Reason for the name
Named after the fact that the Roman column was at the gate.
Builder
Hadrian built the lower part of the gate in 135 AD, the upper one was built by Suleiman Al Qanoni in 1538 (the building of the Ottomans appears now, but the Roman building is below and not visible).
Central of the northern wall of the Old City Wall and connect to two streets named Khan al-Zayt and al-Wad road.
The construction of the gate is high and strong, consists of an entrance, a contract and a corridor, the entrance is a very large arch standing on two stone pillars carved above it holes with the objectives of the security, there is a top gate inscriptions documenting the history of construction.
The niches of the gate are hollow and domed, which are characterized by architecture known as Almukasanat, as well as stars and circular shapes, the entrance to the gate consists of copper-clad wood, one of the most beautiful gates of the Old Town, most of which are architecture and ornamentation, and the column had a Roman statue of Hadrian.
The gate consists of two levels, one of which is the upper Ottoman building – now visible – and the lower one consists of triangular arch and can be seen only lateral and western entrance of it.
Surrounded the arch of any nodes two towers containing a large room and large lead to the road, 4.5 m, discussed the words “There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”.
The gate ends with a bow in the shape of two large towers facing two columns to fortify the gate from the inside and above them, two crowns and some decorations, the gate leads to a corridor with a domed roof that turns to the right and then the left and its roof crossed into the wall. .
The lower section contains a museum that tells the evolution of the gate of the column, which have part of the Roman Street and is now lower than the level of the gate now visible- Ottoman built-.
*The gate now resisted by an unjust Judaization campaign, the occupation declared in 1967 that it would close the gate, because of excavations that would affect the identity of the area; the closure also caused an economic crisis for Jerusalemites.
It also called Nablus gate because it leads to Nablus, also named Damascus gate because it was the exit of the Damascene caravans, also called the gate of victory and the gate of St. Stephen.
History
The old gate was built in 135 AD and the current in 1538.