Herod’s Gate in Jerusalem Reopened After Four-Month Restoration Project

Herod’s Gate, the iconic gate leading into the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, has reopened after a four-month restoration project.

The Herod’s Gate conservation project was spearheaded by the Israel Antiquities Authority Conservation Department, and included extensive cleaning of the wall’s facades and stones and the removal of dirt, particles and moisture penetrating into the fabric of the city wall. The electrical and water infrastructures around the gate’s facades were also removed and reinstalled.

Herod's Gate, leading into the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem (photo courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)

“The newly restored Herod’s Gate will bring new life to one of the most famous entrances into the Old City of Jerusalem,” says Arie Sommer, Israel Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America. “And provide some extra excitement for travelers arriving in Israel this summer.”

Built in the sixteenth century by the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, Herod’s Gate, also known as the Gate of the Flowers, was originally a patrolled gate restricting entrance to people and unharnessed animals. An opening was breached in the gate’s northern façade during the end of the nineteenth century, which provided direct passage into the Old City of Jerusalem. Remains of the sentry post that protected the original entrance can still be seen in the gate’s eastern façade.