| Jaffa Gate | |
|---|---|
 Jaffa Gate | |
  Location in Old Jerusalem | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Old City (Jerusalem) |
| Coordinates | 31°46′36″N 35°13′39″E / 31.77661°N 35.22755°E |
Jaffa Gate (Hebrew: שער יפו, romanized: Sha'ar Yafo; Arabic: باب الخليل, romanized: Bāb al-Khalīl, "Hebron Gate") is one of the seven main open gates of the Old City of Jerusalem.
The name Jaffa Gate is currently used for both the historical Ottoman gate from 1538, and for the wide gap in the city wall adjacent to it to the south. The old gate has the layout of a medieval gate tower with an L-shaped entryway, which was secured at both ends (north and east) with heavy doors.
The breach in the wall was created in 1898 by the Ottoman authorities in order to allow German emperor Wilhelm II to enter the city triumphally. The breach and the ramp leading to it now allow cars to access the Old City from the west.
The L-shape of the historical gateway was a classical defensive measure designed to slow oncoming attackers, with its outer gate oriented in the direction of Jaffa Road, from which travellers including pilgrims arrived at the end of their journey from the port of Jaffa.