Zijlpoort, City gate in Leiden, Netherlands
Zijlpoort is a city gate in Leiden featuring two stone lions that hold the coat of arms above its entrance. The structure displays sculptures of armor, banners, and cannons as decorative elements across its facade.
Built in 1667 by architect Willem van der Helm, this gate survives as one of just two remaining entrances from Leiden's original eight city gates. It represents a key element of the city's former defensive structure.
The upper rooms of the gate hosted meetings of rederijkers, Dutch literary societies that practiced poetry and theater performances in the 1700s.
The gate stands at Haven 62 and contains a clock dating to the 17th century. A restaurant now occupies one section, making it easy to visit the structure while taking a break in the area.
The gate's unusual parallelogram shape resulted from the need to connect both the city wall and the bridge spanning the Oude Rijn river. This distinctive design reflects a clever solution to the challenge of bridging two separate structures at that location.
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