Damascus Gate

This is one of the most beautiful and impressive gates among the gates of the wall, which was built during the times of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent from the 16^th century. This is a central gate in the wall and it faces the north, towards Nablus and Damascus. In English it is named Damascus Gate, and in Arabic- “Bab El Amud” (“the gate of the pillar”), probably due to the pillar that stood at the center of the gate’s courtyard during the Roman-Byzantine era, as evident in the Madaba Map, which was discovered in Jordan. Turban-like decorations decorate the gate, and due to its importance, many observations points and guard towers were built there.

During the Roman era, a stone-paved courtyard was built here, and at its center stood the statue of the emperor. Two streets started from this courtyard, leading towards the south. To this day, two main streets split from Damascus Gate, preserving the Roman structure of this area: the right street is the Khan A- Zeit  or Beit Habad street, and the left street is El Wad Street- or Hagai. Both are commercial streets that cross the city from north to south.

Excavations conducted in this place after 1967 exposed under the Ottoman gate remnants of the Roman Square, as well as remnants of the Roman Gate. This was a magnificent gate with three arched openings. The central arch was twice as wide and tall than the two arches on both sides of it. The opening on the extreme left survived almost completely and was exposed in the excavations.