Jerusalem's New Gate

The new gate was not built along with the original gate of the Old City of Jerusalem in 1540 under Suleiman the Magnificent, but was added about 350 years later - in 1889. It was originally called the Gate of Sultan Abdul Hamid. They were asked to build the French to provide access between the French Catholic complex behind the walls and the Franciscan compound of the Christian quarter inside the walls. The new gate is located on the northwestern wall of the Old City and is built by the last of the gates of the city wall and is located between Jaffa and Damascus Gates.

Unlike the other gates of the Old Town, the New Gate has no gate tower or gatehouse and is a simple, large open pedestrian passage. This reflects the improved security of the city at the time and the reduced need for defensive towers. Stone arched gates are not decorated with decorative elements like other gates. The only decoration is the stone shield of David in the wall adjacent to the arched gate with pretzels.

Now the gate is overseen by the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the area around is largely owned by the Latin Patriarchate and the Franciscan Order. They did not want to sell it to the Israeli authorities. Given the city’s current urban layout, the fastest route to the New Gate is from the Old City to West Jerusalem.