Gate

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This article is about the point of entry or exit. For other uses, see Gate (disambiguation).

Gates to official residences often feature elaborate ironwork.

A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or an opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative.

Larger gates can be used for a whole building, such as a castle or fortified town, or the actual doors that block entry through the gatehouse. Today many gate doors are opened by an automated gate operator.

[edit] History

In ancient and medieval times, gatehouses of cities and castles were heavily defended and fortified to prevent breaching of the gates. Often the gate would consist of several pairs of doors and iron grates along a channel of rocks through the gatehouse. The top of the tunnel commonly had killing holes to allow defenders to attack invaders trying to breach the inner doors. Drawbridges were common in conjunction with gates to facilitate passing the moat; moats were often used to increase the effective height of the walls.

A number of gates are used to mark military victories or important occasions as in a triumphal arch.

[edit] See also

This gate doesn't prevent entry but clearly suggests a borderline.	A small but elegant gate to a meadow path.	Ishtar Gate is the oldest city gate in existence.	In modern times, electronic gateways provide protection, and allow communication traffic to pass.
This gate at Columbia University was closed to prevent protesters of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from entering the campus in 2007. Here, students stand to get a better look at the protest.