Door of Time

The Door of Time is located in the Temple of Time and blocks access to the Pedestal of Time, which holds the Master Sword and is the key to entering the Sacred Realm.

The door can only be opened by bringing together three Spiritual Stones: the Kokiri's Emerald, the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire. When these three stones are brought together and the Song of Time is played upon the Ocarina of Time at the altar, the door slides open and the path to the legendary blade is revealed.

According to Rauru, the Door of Time is, effectively, an obstacle to the Sacred Realm put in place when the Triforce was sealed away. At the start of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf is attempting to remove this obstacle but is frustrated by the guardians of the Spiritual Stones. The Hero of Time was able to open the Door in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, but in doing so allowed Ganondorf to unleash the Great Cataclysm and what some believe to be the Imprisoning War that soon followed.

The Door of Time made another appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (when translated from ancient Hylian, the inscription on the Door read "Time Door") as the means through which the new Link (which some believe to be a direct descendant of the Hero of Time) was able to travel back in time to the Temple of Time as it stood in the days of his forbearer.