By Ryan Jones for www.travelujah.com
Special to ASSIST News Service
JERUSALEM,
ISRAEL -(ANS)-The Old City of Jerusalem is famous for, among other things,
its eight unique gates*, none of which are more impressive than the Damascus
Gate.
Built by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman
the Magnificent in 1538 as part of a total revamp of Jerusalem’s walls, the
Damascus Gate featured a majestic crown-shaped parapet. But during the heavy
fighting in and around the Old City during the Six Day War in 1967 the Damascus
Gate’s “crown” suffered considerable damage.
With so many ancient and biblical
sites on their plate, it took Israeli archaeologists over 40 years to get
around to it, but this year the Damascus Gate was finally restored to its
original glory.
“The Old City of Jerusalem is a
focus of interest for people the world over and the number one tourist
attraction in Israel,” said Elad Kendel, director of the Old City Basin in
the Jerusalem Development Authority.
“The city walls and the 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,” Kendel added.
The Jerusalem Development Authority
and the Israel Antiquities Authority have concluded a comprehensive cleaning of
the gate’s ancient stones and restoration of its famed parapet.
But getting the parapet just right
was no easy task. Archaeologists had to consult photographs of the Damascus
Gate taken during the early 20th Century when the British governed Jerusalem.
“Because of its beauty,
Damascus Gate is also the most documented of Jerusalem’s city gates and its
historical material and numerous photographs facilitated an accurate restoration
of its appearance,” explained project architect Avi Mashiah. “Every
single decoration, including all of its features, was studied and restored by
us down to the smallest detail, in order to provide visitors to the gate as
full and complete an experience as possible,” Mashiah continued.
To lessen the likelihood of the
“crown” falling into disrepair any time soon, the archaeologists
fixed them to the rest of the gate using special undetectable anchors.
The restoration team did not stop
with the Damascus Gate, and is continuing their work along the length of the
Old City’s walls in a large-scale effort to enhance the impact of this holy
city on visiting pilgrims.
* Including the closed Golden Gate.
Jerusalem’s Old City has seven open gates.
About The Author –
Ryan Jones is a regular contributor for www.Travelujah.com and
his stories are also carried by the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).
Travelujah is a Christian social network focused on fostering a deeper
connection with faith through Holy Land tours. You can plan, learn and share
your holy land experience on Travelujah using our in-depth locational content,
user and expert blogs that can take you off the beaten track, and individual or
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