There are a number of gates leading into the Old City of Jerusalem from north, east, south and west. Here is a list detailing the various Old City gates and their distinct histories

The Old City Walls surrounding the Old City of Jerusalem were built in 1538 by the ruler of the Ottoman Empire at the time, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. These are most certainly not the first walls to surround the Old City, which has known many upheavals and has been passed from one authority to the other since biblical times.  In the Old City of Jerusalem visitors will find some of the holy sites most sacred to all three monotheistic religions (among them the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and The Dome of the Rock), so it is no wonder that there was an ongoing need to strategically defend the area throughout the ages.

Note that it is not east to access the Old City by car and many tourists and visitors prefer to park outside the Old City vicinity (in the Mamilla Car Park for example) and simply work their way in by foot.

There are seven open gates leading into the four quarters of the Old City:

The Damascus Gate (referred to in Hebrew as the Nabulus Gate, because it is situated on the ancient road leading to Nabulus), located on the northern side of the walls, is the largest gate and perhaps the most vibrant entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem. This gate leads straight to the Muslim Quarter through the famous bazaar that runs through the quarter.

The Jaffa Gate is another popular entrance to the city. On its left you will find the Christian Quarter, with its various places of interest and on the right the Armenian Quarter and the Tower of David Museum.

The Israeli Tourist Center is located by the Jaffa Gate (1 Jaffa St) and offers plenty of info for visiting tourists. Open Sun-Thu 10:00-17:00, 02-6271422

The Zion Gate is considered the official entrance to the Jewish Quarter and is located by Mount Zion (note that it is a very tricky entrance by car).

The Dung Gate, on the south side of the city walls, is the entrance to the Temple Mount. Its intriguing name comes from the fact that it was probably the gate used by the Old City inhabitants in the past to dispose of their waste.

The New Gate, which is indeed the newest of all the Old City gates, allows direct access to the Christian Quarter from the north-west.

The Lion’s Gate, located on the east, starts the famous Via Dolorosa, and is decorated with figures of lions placed there to commemorate the prophecy that led Suleiman the Magnificent to reconstruct the city walls.

Herod’s Gate (known as the Flower Gate in Hebrew), which is not far from the Damascus Gate, leads directly into the Arab neighborhood of Bab a-Zahara

The Golden Gate, on the east side, may be a sealed gate, but is also the oldest gate and the one endowed with the most symbolism. All three monotheistic religions attribute sacred meaning to this gate. According to the Jewish tradition, this is the gate through which the Messiah will enter when he comes and it is known as the Gate of Mercy; according to Christianity, this is the gate through which Jesus walked on Palm Sunday; and according to Islam, this is the gate through which the righteous will enter on the Day of Judgment. Apparently, Suleiman the Magnificent sealed this gate in order to prevent the Jewish Messiah from coming (perhaps a slightly over-pragmatic means of preventing a spiritual prophecy).