These gates, built in the 16th century by order of the Turkish Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, were originally named after the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose tomb is located not far from this entrance to the Old City – on the Mount of Olives. However, later, the name Lions' Gate became attached to the gates because of the bas-relief depicting the kings of beasts that adorned them.
According to legend, the lions, like these gates, appeared in the city after Suleiman the Magnificent had a dream warning that if he did not build a wall around the city, predators would attack him and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Today, on Lions' Gate, you can notice traces of history closer to our own time – look closely, and you will certainly find chips in the stonework left by bullets. These are traces of the battles for East Jerusalem that took place in this area in 1967.
