Bab Sharqi

Bab Sharqi, the Eastern Gate, is the only city gate of Damascus to survive largely in its original Roman form. Built as a triple archway when the city was laid out on a grid plan, it marks the eastern end of the ancient thoroughfare known in scripture as the Street Called Straight. The gate opens onto the Christian quarter, with its churches and old houses, and its weathered stone triple portal still frames the entry to the walled old city. It is a key monument for understanding the Roman layout beneath the modern town.