Bab Sharqi

Bab Sharqi, literally the Eastern Gate, is one of the historic gates of the Old City of Damascus and serves as a principal eastern entrance to the walled centre.

The gate opens onto the ancient Straight Street (Via Recta), which runs westward into the heart of the Old City and connects with major religious and commercial sites. The area immediately inside and around the gate includes a long-established mixed quarter with churches, shops and residences.

Bab Sharqi dates to antiquity as part of the city’s Roman and later urban fabric and has been rebuilt and repaired under successive rulers over many centuries. The gate has retained its role as an important urban access point while the surrounding streets have continued in continuous use since the Roman and Byzantine periods.

The gate lies on the eastern side of the Old City of Damascus, a short distance east of the Umayyad Mosque and within the historic walled enclosure in central Damascus.

• Proximity to Umayyad Mosque: The gate sits a short walk east of the Umayyad Mosque and links the Old City's eastern approaches to its central streets.

What to See #

• Bab Sharqi (Eastern Gate): The historic eastern gate of the Old City of Damascus, forming one of the principal entrances to the walled city and opening onto the old Roman Via Recta.
• Straight Street (Via Recta): The adjacent straight street that runs west into the Old City and connects the gate with the central mosque and other quarters.
• Adjacent quarters: The Christian quarter and mixed commercial areas located immediately inside the gate to the west and northwest.