Damascus Gate — Attraction in Jerusalem

Beautiful cultural heritage spot. A main attraction and the entrance into the Muslim quarter (as well as Jaffa and plenty of other gates). Heads straight into the Palestinian suq, or open market, rife with spices, clothes, and plenty more. Most places take cash so pull out money in advance.

I highly recommend supporting as many reziztance events include financial moves like shutting down shops in commemoration or in solidarity with those oppressed in East Jerusalem or worse then.

As well, there are forced closures by border control. Pay special attention to the police and soldiers at the three booths at the entrance to the Gate. They are keen on stopping Palestinians, harrassing them, as a scare tactic, to keep them in line. If you think its for security, count how many measures of defense they (fortified booths, guns, grenades, batons, rifles, helmets, protective gear) vs teenagers with nothing. But grab an ice coffee can from the booths across the street and sit and watch for half an hour. Dont take my word for it.

Watch the IDF...

This place is Historical, but it changed a lot it full of security now. Damascus Gate (Arabic: باب العامود‎, romanized: Bāb al-ʿĀmūd, Hebrew: שער שכם, Sha'ar Sh'khem) is one of the main entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem.1] It is located in the wall on the city's northwest side and connects to a highway leading out to Nablus, which in the Hebrew Bible was called Shechem or Sichem, and from there, in times past, to the capital of Syria, Damascus; as such, its modern English name is Damascus Gate, and its modern Hebrew name, Sha'ar Shkhem (שער שכם), meaning Shechem Gate, or Nablus Gate.[1 Of its Arabic names, Bab al-Nasr (باب النصر) means "gate of victory," and Bab al-Amud (باب العامود) means "gate of the column."[1] The latter name, in use continuously since at least as early as the 10th century, preserves the memory of a Roman column towering over the square behind the gate and dating to the...

Beautiful, ornate gate, by far the most impressive entrance to the Old City. Has real atmosphere and character. The gate takes you directly into the Muslim Quarter/Arab Shuk, and it’s about a 10 minute walk to the Kotel if you go straight down Rechov Hagai.

In the past Damascus Gate has been a flashpoint for violence between Arabs and Jews, but due to extremely heavy police presence, it seems to have calmed down in recent years. At any time of day, there’s a steady stream of visibly Jewish people entering, mostly from Meah Shearim/Beit Yisrael, but as stunning as Damascus Gate Plaza is, I never feel entirely comfortable there as a Jew, and it’s probably not the safest way to enter the Old City if you’re visibly Israeli. But for any hardcore lover of Jerusalem and its history, it’s a must-see, and to be fair, you’ll almost...