After nearly a year of extensive conservation work on the largest and most impressive of Jerusalem’s gates, visitors to the Old City can now enjoy the Damascus Gate in all its splendor,  just as the public experienced it for hundreds of years.The conservation of the gate, carried out as part of the Jerusalem City Wall Conservation Project in cooperation with the Jerusalem Development Authority, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Prime Minister’s Office, included the restoration of the large crown that Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent built atop the gate in 1538 CE, which was destroyed during the 1967 Six Day War when the gate sustained serious damage.

Crown on Damascus Gate After Renovations
 

Guided by pictures of the gate taken at the beginning of the twentieth century when the British governed Jerusalem, professionals restored and secured the crown to the core of the wall by means of eleven anchors. At the same time, the four stone decor was completely restored, and its ceiling was covered again with stone slabs. The work on the wall included conservation, the removal of hazards and the rehabilitation of elements in the wall.

“The Old City of Jerusalem is a focus of interest for people the world over and the number one tourist attraction in Israel”, says Elad Kendel, director of the Old City Basin in the Jerusalem Development Authority. “The city walls and gates are the first thing that everyone sees when they arrive at the Old City, and it is therefore important to us that tourists, both domestic and foreign, see the city in all its glory”.

According to Avi Mashiah, the project’s architect on behalf of the Conservation Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The work at Damascus Gate was particularly challenging since it is located at the entrance to a noisy and bustling marketplace. All of the work that was carried out there was done so in agreement with the local merchants. In order to avoid disturbing business in the marketplace, work was begun after the last stall closed at 10:00 PM, and continued until the early hours of the morning, prior to the start of the following business day.”

Information on the eight gates in the Old City Walls