Beneath Damascus Gate: A Visit to Hadrian’s Jerusalem

This photo gallery illustrates some of the principal features of Hadrian’s second-century entryway and of the plaza that adjoined it within the city. Both have been excavated and restored as a museum. Until recently, everything seen here lay buried beneath Damascus Gate, or, in the case of the Roman paving stones, beneath the Moslem Quarter of the Old City, just inside the gate.

The eastern side-archway, which R. W. Hamilton partially excavated in the 1930s, gave the first evidence that remains of the earlier, long-hidden entryway built by Hadrian awaited discovery. Holes for the door hinges, and square recesses for the wooden beams once used to bolt the door, can still be seen, although they are not visible in this photo. The eastern archway now serves as the entrance to the excavation museum and to the remains of the original plaza.