Gates of Jerusalem

There are eight gates in the old city walls today.

1. The Damascus Gate - This gate is the most ornate, and considered the most beautiful. It was built by Suleiman the Great in 1537. The road to Damascus used to start here.

2. The Dung Gate - Is the nearest gate to the Western Wall. It is low and narrow, and much of the city's refuse is taken to the Kidron Valley by an ancient sewer which runs beneath this gate.

3. The Golden Gate - On the east side of the Temple Mount. The Gate was sealed many years ago by the Turks. This is the gate that the Messiah will enter into Jerusalem in the future.

4. Herod's Gate - Is named for a mistaken identification of a church nearby as the home of Herod Antipas. Decorated with a rose-like design, it is called in Hebrew "The Gate of Flowers". It was closed until 1875.

5. The Jaffe Gate - This was the starting point of the road to Jaffe.

6. The Lions Gate - Is named after a pair of lions who guard it. It is also known as Saint Stephen's Gate, according to tradition he was martyred nearby.

7. The New Gate - Is the only gate not built by Suleiman. It was opened in 1887 to give passage to the Christian Quarter.

8. The Zion Gate - Connects the Armenian Quarter with Mount Zion. It has also been called the "Jewish Quarter Gate" because of its proximity to the Jewish Quarter.

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Go to: List of places in the Bible