The origins of the entry into the Old City that is today known (in English) as Damascus Gate date back to the second century CE, the period of the Roman city. At that time it was a triple gate, resembling a triumphal arch, and was probably not attached to the wall. Later, when it was connected to the wall, it was flanked by guardrooms. Impressive remains of the Roman gate still exist, including a whole arch above which it is possible to make out parts of an inscription reading To the colony of Aelia Capitolina by order of the city dignitaries. 
The gate continued to serve as the city's main entrance in Byzantine times. It led immediately to a round plaza in the center of which stood a column topped by a statue of the emperor. This is probably the origin of the gate's Arabic name: "Bab al-Amud", the Gate of the Pillar. |
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