Jaffa Gate serves as one of seven main entrances to Jerusalem's Old City, located on its western side. Built in 1538 during Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's reign, it was named after the road leading to Jaffa port. The gate features distinctive L-shaped architecture for defensive purposes and remains a primary access point for visitors entering the historic quarters.
The Jaffa Gate, the main Western entrance and one of the seven main entrances to Jerusalem’s Old City, , built in 1538 by Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent as part of the city walls he commissioned between 1535 and 1541. It stands at the point where the road west to the ancient port of Jaffa begins, and today it serves as the primary pedestrian gateway to the Armenian, Christian, and Jewish Quarters.
Where is the Jaffa Gate located?
Why Does the Gate Have Difference Names?
Jaffa Gate has been known by several names, reflecting different historical and cultural perspectives. In Hebrew, it is called Sha’ar Yafo, named after the ancient port city of Jaffa, from which travelers arrived at the end of their journey to the Holy City. The road towards the west from the gate passed through Jaffa Street, the main way to Jaffa, the main port city of Israel until the early 20th century. Similarly, the Arabic name is Bab al-Khalil, meaning “Gate of the Friend,” which refers to Abraham, “the beloved of God”. Since Abraham’s burial site is traditionally in Hebron (whose Arabic name is el-Khalil), the Arabic name translates as “Hebron Gate,” as the old road leading to Hebron started at this spot. In medieval times, Arabs also called this gate Bab Mihrab Dawud, or “Gate of David’s Chamber or Sanctuary,” based on the belief that a room atop the Herodian tower stump (part of the nearby Citadel) represented King David’s prayer room. The Crusaders, who rebuilt the citadel, also built a gate behind the current location of Jaffa Gate and called it “David’s Gate”.
What Is the History of Jaffa Gate?
Jaffa Gate has stood at one of Jerusalem’s most strategically significant crossings for nearly five centuries, but the ground beneath it carries layers going back more than two thousand years. The Hasmonean kings first built defensive walls at this location in the 2nd century BC. Herod the Great reinforced the area with three massive towers between 37 and 34 BC, and when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, they deliberately left those Herodian tower foundations standing to show the scale of what they had conquered.
The gate itself was constructed in 1538 as part of the broader Ottoman rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, a project ordered by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1520 to 1566. An Arabic inscription carved above the outer arch records the date in the Muslim Hijra calendar as Year 945, equivalent to 1538 AD, and praises the Sultan in formal terms: “In the name of Allah the merciful and the compassionate, our lord the great sultan, king of the Turks, the Arabs, and the Persians, Suleiman Ben Salim Khan, ordered that this blessed wall be built.” The gatehouse was designed with an L-shaped entryway, a classical medieval defensive measure that forced any attacker to make a 90-degree turn before entering the city, exposing their unshielded right side to defenders above.
In 1898, the Ottoman authorities created a deliberate breach in the wall immediately south of the gatehouse to allow Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany to enter the city on horseback with full imperial ceremony. The L-shaped passage made a mounted procession impossible, so a section of wall was simply removed. That gap remains today as the vehicle entrance into the Old City from the west, a visible reminder of 19th-century imperial politics carved into ancient stone.
On December 11, 1917, British General Edmund Allenby walked through Jaffa Gate on foot. He had deliberately dismounted from his horse before entering, a gesture of humility and respect for the city’s sanctity, and his entry marked the end of 400 years of Ottoman rule over Jerusalem. You can read the full story of that moment in the Times of Israel’s account of the centenary re-enactment.
During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Jaffa Gate was contested and ultimately fell under Jordanian control. It was sealed with concrete walls and remained closed for nearly 20 years. The pockmarks of that fighting are still visible in the stonework today. After Israel captured the Old City during the Six-Day War in 1967, the gate was reopened. A 1970 Israeli restoration added a Hebrew and Arabic inscription beneath the original Ottoman one, quoting from the Book of Nehemiah (4:1) about the repair of Jerusalem’s walls. In 2010, the Israel Antiquities Authority completed a further two-month restoration as part of a 4 million dollar project to refurbish all 4 km of the Old City walls, reinforcing large stones, demarcating bullet marks, restoring ornamental details, and reattaching the Arabic inscription, as reported by Haaretz at the time.
Inside Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem: What to See
Passing through Jaffa Gate is an experience with physical texture. The stone narrows, the light changes, and the sounds of the modern city give way to the echoes of the bazaar beyond. The gate is not merely a threshold; it is a structure with distinct features layered across five centuries, each worth pausing to examine.
The Ottoman Gatehouse (L-shaped Passage) — The original 1538 gatehouse channels visitors through a narrow stone tunnel that bends sharply to the right before opening into the Old City. This right-angle turn was a deliberate defensive design: any attacker who forced the outer door would be slowed and exposed on the unshielded side as they rounded the corner. The massive original iron-plated wooden doors are still in place at the entrance. Standing inside the passage, with the stone ceiling close overhead, the engineering logic of the medieval gatehouse becomes immediately apparent.
Arabic Dedicatory Inscription — Above the outer arch, an ornate Arabic inscription in formal Ottoman script records the construction date and praises Suleiman the Magnificent by name. Restored and reattached during the 2010 Israel Antiquities Authority project, the inscription reads as an official imperial proclamation, naming Suleiman as “king of the Turks, the Arabs, and the Persians” and recording the year as 945 of the Muslim Hijra. It is easy to walk past without noticing it, but worth stopping to read.
Defensive Arrow Loops — Visible above the gatehouse on the outer face of the wall, narrow vertical slits allowed defenders to fire arrows or pour boiling oil on attackers attempting to breach the gate below. The slits are positioned to cover the approach without exposing the defender, and they illustrate the military logic that shaped every element of Suleiman’s wall construction. The 2010 restoration cleaned the facade around them, making them easier to identify.
Two Ottoman Tombs — Just inside the gate on the left, two Ottoman-era tombs are set into the wall. Local tradition attributes them to the architects who designed Suleiman’s walls, the story being that the Sultan had them buried at the gate as punishment for failing to include Mount Zion within the new walls. Scholars consider the legend apocryphal, but the tombs are genuine and historically evocative, their worn stone surfaces contrasting with the restored masonry around them.
The 1898 Wall Breach — The wide opening in the wall immediately to the south of the original gatehouse was cut in 1898 so that Kaiser Wilhelm II could enter Jerusalem on horseback without dismounting. Today it functions as the vehicle access point into the Old City from the west, and its relatively smooth cut edges stand in clear contrast to the weathered Ottoman masonry on either side. The gap is one of the most readable pieces of 19th-century political history written into the city’s fabric.
Bullet Holes from 1948 — Pockmarks and bullet scars on the gate’s stone facade were deliberately preserved and demarcated during the 2010 restoration rather than filled in. They mark the fighting of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, when the gate was contested before falling under Jordanian control and being sealed with concrete for nearly two decades. Running a hand across the stone surface, the depth of the impact craters is noticeable.
Jaffa Gate Plaza and the View West — The broad open stone plaza in front of the gate, built in the early 2000s and connecting the gate to the Mamilla pedestrian mall, offers a clear westward view that takes in the windmill of Mishkenot Sha’ananim, the Yemin Moshe neighborhood, and the King David Hotel. A kilometre-zero marker placed here during the British Mandate period designated Jaffa Gate as the official starting point for measuring distances to and from Jerusalem, a fact that makes the plaza more than a pleasant forecourt.
Ramparts Walk Access — A stairway inside the gatehouse leads up to the Old City Ramparts Walk, where visitors can walk along the top of the 16th-century walls with views over both the Old City and modern Jerusalem. The section running south from Jaffa Gate toward Zion Gate passes above the Armenian Quarter and offers an unusual elevated perspective on the city that is unavailable from street level.
Tower of David Museum — Directly adjacent to the gate stands the medieval citadel built on Herodian foundations, now home to the Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem. The museum traces the city’s story from the Canaanite period through to the 20th century, and its courtyard hosts spectacular evening light shows projected onto the ancient walls. Entry to the museum is separate from the gate. See the official Jaffa Gate visitor page for current combined ticketing options.
David Street Market — Immediately inside the gate, David Street descends eastward into the covered bazaar, leading toward the Christian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter, and eventually the Western Wall. The street is narrow, lined with ceramic tiles and hanging scarves, fragrant with spices and cardamom coffee, and little changed in character across centuries. The Tourist Information Center sits just inside the gate on the left, offering free maps and English-language advice, while the Christian Information Center opposite the Tower of David Museum provides mass times and pilgrimage information for Christian visitors.
Visiting Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem: Practical Information
Jaffa Gate is open to pedestrians at all hours and has no admission charge. The Ramparts Walk, which begins inside the gatehouse, operates Sunday to Thursday 09:00 to 17:00 and Friday 09:00 to 14:00. The Tower of David Museum has separate admission.
Additional Information
- 16th Century (Beginning): The Ottoman Turks take control of Jerusalem. The city’s population and quarters remain largely unchanged.
- Mid-16th Century (Specifically 1538): Jaffa Gate is officially inaugurated as part of the rebuilding of the Old City walls by Suleiman the Magnificent.
- 1537-1541: The citadel (Tower of David) is expanded by Suleiman the Magnificent.
- 1635-1655: The Ottomans erect a minaret near the southwest corner of the citadel, which becomes commonly referred to as the “Tower of David” in the 19th century.
- Second Half of the 19th Century: Jaffa Gate becomes more active following development outside the city walls to the south and west.
- 1860: Jaffa Gate is the first gate in Jerusalem to be opened specially at night, due to pressure from Russians building nearby and wanting constant access for pilgrims.
- 1889: The New Gate, north of Jaffa Gate, opens, further increasing movement in the area around Jaffa Gate.
- 1896: The Jerusalem municipality relocates to a new building, making the area near Jaffa Gate a center of urban activity.
- 1898: A breach is made in the city wall between Jaffa Gate and the citadel by Ottoman authorities to allow German Emperor Wilhelm II and his retinue to enter Jerusalem in carriages. A portion of the citadel moat is filled in.
- Early 1900s: Mercantile emporia and stores belonging to various ethnic groups open near Jaffa Gate, creating a “European Market.”
- 1905: The Jerusalem municipality plants trees along Jaffa Road and installs the first public lighting network and garbage cans.
- 1908: An ornate clock tower is built on top of the historical Jaffa Gate tower in celebration of the 25th year of rule of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. The clock mechanism is delivered by the Dent company of London. Seven such clock towers are erected in what is now Israel and the Palestinian Territories, highlighting Jaffa Gate’s importance.
- 1912: The Bezalel Pavilion, a wooden structure housing a shop and exhibition hall for Bezalel art, is erected near Jaffa Gate.
- December 1917: British General Edmund Allenby enters Jerusalem on foot through Jaffa Gate, symbolizing the British capture of the city during World War I.
- 1922: The Ottoman clock tower on Jaffa Gate is dismantled by the British authorities for aesthetic reasons. The clock is re-erected on a new tower near the British Post Office and Town Hall.
- Mid-1940s: Houses and shops built adjacent to Jaffa Gate and the city wall on the outside are removed by the British to expose the wall.
- During the British Mandate: A marker outside Jaffa Gate serves as the Kilometre Zero for distances to and from Jerusalem. The area near Jaffa Gate serves as a central station for transportation to Jaffa, Bethlehem, and Hebron.
- July 1944: Demolition work is carried out at Jaffa Gate to clear the city wall.
- 1948: During the War of Independence, Jaffa Gate is blocked by a damaged armored vehicle and remains closed during the division of Jerusalem.
- 1948-1967: Jerusalem remains a divided city, with the Old City under Jordanian control. Israelis are not allowed to enter the Old City.
- 1967: Following the Six-Day War, Jaffa Gate is reopened, reconnecting the Old City with the New City. The street leading from Jaffa Gate to the Western Wall is initially named “Rehov Habira” (Capital City Street) and later changed to David Street.
- 1971: Ultra-Orthodox Jews are photographed walking in the interior plaza of Jaffa Gate.
- 1975: Jaffa Gate appears on an Israeli 10 Lirot banknote. It later appears on a 1 Shekel banknote.
- As part of the Mamilla Project: Mamilla Street is rebuilt as a pedestrian mall leading to Jaffa Gate, serving as an access route from central Jerusalem to the Old City.
- 2010: Jaffa Gate is reopened after a two-month renovation. An 1,800-year-old high-level aqueduct is exposed near Jaffa Gate during archaeological work.
What is the significance of Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem?
Jaffa Gate is the main western entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City and the point where the road to the ancient port of Jaffa begins. Built in 1538 by Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, it has been the site of some of the most consequential entries into Jerusalem in modern history, including General Allenby’s deliberate on-foot entry in 1917 that ended 400 years of Ottoman rule, and Kaiser Wilhelm II’s triumphal mounted procession in 1898 that required a section of the ancient wall to be physically removed.
What are the bullet holes on Jaffa Gate from?
The pockmarks and bullet scars visible on the stone facade of Jaffa Gate date primarily from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, when the gate was contested between Israeli and Jordanian forces. Jordanian forces ultimately took control, and the gate was sealed with concrete walls and closed for nearly 20 years until Israel reopened it after capturing the Old City during the Six-Day War in 1967. During the 2010 restoration by the Israel Antiquities Authority, which was part of a 4 million dollar project to refurbish all 4 km of the Old City walls, the bullet marks were deliberately demarcated and preserved rather than filled in, treating them as historical evidence rather than damage to be hidden.
What is the L-shaped entryway at Jaffa Gate, and why was it built that way?
The L-shaped entryway is the original 1538 defensive design of the gatehouse, which forces anyone entering to make a 90-degree right-angle turn before passing into the city. This was a standard feature of medieval military architecture: an attacker who broke through the outer door would be slowed in the narrow passage and forced to turn, exposing their unshielded right side to defenders positioned above. The design also made it impossible to use a battering ram in a straight charge. This same defensive geometry was precisely why the Ottoman authorities cut a separate breach in the wall in 1898 for Kaiser Wilhelm II’s mounted procession, since horses and ceremonial banners could not navigate the turn.
Sites Near by
- Tower of David: Also known as the Jerusalem Citadel, the Tower of David is an ancient citadel located at the entrance to the Old City. The citadel dates back to the Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman periods.
- The Jewish Quarter: The Jewish Quarter is a treasure trove of history and culture. This area is home to several ancient synagogues, and historical buildings, and the Broad Wall erected by King Hezekiah in the 8th century BC.
- Christ Church: This is the oldest Protestant church in the Middle East, was inaugurated in 1849.
- The Armenian Quarter: Home to a tight-knit Armenian community. Rich in history, it houses the St. James Cathedral, a place of ornate beauty, and offers a unique blend of Middle Eastern and Armenian culture through its narrow streets, ancient buildings, and traditional craft shops.
- St. James Cathedral: This cathedral is part of the Armenian Patriarchate. The cathedral is dedicated to two Saints named James – St. James the Greater, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles, and St. James the Just, who was the brother of Jesus.
Part of our Jerusalem Travel Guide →
