| Zion Gate | |
|---|---|
) Zion Gate | |
)  Location in Old Jerusalem | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Jerusalem |
| Coordinates | 31°46′22.3″N 35°13′45.7″E / 31.772861°N 35.229361°E |
Zion Gate (Hebrew: שער ציון, Sha'ar Zion, Arabic: باب صهيون, Bab Sahyun) also known in Arabic as Bab Harat al-Yahud ("Jewish Quarter Gate"),[1] or Bab an-Nabi Dawud ("Prophet David Gate"), is one of eight Gates of the Old City of Jerusalem.
History
Zion Gate was built in July 1540, west of the location of the medieval gate, which was a direct continuation of the Street of the Jews (also known as the Cardo). Six sentry towers were erected in the southern segment of the wall, four of them situated in the Mount Zion section.
In the second half of the nineteenth century, a leper colony, slaughter house and livestock market were situated in the vicinity of Zion Gate. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, shops were built along the length of the southern wall which were torn down during the British Mandate.[2]
On May 13, 1948, as the British Army withdrew from Jerusalem, a major from the Suffolk Regiment presented Mordechai Weingarten with the key for the Zion Gate.[3][4]
In 2008, restoration work was carried out on the gate, marking its 468th birthday.[5]
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Zion Gate, 1865
Zion Gate 1930
Zion Gate 1948
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See also
- Walls of Jerusalem
- Battle for Jerusalem
- Suleiman the Magnificent
References
- ^ Johannes Pahlitzsch; Lorenz Korn (2004). Governing the Holy City: the interaction of social groups in Jerusalem between the Fatimid and the Ottoman period. Reichert. p. 122. ISBN 978-3-89500-404-9. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ The Conservation of Jerusalem's City Walls
- ^ Joseph, p.69: 'and a sten gun and ammunition'. Collins/Lapierre, p.10: 'a bar of rusted iron about a foot long.'
- ^ This story was repeated by President George W. Bush in his address to the Knesset on the 60-year anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel.[1] 'a short iron bar'
- ^ Preservation project marks 468th birthday of Jerusalem's Zion Gate