Jaffa Gate.  Ariadne's Thread: Guide ~ Israel ~ Jerusalem ~ Jaffa Gate New Gate of Jerusalem

There is a legend according to the Jaffa Gate: “The last conqueror of Jerusalem will enter precisely through the gates of Jaffa (Shaar Jaffa - zero kilometer in Hebrew).” Next to this gate there is a square from which all roads in Israel are counted.

History of origin

The Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem dates back to 1538. The order for their construction was given by the ruler of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman the Magnificent. They were founded on the site of the old gate. The year the gate was built is carved on a plaque, where the founder and the date of construction are indicated in Arabic. Jaffa Gate (Bab el-Khalil in Arabic for "Beloved") is located on the north side of the wall of the "Tower of David". This is the main entrance to the Old City, from west to east. Jaffa Gate is just one of the gates of the Old City. They are located at right angles to the wall. This was done as a defensive measure to slow down attacking enemies. The gate is directed towards the city of Jaffa, where pilgrims arrived at the end of their journey from the port of Jaffa.

Architecture

The gate originated in Jerusalem almost 500 years ago under Ottoman rule. There is a legend that Sultan Suleiman ordered the execution of architects who, when building the gates and city wall, did not take into account the main thing - the sacred Mount Zion. She remained outside of Jerusalem. It is believed that the graves of the unfortunates are located near the Jaffa Gate. The Jaffa Gate, like all the walls of the Old City, is made of large, sand-colored hewn blocks. The entrance is 20 feet high (six meters). In 1898, a breach was created in the wall. This is due to the German Emperor Welhelm II, who insisted on entering the city on a white horse. According to one legend, it was necessary to enter this way. And to satisfy the ruler’s vanity, this opening was made.

Neighborhood

The Jaffa Gate leads to the Zion Gate, followed by the Garbage Gate. There is a tourist information office near the entrance, and if you walk fifty meters higher, there will be a Christian information center. Directly opposite this center there will be an entrance to the Fortress of David. Its second name is the Citadel of David/Museum of the History of Jerusalem. Entrance fee is an average of 30 shekels. Upon entering the main gate, you can see all seven active gates: Damascus, Flower, Lion, Golden, Garbage (Dung), Zion Gate and New Gate. One of the most important markets in the Old City originates at the Jaffa Gate. The observation deck offers stunning views of the Tower of David, the Yamin Moshe Mill, the surrounding area of ​​the Village of David, the towers in the city center, and many other places. There is also a new shopping center nearby.

Note to tourists

Not far from the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem is the Jaffa Gate Hostel - a very budget place to stay. You can walk to the attraction in 5 minutes. There is a restaurant nearby that specializes in Asian cuisine.
There are different ways to get to the gate: you can enter Jerusalem along Highway No. 1, then turn right onto Herzel Avenue. Or take the following bus numbers: 1, 3, 20, 38, 38A, 43, 60, 104, 124, 163. The street leading east of Jaffa Gate was once called Capital Street, today it is called David Street and is one of the main places to buy souvenirs. The road for cars is laid through the territory of the Armenian Quarter. Here you can taste European and Oriental cuisine on Shabbat. There is a taxi rank at Jaffa Gate.

Jaffa Gate - Jaffa Gate. Behind the scenes this is like the main gate Old Town. Legend has it that the last conqueror Jerusalem will enter the city through Jaffa Gate(in Hebrew - Sha'ar Jaffa)... "Zero kilometer", the zero point of all roads Israel is located on an area of ​​about Jaffa Gate. They were built in 1538 by order of the ruler of the Ottoman Empire Suleiman the Magnificent on the site of the old, old gate. If you want to live close to Jaffa Gate, Tower of David and Jerusalem History Museum- you can book and find a hotel.

With the name, everything is simple - the exit from the gate leads in the direction of the port city of Jaffa. But in the era of the Crusaders, the gate was called the Gate of David, named after the nearby citadel (Tower of David). Also sometimes called Hamid Gate, after the Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid II. In general, the walls of the Old City were erected by order of Suleiman and absorbed the entire city territory, except for Mount Zion. For this oversight, Suleiman executed the builders of the wall (two architects) - and these tombstones are located immediately outside the gate, on the left. The gate was narrow, but it was expanded in 1898 in connection with the arrival of German Emperor Wilhelm II and his wife Augusta Victoria (by the way, descendants of the Crusaders). They wanted to enter the city on horseback, in carriages with their retinue. To satisfy this whim, a fragment of the wall was dismantled and the ditch was filled in. This is how a breach appeared in the city wall near the Jaffa Gate. The hole was no longer closed - cars now drive through it. Currently, there is an underground parking lot near the Jaffa Gate for tourists visiting the Old City, as well as the Mamila shopping center, a post office, a tourist information office, a Christian information center and the entrance to the Tower of David. There is also a taxi rank at the gate. Also called Hamid Gate, after the Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid II. After the Old City was occupied by Jordan following the 1948 war, the gates were closed. In 1967, after the Six Day War, it was reopened. After William and his wife, in 1917, the British General Allenby passed through the Jaffa Gate after the victory over the Turks. In 2000 - Pope John Paul II during his peace visit to Jerusalem. There will be an opportunity - go too...

They face west, towards the Mediterranean Sea and open access to the Christian and Armenian quarters of the Old City. Previously, this gate was called Hebron or David, right behind it is the famous Tower of David.

A little history

The Jaffa Gate we see today was built in 1538 on the site of the destroyed first gate on this site. The construction of the gate was initiated by Suleiman the Magnificent. The name "Jaffa" means that this gate leads to Jaffa, the main port city of that time. But during the invasion of the Crusaders, this gate received a new name - the Gate of David.

Over the course of history, the gates have changed owners more than once, changed names, but have never been destroyed, so we see them as they were many centuries ago.

The only “wound” the gate received was a break in the wall, which formed after the visit of the German Kaiser at the end of the 19th century.

How to get there

• A large number of buses travel to the Old Town and throughout its territory. These include 1, 3, 43, 51, 111, 8, 38 and 76.
• If you are staying in Jerusalem itself and are a fan of hiking, then you can easily walk to the Old City on your own. Just choose not very hot and sunny days for your hike.
• Most of the Old Town's attractions are must-see sightseeing tours, so you can get there. And also listen to many interesting facts along the way by purchasing such a tour.
• As always, the most convenient way to get to any place is by rented car or taxi. By the way, at the Jaffa Gate there is an underground parking lot for tourists who came to explore the Old City.

Contacts

Address: Old City, Jerusalem, Israel

Construction

=== Construction

The gates were built in 1538 by order of the ruler of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman the Magnificent, on the site of gates from an earlier period. During the Crusader era, the gate was called the Gate of David, named after the nearby citadel (Tower of David). Located in the western part of the Old City at the most important intersection of the western road leading to the port of Jaffa and the southern road leading to and. These two roads are the central arteries of Jerusalem to this day.

Break in the wall

When Kaiser Wilhelm II visited Jerusalem in 1898, the Ottoman authorities decided to destroy part of the fortress wall at the Jaffa Gate and fill up part of the moat at the Tower of David so that the emperor could freely enter the city in his carriage. Through this gap, automobile communication is carried out between the old and new cities to this day.

Clock tower

In 1907, a thirteen-meter clock tower was built above the gate in honor of the 32nd anniversary of the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. The tower did not stand for long and was dismantled in 1922.

British Mandate

In 1917, British General Edmund Allenby entered the Old City through the Jaffa Gate on foot as a sign of respect for the city and to avoid comparison with the Kaiser, who visited Jerusalem in 1898.

Gate between 1948-1967

Following the ceasefire between and after the First Arab-Israeli War of 1947-1949, the Jaffa Gate was in no man's land and was closed until 1967.

Square

A small square outside the Jaffa Gate separates the Christian and Armenian quarters. On the right side of the square is the Tower of David (now the Museum of the History of Jerusalem). Immediately behind the gate on the left you can see burials, according to legend, belonging to the builders of the wall, who were executed by order of Sultan Suleiman for not walling Mount Zion.

Currently

After the unification of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967, the gates opened again. Currently, there is an underground parking lot near the Jaffa Gate for tourists visiting the Old City, as well as the Mamila shopping center.

The main gate through which you can enter the Christian and Armenian quarters of the Old Part,. This is perhaps the busiest gate in the city, as a huge flow of vehicles and pedestrians passes through it every day. Jaffa Gate is one of the versions of our site.

Passage through the Jaffa Gate occurs through a large opening in the wall. And, by the way, this is the only gate in the city that faces west. They were built in the 16th century by order of the most influential Ottoman ruler, Suleiman I. At that time, they were called the David Gate. The breach in the wall appeared much later, during the visit of the German Kaiser at the end of the 19th century. It is through this gap that the old part of the city is connected to the new one.

Today, many tourists visiting Jerusalem want to visit this attraction, as it is surrounded by many memorable places. For example, crossing the square outside the Jaffa Gate, you can get to the Christian Quarter, where there are about 40 shrines. Also, next to the gate is the famous Tower of David.

Finding the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem is not difficult, since Jaffa Street is one of the central streets of the city. After walking along it at a leisurely pace for 10-15 minutes, you can find yourself straight to the gate. Just behind them there is an information center where you can find out about tours of the city's historical sites.

Photo attraction: Jaffa Gate