Puerta de La Circasiana, Triumphal arch in El Ejido Park, Quito, Ecuador

The Circasiana Arch is a neoclassical structure at the northern end of El Ejido Park featuring intricate stone carvings and symmetrical proportions. It rises above a semicircular plaza and marks the beginning of Amazonas Avenue, one of Quito's main routes.

The gate was commissioned from sculptor Luis Antonio Mideros around 1925 and finished before 1940, serving as the entrance to the gardens of the Circasiana Palace, built from 1890 as a villa outside the city. In the 1980s the Jijón family donated it to Quito's municipality because of road widening, and it was moved piece by piece to El Ejido Park. In 2000 FONSAL had it moved again, this time carried whole without dismantling, to close the Paseo del Sol redesign of Amazonas Avenue.

The arch is known as Arco de La Circasiana, especially by younger generations unaware of its original role as the gateway to the palace of the same name. Every weekend dozens of painters exhibit their works for sale in its shade, forming an open-air gallery. It is also a gathering point for protest groups heading to the Palacio de Carondelet.

The monument is freely accessible year-round and sits at a busy intersection, so attention to traffic is recommended. It serves as a good spot for photographs and a natural starting point for walks through the park and nearby areas.

The structure was moved intact to its current location in the 1980s after the family donated it to the city, preserving its original stone details. This preservation effort saved a piece of private architecture that might otherwise have disappeared.