Lions' Gate
Jerusalem
The Lions' Gate is one of the seven gates of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is located in the east wall. The entrance of the Lions' Gate marks the beginning of the traditional Christian observance of the last walk of Jesus from prison to execution, the Via Dolorosa. Near the gate's crest are four figures of lions, two on the left and two on the right. The magnificent walls of Jerusalem's Old City were built by the Ottoman Empire under the direct supervision of Sultan Suleiman in 1542. The walls stretch for approximately 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) and rise to a height of 5–15 meters (16–49 feet), with a thickness of 3 meters (10 feet). Altogether, the Old City walls contain 43 surveillance towers and 11 gates, seven of which are presently open.
According to legend, the lion figures were placed there by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent because he believed that if he did not construct a wall around Jerusalem he would be killed by lions.
Israeli paratroops from the 55th Paratroop Brigade entered East Jerusalem through this gate during the Six-Day War of 1967 and unfurled the Israeli flag above the Temple Mount.
The Lions' Gate, Jerusalem
Photo: Pontificate, GNU Free Documentation License
