In Jerusalem, the gates of Herod were opened

On June 28, 2010, the opening ceremony of the gate of Herod was held. The gate, as well as the sections of the walls adjacent to them, are now again available for the general public. The restoration of the gate took place as part of the program “City Walls of Jerusalem” and lasted 4 months, the press service of the Ministry of Tourism of Israel reports.

Restoration measures were preceded by serious preparation. It included thorough measures to preserve the structure, as well as conducting research and collecting data related to the gate. During the restoration, the Department for the Protection of Antiquities of Israel had to solve a difficult problem - working in a crowded urban and trade environment. Work on the restoration of the facade and the interior of the gate included thorough cleaning, processing of stone and decorative elements that were subjected to long -term weathering, as well as the prevention of the destruction of the building from plant roots and acts of vandalism. Along with this, electric and water communications, "decorating" the facades of the gate were removed and mounted again so as not to distract the gaze.

The walls of the old city were built in the sixteenth century by order of Sultan Suleiman Magnificent. In the framework of this construction, the gates of Herod (also known in Arabic as a flower gate) were first opened in 1539 A.D. Initially, the gates were built in the form of a small passage capable of passing into the city only people and animals without a harness. At the end of the nineteenth century, the opening from the northern facade was expanded, which ensured an unhindered passage to the city. Fragments of a guard post that guarded the original entrance can still be seen at the eastern facade of the gate. Through the gates of Herod, you can get to the Muslim quarter of the old city from the north side of the wall.