New Gate

An important visit to understand the political dynamics during the 19th century. The New gate was built by the Ottomans in 1889, at the request of Christian priests and following a pressure originated by the French ambassador in Istanbul. The request was to allow for easier access between the Catholic institutions inside the walls and French Catholic institutions outside the walls such as the Saint-Louis Hospital, which was established in1851 and the hostel Notre Dame, both part of the French compound outside the walls.

It sounds a simple and logical request, yet behind it, was a power struggle between several European powers. The European infiltration into the Ottoman Empire territory in the 19th century, especially in the Land of Israel, reflected a struggle between the various European powers over prestige, influence and land outposts. The special nature of the Land of Israel as the Holy Land, and the special attention it created among Christian believers for their various sects, has pushed the superpowers to advance their interests in the land of Israel and especially in Jerusalem, through different religious related activities such as assisting as much as possible pilgrimage from their countries to the Holy Land. This led to a situation where each of the superpowers sponsored a different Christian religious group.