-40	East of southern side
Sha'ar Tzion	שער ציון	Zion Gate	Bab El-Nabi Da'oud	Gate to the Jewish Quarter	1540	Middle of southern side
Sha'ar Yaffo	שער יפו	Jaffa Gate	Bab al-Khalil	The Gate of David's Prayer Shrine, Porta Davidi	1530-40	Middle of western side
Sha'ar Harachamim	שער הרחמים	Golden Gate		Gate of Mercy, the Gate of Eternal Life. Sealed in 1541.	16th Century	Middle of eastern side

 

Mazor Guide to Yom Yerushalayim brings you much more about the holiday, its meaning and its traditions... See the links below.

• Yom Yerushalayim:The Reunification of Israel's Eternal Capital - Basic Information
• Yom Yerushalayim - A Time Line: Jerusalem, the Eternal Capital of Israel
• Yom Yerushalayim - How is this holiday celebrated?
• The Gates of the Old City of Jerusalem

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