Damascus Gate

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Damascus Gate around 1900

The Damascus Gate ( Hebrew שַׁעַר שְׁכֶם Šaʿar Šəẖem 'Shechem Gate'; Arabic باب العمود bab al-amud , DMG bāb al-ʿamūd  'pillar gate') is the largest city gate of the UNESCO World Heritage Old City of Jerusalem , at the same time an archaeological site. The gate is located on the north side of the old town and leads to both the Muslim and the Christian quarters (the other quarters are the Jewish and the Armenian ). Today's Damascus Gate was built in the course of the extensive renovation of the Jerusalem city wall under Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent in the years 1535–1538. Excavations have uncovered the remains of the ancient gate, which dates from the time of Hadrian , when street level was even lower.

Surname

In Byzantine times, the gate system was called Porta Galilaeae , "Galiläator", or Porta Sancti Stephani "Stephanus Gate". The first name refers to the fact that the road to Galilee left the city here; the second name recalls that the tradition of the stoning of Stephen outside the walls of Jerusalem was localized here before moving to the Lion Gate ; this name of the gate was taken up again in the time of the crusaders. The Arabic name Bab al-Amud "pillar gate" goes back to an ancient column that can be seen on the Madaba mosaic in the inner gate square. The name "pillar gate" is documented from early Islamic times ( al-Muqaddasi , 985 AD). Jewish travelers in the Middle Ages called this gate "Abraham's Gate". Both today's Hebrew name Shaʿar Schechem " Shechem Gate " and the name Damascus Gate , which is common in English and many other languages, are modern names that name the north gate of the old town after important cities (Shechem is modern Nablus ), which in northern Direction of it lie.

Building history

Hadrian triple gate system

The Roman triple gate in Jerusalem looked similar: Hadrian's Gate in Gerasa (Jordan)
Eastern Roman side gate

The oldest building in this part of Jerusalem is an octagonal tower that was part of the city wall of the Jewish metropolis that was destroyed in 70. Two stone layers of this are still preserved in the area of ​​the later west tower.

In the second or third quarter of the 2nd century AD, a Roman triple gate was built, the function of which is controversial in research: “More precisely, while the building of the triple archway is dated to the time of Aelia Capitolina , there is There was no consensus as to whether this triple gate was integrated into the city wall of Aelia - if there was a city wall at that time - and thus had a defensive function, or was an arched monument as a free-standing triple gate was flanked on both sides by watchtowers. With a length of approx. 42 m and a depth of approx. 10 m, the former height of the gate system is estimated at approx. 20 m. The preserved eastern side gate is 2.36 m wide and 4.85 m high; similar dimensions are to be assumed for the western side gate. The large central gate was 5.48 m wide; its height is estimated at 10 m.

The east of three gates is completely preserved. On simple warriors one sees a carefully crafted round arch; If you look closely, you can see the locking holes in the door posts, the fishing holes in the threshold and grooves on the pavement, which are typical of ancient gates. On both sides of the gate there are still remnants of the former column position, but nothing can be seen of the large central archway and the western side gate.

Above the portal you can see a stone block with an inscription that has been mutilated:

A. [

COL (onia) [A] EL (ia) CAP (itolina) D (ecreto) D (ecurionum)

"Colony Aelia Capitolina, at the behest of the decurions ."

It was not possible to determine whether this inscription is in situ .

Byzantine and early Islamic gates

Detail of the Madabakarte: gate system with towers, gate place and column

The Byzantine Galilee or Stephen Gate is known for the highlighted representation on the Madaba mosaic map. On the city-side gate square was a (probably already Hadrianic) column, which has now been interpreted as the “symbol of the world center” and therefore forms the geographical reference point of the Madaba map. Nothing is left of her. The Hadrianic gate system was rebuilt, the side gates were made smaller and perhaps even closed, and the towers were set up for olive oil production. Today's museum in the east tower shows a roller mill and an olive mortar from this period. In early Islamic times, the middle gate was still in use. There were new cisterns on both sides of the gate to take in the water flowing in from the north.

Stephen Gate of the Latin Kingdom

The crusaders revived the Byzantine name of the gate, but rebuilt it. The towers were filled with rubble, the main gate walled up. A new Vorwerk was created on a higher level. It was bent to the right, rebuilt several times and added a chapel in front of the western gate tower. Remnants of wall paintings showed an annunciation scene when they were uncovered. Malik al-Muʿazzam had this gate torn down in 1219. It was then restored again, but continued to deteriorate and was replaced by a new, representative gate under Suleyman I.

Bab al-Amud the Ottoman city

Building inscription
Damascus Gate 1856

The gate system was built in 1538 AD over the ancient three-gate gate, but in contrast to this has an inner double bend. In an axially symmetrical arrangement, cast bay windows, simple decorations and wall slots are grouped around the only large gate, which is an eye-catcher. The central axis is constructed as follows from bottom to top: Above the straight lintel there is a triangular relief arch, above it the building inscription ( Naschī , two lines): “Our blessed lord the Sultan Sulaimān, son of Sultan Salīm Khan, ordered the construction of this wall. In the year 844 AH (= 1537/38 AD). “All of this is vaulted by a pointed arch, above which a window and a wall with various decorative elements are arranged. Clearly, in the upper part, the Ottoman masonry with its small stones can be distinguished from the ancient masonry, or walled-up ancient spoilage, in the lower area. Historical images (photo) show that the terrain on both sides of the gate had risen over time; the British mandate government had the Ottoman gate completely exposed again.

Research history

After Charles William Wilson and Charles Warren had already made a test excavation in this area in 1867, Robert W. Hamilton carried out an archaeological excavation on both sides of the gate on behalf of the British Mandate Government in 1937. He discovered the ancient Roman gate system. When the old city of Jerusalem was under Jordanian administration, Crystal Bennett and John B. Hennessy ( British School of Archeology in Jerusalem ) led extensive excavations in an area of ​​around 800 m 2 in front of the Damascus Gate from 1964 to 1966 . They found the Roman east gate and a crusader era forework. The Six Day War delayed the publication of the archaeological report. From 1979 to the mid-1980s, an archaeological research of the Damascus Gate by Menahem Magen ( East Jerusalem Development Society ) took place, as well as a restoration of the monument and establishment of a museum.

Todays situation

Damascus Gate 2012

Since today's street level is even higher, you have to descend steps to the gate. There is a ramp on the right-hand side for cart traffic. Larger vehicles cannot pass the gate because the outer and inner arches are offset. Because of the excavations of the old gate there is now a moat in front of the gate that has to be crossed.

Today the Damascus Gate stands between West and East Jerusalem and, as the most important pedestrian gate, forms a bottleneck between the old town and the new town. The gate is particularly popular during business, Jewish and Muslim prayer times. Nowhere else do the different groups of the Israeli and Palestinian societies and the traditionally dressed representatives of the Christian churches located in the old town meet as closely and diverse as at the Damascus Gate. Only the modern, secularized Israeli population is almost completely absent here.

There are small shops in the gate itself and hawkers sell their goods. From here it is only a short walk to Via Dolorosa . The steps that used to be occupied by traders are now kept clear by the police.

The steps lead directly to Nablus Road, where the German pilgrim house Paulus-Haus with the Schmidt school is located. In the past, the shared taxis to the Palestinian territories were also located in this area . After the barriers were erected, they were banned from the city and replaced by buses, which were given their meeting point further north at the garden grave .

literature

  • Caroline Arnould: Les arcs romains de Jérusalem. Architecture, décor et urbanisme . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht 1997. ISBN 978-3-525-53910-1 .
  • Robert W. Hamilton: Excavations Against the North Wall of Jerusalem, 1937-38. In: Quarterly of the Department of Antiquities in Palestine 10 (1940), pp. 1-57.
  • John B. Hennessy: Preliminary Report on Excavations at the Damascus Gate Jerusalem, 1964-6 . In: Levant 2 (1970), pp. 22-27.
  • Max Küchler : Jerusalem. A handbook and study guide to the Holy City . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2007, ISBN 978-3-525-50170-2 .
  • Menahem Magen: Excavations at the Damascus Gate , 1979-1984. In: Hillel Geva (ed.): Ancient Jerusalem Revealed . Israel Exploration Society, Jerusalem 1996, ISBN 965-221-021-8 , pp. 281-286.
  • Menahem Magen: Recording Roman Jerusalem - The entry beneath Damascus Gate . In: Biblical Archeology Review 15.3 (1988), pp. 48-56.
  • GJ Wightman: The Damascus Gate, Jerusalem: excavations by C.-M. Bennett and JB Hennessy at the Damascus Gate, Jerusalem, 1964-66 . (= British Archaeological Reports , International Series. Volume 519). Oxford 1989. ISBN 978-0-86054-660-3 .

Web links

Commons : Damascustor  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Max Küchler: Jerusalem. A handbook and study travel guide to the Holy City , Göttingen 2007, pp. 105f.
  2. ↑ Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah: Aelia Capitolina - Jerusalem in the Roman Period: In Light of Archaeological Research . Brill, Leiden 2019, p. 61f.
  3. ↑ Riccardo Lufrani: The Saint-Etienne compound Hypogea, Jerusalem: Geological, archaeological and architectural characteristics. A comparative study and dating . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2019, p. 125.
  4. ↑ Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah: Aelia Capitolina - Jerusalem in the Roman Period: In Light of Archaeological Research . Brill, Leiden 2019, pp. 60f.
  5. ↑ Max Küchler: Jerusalem. A handbook and study travel guide to the Holy City , Göttingen 2007, p. 110f.
  6. ^ Hannah M. Cotton : Corpus Inscriptionum Iudaeae / Palaestinae : a multi-lingual corpus of the inscriptions from Alexander to Muhammad . Volume 1/2: Jerusalem . Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 2012, No. 728.
  7. ↑ Max Küchler: Jerusalem. A handbook and study travel guide to the Holy City , Göttingen 2007, p. 111.
  8. ↑ Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah: Aelia Capitolina - Jerusalem in the Roman Period: In Light of Archaeological Research . Brill, Leiden 2019, p. 63 note 39.
  9. ↑ Max Küchler: Jerusalem. A handbook and study travel guide to the Holy City , Göttingen 2007, pp. 106f. 110.
  10. ↑ Max Küchler: Jerusalem. A handbook and study travel guide to the Holy City , Göttingen 2007, pp. 106f. 107f.
  11. ^ Max van Berchem : Matériaux pour un Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum , Volume I / 1: Syrie du Sud, Jérusalem (ville) , Kairo 1922, p. 437, No. 119.
  12. ↑ Max Küchler: Jerusalem. A handbook and study travel guide to the Holy City , Göttingen 2007, p. 108f.
  13. ↑ John B. Hennessy: Preliminary Report on Excavations at the Damascus Gate Jerusalem, 1964-6 , 1970, p. 22.
  14. ↑ Max Küchler: Jerusalem. A handbook and study travel guide to the Holy City , Göttingen 2007, p. 108.

Coordinates: 31 ° 46 '53.8 "  N , 35 ° 13' 48.7"  E