Until the 20th century there were 13 gates in the city walls, all closed at sunset, and there were inner gates dividing the Christian, Jewish and Islamic quarters. These inner gates are now gone, as are several of the main city gates.
Most impressive of those remaining are the northern Bab al-Farag (Gate of Joy); Bab al-Faradis (Gate of Paradise), with a short stretch of market enclosed within its vaulting; Bab as-Salaama (Gate of Peace), the best-preserved of the gates and a beautiful example of Ayyubid military architecture; and, in the south, Bab as-Saghir.
