The Famous Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem
Are you planning to explore and tour the Holy Land of Jerusalem? If yes, one of the places that you should include in your must-see list is the Jaffa Gate.
Jaffa Gate is the seventh of the ancient open gates that lead into Jerusalem. It was named for a town in Lebanon that existed at the time of Joshua’s conquest of Canaan. It was through Jaffa that, under Roman rule in the 1st century CE, travelers from Europe would come to Jerusalem. Located near the modern-day Israeli neighborhood in West Jerusalem called Talpiot and just north of a former Arab village.
The Arab name for this gate is “Bab El Khalil”, named after the city of Hebron (El Khalil in Arabic) to which the southern path starting from Jaffa Gate leads. The route that leads out of this gate was originally used by Crusaders until it fell into disuse and was later reopened during Ottoman rule.
Jaffa Gate is regarded as one of the most beautiful and important gates among the entrances of the Ottoman city wall from the 16th century. They are known for their distinctive features and decorations which were designed to be in accordance with those of other important gateways found inside the historic city center.
Much like the other stone walls in the Old City of Jerusalem, Jaffa Gate is made up of huge sand-colored blocks that have been cut and rounded. The entryway stands about 20 feet (6 meters) high, with an additional 20 feet (6 meters) rising above that.
It has a hole in the wall that was made by Ottoman authorities in 1898 to allow Wilhelm II, the German Emperor to enter the city triumphantly. Cars may now enter the Old City from the west thanks to the breach and the ramp going up to it.
The historical gateway was purposely built in the shape of an “L” as a measure to defend the area from invaders. The outer gate was oriented
The L-shape of the historical gateway is said to have originally been a defensive measure that was designed to slow down oncoming attackers. The outer gate was made facing the Jaffa Road where travelers and pilgrims usually arrived at the end of their pilgrimage from the Jaffa Port.
