Golden Gate (Gate of Mercy), Jerusalem

The Golden Gate is the sealed double gate in the eastern wall of Jerusalem's Old City, on the side of the Haram al-Sharif, or Temple Mount, that faces the Mount of Olives across the Kidron Valley. It is the only gate in the eastern wall of the compound, it is free to view from outside, and it suits visitors interested in the shared history of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Bab al-Rahma, Sha'ar HaRachamim and an uncertain date

In Arabic it is Bab al-Rahma, the Gate of Mercy, and Bab al-Tawbah, the Gate of Repentance, one name for each arched doorway; in Hebrew it is Sha'ar HaRachamim. Its date is uncertain because archaeological work at the site is not permitted. Most scholars place it in the late Byzantine period, around 520, or in the Umayyad period of the 7th or 8th century, and some have argued that its massive inner gateposts are much older. An earlier arch lies beneath the blocked entrance.

Sealed, opened and sealed again

The Crusaders reopened the gate in 1102, and during the Crusader Kingdom Palm Sunday processions from Bethany entered the Temple area through it. Saladin walled it up after he took Jerusalem in 1187, and Suleiman the Magnificent sealed it again in 1541, probably for defence. It has stayed closed from the outside ever since.

The Messiah, Palm Sunday and Islamic tradition

Jewish tradition holds that the Messiah will enter Jerusalem through this gate. Many Christians believe Jesus entered the city here on Palm Sunday, and medieval art linked it with the meeting of Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary. In Islamic tradition the area is tied to mercy and the final judgement, and Muslims have long buried their dead on the slope just outside the wall.

Twin blocked arches and the vaulted gatehouse

From outside you see two blocked arches with carved decoration; each doorway is 3.9 metres wide. Inside the walls stands a vaulted gatehouse about 24 by 17 metres, with columns down the middle. Access to it was closed in 2003, and the interior reopened to Muslim worshippers in February 2019, though the gate remains sealed.

Views from the eastern wall and the Mount of Olives

The path below the eastern wall gives a close view, and the western slopes of the Mount of Olives show the gate against the whole eastern side of the Old City. The inner gatehouse is inside the compound, where access for non-Muslims is limited. Allow about 30 minutes.