The gate is situated near the southeast corner of the old city, southwest of the Temple Mount.

The gate is the closest to the Western Wall and is a main passage for vehicles. It was originally much smaller, but was enlarged in 1952, after the Old City came under Jordanian control in 1948. After its recapture by Israel, architect Shlomo Aronson was commissioned to renovate this gate. Directly behind the gate lies the entrance to the Western Wall compound. At night, Egged city buses pass through the gate to the Western Wall bus stop which lies just behind the gate; during the day, the buses stop on the road outside of the gate, because the increased number of buses cluttered up the bus stop inside the Old City walls.

Name

The name Sha'ar Ha'ashpot appears in the Book of Nehemiah:3:13-14. It is probably named after the residue that was taken from the Jewish Temple into the Valley of Hinnom, where it was burned. This ancient "Dung Gate" may not have been in the same location as the modern gate.

The name Mograbi gate (Bab El Magharbeh) is called after the Moors' history in the area.

References

External links

• Pictures of the Dung Gate
• Moors site