The Lion’s Gate: A Solid Defense Line of Jerusalem

Facts on the Lions Gate in Jerusalem

Lions Gate Jerusalem Image, Photo of Front Walkway

What is the Lion’s Gate in Jerusalem?

The Lion’s Gate is one of the seven gates in the Old City in Jerusalem.  

Where is the Lion’s Gate in Jerusalem?

Bab Al-Asbat, the Lion’s Gate, is located in the northeast corner of Al-Aqsa Plaza, where it meets with the Old City’s walls.^[1] The gate is unique because of the fact that it is the only gate to the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem that has been open since its establishment.^{[2]The gate can be reached from Qadron Valley, through a road that separates two Muslim cemeteries in the Old City, the southern Mercy Cemetery and the Northern Yousefie Cemetery}.^[3]

History of the Lion’s Gate

Historians often argue about the year in which the gate was built. Some claim that it is as old as the walls of the city themselves, but renewed later under the Ayyubid rule along with the renewing of the northern corridor of Al-Aqsa in 1213 AD.^[4]Some claim that the Mamluk ruler, Zaher Baybars, built it ^[5] before a minaret was added to the gate later in the Mamluk era in 1367.^[6] Although there is a stony monument on the southern face of the gate mentioning Sultan Suleiman as the establisher of the gate in 945 AD,.^[7] it is believed that the gate had been established long before the Ottoman Empire. The gate, by evidence of its stony blocks, went through different historical restorations, the most recent of which dates back to 1817-1818 under the Ottoman Empire. ^[8]This was the second time the Ottoman Empire renewed the gate, as Suleiman the Magnificent previously renewed it in 1538. .^[9]

The Many Names of the Lion’s Gate

The gate has different names used by different religious groups. In addition to its most famous name as the “Lions’ Gate” or “Bab Al-Asbat”,^[10]the gate is also referred to as Sittna Mariam, or Miss Mary, due to its proximity to the Hannah Church, where Christians believe Mary was born..^[11] Coptic groups in the city call it the Saint Stephen Gate, as they believe that it was where the first Christian martyr, Saint Stephen, was stoned to death.^[12] While Jerusalemites call it Sheep Gate or Jericho Gate,.^[13] The Jews call it the Gate of Jehoshaphat, as it leads to Jehoshaphat valley where Rabbi Benjamin Tudela worshipped God in the 12th century.^[14]

Why is it called the Lions Gate of Jerusalem?

The Lion’s Gate gets its original name from the seven lions that were fixed next to it. Many legends refer to these lions.

Some claim that an Ottoman sultan saw lions eating him in his dream and, thus, affixed them to the gate, which have since been moved.^[15]

Architecture of the Lion’s Gate

The gate has two wooden shutters and a small entrance which allows only one person to enter at a time. The gate is a rectangular aperture with a hypotenuse node and rises up to almost four meters. ^[16]

What is the Significance of the Lion’s Gate in Jerusalem?

Its location near the Old City of Jerusalem and two Muslim cemeteries in the area make it an important point of travel. This proximity made the gate popular for Muslims who came to pray before visiting the graves of family members buried in the cemeteries.^[17]The gate has been the main entrance in which Muslims walk through to pray in Al-Aqsa due to the repetitive closure of Al-Mughrabi Gate by Israeli forces .^[18] It also has been used for Muslim Janazahs, also known as funerals, where people can pray on the deceased before burying him/her in one of the two close cemeteries..^[19]In emergency situations, the gate is also the main entrance of ambulances to the Al-Aqsa Plaza, where many are wounded or martyred in clashes between the Israeli forces and the Muslims praying in Al-Aqsa .^[20]

In addition to its logistic importance, the gate played a critical role in the Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation, especially in defending Al-Aqsa Plaza. In July 2017, the Lions’ Gate was a significant point of Palestinian resistance against the Israeli attempt to surveil the Muslim and Palestinian visitors of Al-Aqsa by installing electronic gates around the walls and entrances of Al-Aqsa. ^[21]

This was not the first time the gate played as a line of defense around Al-Aqsa and the Old City of Jerusalem. In 1967 the gate played a similar role when it shielded a force of Palestinian resistors from the Israeli forces. Israeli forces could not defeat them until it swept through the gate with weaponry.^[22] Today, much like the other opened gates around the Old City, the Lions’ Gate is packed with Israeli forces who search worshippers and, sometimes, bar them from entering Al-Aqsa area.^[23]