It has been besieged over 50 times, conquered 36 times and history has seen the city destroyed ten times. Every stone of the Old City has a story to tell and each turn down every narrow street reveals another piece of our history. With sacred shrines and sites revered by the three major monotheistic faiths, Jerusalem is venerated the world over. The walls surrounding the old city were constructed during rule by the Ottoman empire under the supervision of Sultan Suleiman Al Qanouni in 1542. The largest of the gates, it is also the busiest.
Vendors hawk their wares ranging from bunches of parsley to full wardrobes.
It is also the only gate in the Old City to be excavated. For those wishing to explore the rest of the West Bank and Gaza, service taxis to Palestinian cities leave directly opposite Damascus Gate. This is the official name for the area that houses two of the most important Islamic Shrines, the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. This where Mohammed flew from Mecca to Jerusalem and then ascended to heaven, leaving his footprint in a stone within the Dome. This is considered the third most holy site in Islam, after Mecca and Medina.