Zion Gate (Bab an-Nawi Dawud)

During the sixteenth century, Ottoman Turkish Sultan Suleiman ordered the rebuilding of the Old City walls of Jerusalem. The architects initially overlooked a Franciscan monastery just outside the walls, leading to the creation of the Zion Gate (Bab an-Nawi Dawud) to provide access to the Old City. Located on the south side of the city and facing Mount Zion, this gate is one of eight in the wall. It bears the scars of the 1948 War of Independence, with bullet holes still visible on its facade from the intense fighting between Jordanian and Palmach forces. Today, visitors can use the Zion Gate as a primary entrance to the Jewish and Armenian quarters.