Bāb Šarqi

The Eastern Gate

Photo caption: one of the small bays of the monumental Roman entrance.

This triple gateway (1) from the reign of Septimius Severus was the entrance to the Vicus Rectus on which was built a Roman arch not far from Saint Mary's Cathedral. The northern bay shown here fortified and with a minaret added is the only one that has been used since the Middle Ages (2). The street behind it (3) traditionally serves as the line of demarcation between the Jewish quarter with its synagogues and the Christian quarter with its churches (4). 

(1) A recent study questioned the otherwise universal consensus that the monument was originally intended as a gateway. 

(2) Photo and text predate the restoration of the gate in its entirety in the mid 1960's. 

(3) the biblical Street Called Straight or the Roman decumanus (Via Recta or Vicus Rectus). 

(4) Largely true though some Christian churches are located south of the decumanus, i.e. in the historically Jewish quarter.

Jacques Ghislain de Maussion de Favières. Damascus, Baghdad: Capitals and lands of the caliphs. Translation to English by Edward J. Banks. Librairie orientale (Dar el-Mashreq), Beirut, Lebanon. 1972.