Gateway
You are standing in front of the Morspoort, a true piece of art that has served as the western gateway to the city center since the Dutch Golden Age (17th century).
The dome above the gate also served as a prison.
Until the middle of the 19th century, Leiden even had 8 of these gateways, which together with the canals and city walls, formed the city’s defense.
Over the years only the Morspoort and the Zijlpoort (eastside) remained.