Bet you didn’t expect that this gate was almost named after King David. Here we are at the Jaffa Gate. It is one of the main entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem.
The Jaffa Gate got its name from the port of Jaffa. Many travelers and pilgrims arrived here after their journey by sea. Prophet Jonah even started his sea journey from here. Today, Jaffa Road only refers to the street outside the Old City.
Did you know the Arabic name for this gate is Bab el-Khalil? It means “Gate of the Friend”. This refers to Abraham who is revered in Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Tradition says Abraham’s burial site is in Hebron. So, Bab el-Khalil also translates to “Hebron Gate”.
The Jaffa Gate we see today was built in 1538. Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the Old City walls and included this gate. The stones are large, hewn, and sand-colored, just like the rest of the wall. The entryway is about 20 feet high. The wall rises another 20 feet above that.
Notice the L-shape of the gate’s entrance. This was a clever defensive design. It slowed down attackers. The outer gate faces Jaffa Road. This funneled travelers and made it harder for invaders to storm through.
Now, look at the wide gap in the wall next to the Jaffa Gate. That wasn’t originally there. In 1898, the Ottoman authorities created this breach. German Emperor Wilhelm II wanted to enter Jerusalem triumphantly. Legend says a local prophecy stated that Jerusalem would be ruled by a king who entered on a white horse. To avoid fulfilling this prophecy, they made a breach in the wall instead of letting him ride through the gate. The breach allowed the emperor to enter the city on horseback.
Take a look at the ancient citadel near the Jaffa Gate entrance. It is the Tower of David. It was built to protect a weak spot in the Old City’s defenses. It was constructed in the 2nd century BCE. Over time, it was destroyed and rebuilt by different rulers.
Speaking of rulers, in 1908, an ornate clock tower was built on top of the Jaffa Gate. It was meant to celebrate 25 years of Sultan Abdul Hamid II’s rule. The clock mechanism came from the same company that made Big Ben’s clockwork. Sadly, the British knocked down the clock tower in 1922 for aesthetic reasons. Some say it was to push Western timekeeping on Palestine.
Just inside the Jaffa Gate, you can see two tombs behind an iron grating. Legend says they belong to the architects who built the Old City walls. Suleiman had them executed because they left Mount Zion and King David’s tomb outside the walls. But he honored them with burial inside the walls.
In 1917, British General Edmund Allenby entered the Old City through the Jaffa Gate. He gave a speech at the Tower of David. He walked in as a sign of respect. He didn’t want to be compared to the Kaiser’s grand entrance.
Bullet fragments from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War are preserved in the gate. The Jaffa Gate stands where Jaffa Road meets the city wall. Inside, you’ll find entrances to the Christian, Muslim, and Armenian Quarters. A tourist information office and shops are also nearby.
In the early 2000s, the road by the Jaffa Gate was moved. A plaza was built to connect the gate with the Mamilla shopping mall. In 2010, the Jaffa Gate underwent a two-month restoration. Workers replaced broken stones, cleaned the walls, and reattached an old Arabic inscription. During this work, an ancient aqueduct from the 2nd or 3rd century AD was discovered. The Jaffa Gate is more than just an entrance. It is a gateway through time.