The Dung Gate

This is one of the eight gates of the Ottoman wall, built during the 16^th century in the days of the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. In the beginning, this was just a narrow opening in the wall, later expanded under Jordanian rule between the years 1967-1948, in order to enable the entrance of vehicles. After the reunification of Jerusalem, this gate was further renovated. The origin of the gate’s name is in the Book of Nehemiah, where the Dung Gate is mentioned as one of the city’s gates during the times of the Return to Zion (538 BCE). During that time the residents would remove the ashes and the dung from the Holy Temple via this gate, to dispose it in the Kidron Valley. Those who enter from the Dung Gate could see at their right the “Archeology Garden- the Davidson Center”, an impressive archeology site that presents the remnants of Jerusalem from different eras, especially from the times of the Second Temple. Dozens of Mikvas were discovered in this place, as well as a paved street from the time of the Second Temple, an entrance gate to the Temple Mount, and remnants of four Muslim castles which were built next to the Temple Mount in the beginning of the 8^th century, by the rulers of Umayyad Caliphate. On the Western side of the gate, inside the old city, next to the entrance of the “Archeology Garden- Davidson Center”, you can see the remnants of the Eastern Cardo, a street from the Roman era. Above the ancient street there is a wall painting that depicts the street as it looked in the past. This painting is part of a project initiated by the Municipality of Jerusalem, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism, and it was implemented by a group of artists- “The Creation City” from France. Outside of the gate stands the “City of David” site, with remnants from ancient Jerusalem, and also an observation point overlooking the graves of the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives.