Porta dei Leoni gerusalemme

Walled city Jerusalem, Israel

The Lion Gate, also Stephanstor, is one of the eight gates of the historic center of Jerusalem. It was built in the time of Suleiman the Magnificent in 1538. It leads north of the Temple Mount from the east to the Muslim Quarter of the walled city. Suleiman actually wanted to name the Jordan Valley gate, "Bab el-Ghor", but the name never prevailed. The gate received its name due to two panther reliefs on the outside of the wall, which have been mistaken for lions. The panthers come from the heraldic mark of the Mamluk sultan Baybars (1260-77). The second common name "St. Stephen" refers to the tradition, that he was stoned near the gate of the martyr Stephen (see also .: Damascus Gate) (Acts 7.57 et seq.). Since the door also leads to the tomb, which is considered a Marian tomb, the door is also called "Marientor" in Arabic. The Crusaders called it the "Gate of Jehosafat".