Morspoort by night

The Morspoort is the western city gate of Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands, located on the Morssingel. The stone gate was built in 1669 in Mannerist style according to a design by the Leiden architect Willem van der Helm.

The gate with an octagonal dome served as a prison for a long time. The name is derived from De Morsch, the swampy meadow area outside Leiden.
The current Morspoort stands on the site of a former wooden structure, which was erected around 1611 when Leiden expanded to the north. The Morspoort and the Zijlpoort are the only remaining of the original eight city gates.