Jaffa Gate

Jaffa Gate (Arabic: Bab al-Khalil, "Gate of the Friend") is one of seven main open gates of the Old City of Jerusalem, built in 1538 by Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Its L-shaped entryway, a classical defensive measure to slow attackers, was secured at both ends with heavy doors. In 1898, a breach was made in the adjacent wall to allow German Emperor Wilhelm II to enter the city on horseback. The gate faces west toward the road to Jaffa and has served as the city's most important entrance for centuries.