
New Gate, Jerusalem
The New Gate is the newest and the only entryway in the wall of Jerusalem's Old City that is not part of the original 16th-century design. This arched crenelated gate was built in 1889 in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, and should not be confused with the New Gate of the Second Temple mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah that had served as entrance to the Great Sanhedrin's Hall of Hewn Stones, previously called the Benjamin Gate. Standing at 790 meters (2,590 ft) above sea level, it marks the highest point of the Old City wall.
The gate also goes by the name “Bab es Sultan Abd ul Hamid” that was used by the Arab workers for the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II who made the construction possible yielding to the request of the French Consul to provide access to the Old City from the Notre Dame Hospice completed in 1886, and also to allow Russian pilgrims, living at the Russian Compound (outside the Old City walls), direct access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter.
Throughout the 20th century, the New Gate saw repeated attempts to destroy or damage by belligerent parties. In 1929, an unprovoked Arab attack left several Jews killed between the New and Damascus gates. In 1945, the Israeli paramilitary group attempted to demolish part of the wall next to the New Gate using a massive device that luckily failed to go off. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, the Jewish demolition charge intended for the gate was detonated by a stray artillery shell that set the Arab wooden barricade in front of the New Gate on fire. Subsequently, the Jordanian occupation administration sealed off the gate, and it wasn't until 1967 that it was reopened again by the Israeli Army following the Six-Day War.
Nowadays, the gate is supervised by the Israel Antiquities Authority, while the land around it is largely owned by the Latin Patriarchate and the Franciscan Order which have refused to sell it to the Israeli authorities. In the current urban layout of Jerusalem, the New Gate provides the quickest route from the Old City to West Jerusalem.
The gate also goes by the name “Bab es Sultan Abd ul Hamid” that was used by the Arab workers for the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II who made the construction possible yielding to the request of the French Consul to provide access to the Old City from the Notre Dame Hospice completed in 1886, and also to allow Russian pilgrims, living at the Russian Compound (outside the Old City walls), direct access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter.
Throughout the 20th century, the New Gate saw repeated attempts to destroy or damage by belligerent parties. In 1929, an unprovoked Arab attack left several Jews killed between the New and Damascus gates. In 1945, the Israeli paramilitary group attempted to demolish part of the wall next to the New Gate using a massive device that luckily failed to go off. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, the Jewish demolition charge intended for the gate was detonated by a stray artillery shell that set the Arab wooden barricade in front of the New Gate on fire. Subsequently, the Jordanian occupation administration sealed off the gate, and it wasn't until 1967 that it was reopened again by the Israeli Army following the Six-Day War.
Nowadays, the gate is supervised by the Israel Antiquities Authority, while the land around it is largely owned by the Latin Patriarchate and the Franciscan Order which have refused to sell it to the Israeli authorities. In the current urban layout of Jerusalem, the New Gate provides the quickest route from the Old City to West Jerusalem.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Jerusalem. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from iTunes App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
New Gate on Map
Sight Name: New Gate
Sight Location: Jerusalem, Israel (See walking tours in Jerusalem)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Jerusalem, Israel (See walking tours in Jerusalem)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Jerusalem, Israel
Create Your Own Walk in Jerusalem
Creating your own self-guided walk in Jerusalem is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Bethlehem Walking Tour
Perched on a hill at the edge of the Judaean Desert, Bethlehem has been known to the world, for more than two millennia, as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. The “star of Bethlehem” as well as Christmas carols and hymns are firmly associated with this ancient city in the West Bank, Palestine, and thus, for some visitors, the bustle of a modern city may come as a surprise.
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Undoubtedly, the... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Jewish Quarter Walking Tour
Entirely rebuilt in the 1980s after having been largely destroyed during the 1948 War, the Jewish Quarter is quite distinct from the rest of the Old City. Good signposting, spacious passageways, art galleries and a somewhat less buzzing atmosphere make the area a relaxing place to spend some time.
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles
With its rebuilt residential buildings, some almost consider this area the "New... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles
Jerusalem Old City Walking Tour
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, the Old City of Jerusalem is best explored on foot, since its narrow streets and alleys make it almost an entirely vehicle-free zone. In addition to hosting four ethnic quarters, – Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Armenian – it is packed with major historical and religious sites, which all make a trip here unique, unforgettable and not to be missed.
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
The... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Muslim Quarter & Temple Mount Tour
The largest, most populous and perhaps most chaotic of all Jerusalem’s quarters, the Muslim Quarter is worth exploring for its unique atmosphere. Spending a day here may take you back to a simpler time, but be prepared for many sights and sounds as you pass many vendors, stores and restaurants on your way from site to site.
Some of the city’s most interesting city gates (Damascus and... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Some of the city’s most interesting city gates (Damascus and... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Jerusalem City Gates Walking Tour
Historians believe that the Old City of Jerusalem probably came into being more than 4,500 years ago. The defensive wall around it features a number of gates built on the order of the Ottoman sultan Suleyman the Magnificent in the first half of the 16th century, each of which is an attraction in its own right. Until as recently as 1870, they were all closed from sunset to sunrise; nowadays, just... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Mount Scopus Walking Tour
Dotted with many sightseeing places, Mount Scopus – translating as the “Observation Mount” from Greek – is a great place to get views over the whole Old City of Jerusalem on a nice day. The mount has been of major strategic importance since Roman times, with forces setting up camp here prior to laying the siege that culminated in the final Roman victory over Jerusalem around 70 AD.... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
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Modern day Jerusalem is a mosaic of neighborhoods, reflecting different historical periods, cultures, and religions. The influx of repatriates in recent years has made the cultural and artisanal scene of the city even more colourful and diverse. To find your way through Jerusalem's intricate...