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. Other terms for gate include yett and port.

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.

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.

See also

• Border, threshold or barrier
• City gate
• Gate (airport)
• Gatehouse
• Doorway or gateway
• Hampshire gate
• Kissing gate
• Lych gate
• Torii
• Triumphal arch
• Turnstile

Image:Gate ajar.jpg|This gate doesn't prevent entry but clearly suggests a borderline. Image:Gate at Stevens-Coolidge Place, Andover, Massachusetts.JPG|A small but elegant gate to a meadow path. Image:Pergamonmuseum Babylon Ischtar-Tor.jpg|Ishtar Gate is the oldest city gate in existence. Image:CroppedCRS.jpg|In modern times, electronic gateways provide protection, and allow communication traffic to pass. Image:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Columbia 8 by David Shankbone.jpg|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.

• Photos and locations of gates and stiles in Britain