There is no foundation for the pious stories tour-guides like to tell that this was where the first Christian martyr Stephen was stoned to death. The name "St. Stephen" was transferred from a church that originally stood on the northern side of the City.
The name Lion's Gate derives from the heraldic emblems set on either side of the gate. One legend claims that they represent the lions that were prepared to eat the first Ottoman sultan, Selim I (1512-20), if he carried through his plan to level Jerusalem. Another says that they represent the lions Suleiman saw in his dreams that would devour him if he did not build the walls and gates of the City.
The Via Dolorosa, or "Way of the Cross," which supposedly traces the path Jesus took from his arrest to the crucifixion, proceeds into the City from this gate, passing through nine "stations" before entering into the Holy Sepulchre. The Via Dolorosa is a creation of faith; archaeological findings affirm that Jesus could not have taken the path that pilgrims follow today.