Zion Gate, Jerusalem

Lying among the eight gates embedded within the Old City's fortifications, the Zion Gate, also known as David's Gate, serves as a direct passage into the Armenian and Jewish Quarters. If the tales of the famous Jewish king's burial here hold true, the name couldn't be more fitting. With its angular features crafted to thwart invaders, one can now traverse it in the opposite direction and 'invade' the Old City at any hour of the day. Besides, the walls along here are especially nice, offering splendid photo opportunities under the afternoon sun.

Constructed by engineers of Suleiman the Magnificent around 1540, this gate facilitated direct access from the city to the sacred sites atop Mount Zion. In the 19th century, the nearby vicinity gained notoriety as a gathering point for lepers. The battleground was particularly intense here in 1948, as Israeli soldiers struggled to breach the walls to relieve the besieged Jewish Quarter held by the Jordanians. Today, the gate's exterior bears witness to the ferocious combat, marred by numerous bullet holes. A short distance to the west, conspicuous damage to the base of the wall remains from the soldiers' attempts to blast their way through with explosives.