History Mamilla

1 history

1.1 roman period
1.2 byzantine period
1.3 crusader period
1.4 mamluk period
1.5 ottoman period
1.6 british mandate
1.7 jordanian period
1.8 reunification , urban renewal plans

history

theodor herzl outside stern house, 1898


roman period

the dry mamilla pool , capacity of 30,000 cubic metres, built herod great. underground channel connected hezekiah s pool, situated inside city walls , in immediate proximity herod s royal palace. herod known have built pool of towers (probably identical hezekiah s pool) , serpent s pool (birket es-sultan, sultan s pool), both fed aqueducts coming mamilla pool.

byzantine period

the massacre of christians during persian invasion of 614 @ mamilla pool, attributed christian chronicler jewish revenge after years of byzantine repression, documented archaeological find in chapel containing hundreds of human skeletons of urban dwellers of both sexes , of relatively young age. site of chapel covered on mamilla mall parking house.

crusader period

stone-carved sarcophagi crusader period visible west of mailla pool among tombs of historical mamilla cemetery, remains of cemetery of augustinian canons of church of holy sepulchre.

mamluk period

the elaborate mausoleum of emir ‘ala al-din aydughdi ibn ‘abdallah el-kubaki, died in jerusalem in 1289, known turbat el-kubakiya.

ottoman period

in late 19th century, area around old city walls barren , undeveloped. notable junction of paths become jaffa road , highway jaffa, road hebron outside jaffa gate. among first structures hospice saint vincent de paul, part of emerging french compound. building developed extension of adjacent souk along city walls @ jaffa gate quarter merchants , artisans. became home commerce , residences not find room within overcrowded old city, , several of jerusalem s prominent modern businesses, hotel fast, first built here. in 1908, ottoman authorities erected clock tower above jaffa gate. british removed decade later.

british mandate

british demolition of buildings along old city walls, 1944

the british arrival in jerusalem heralded rational philosophy of infrastructure planning , development. respected cultural , historic heritage , attempted preserve such elements within blossoming construction of modern city. city walls identified such element, british workers acted clear away stalls on perimeter , maintain open area between walls , rest of new city in interest of aesthetically pleasing visual basin. same token, planners demolished ottoman clock tower preserve historic skyline.

mamilla in ruins, c. 1949



no man s land in jerusalem, between israel , jordan. photo (taken approx. 1964) depicts old city wall, dormition abbey (on far right), , tower of david (center-left). taken building of geology dep. of hebrew university of jerusalem, located on mamilla street.

following approval of 1947 un partition plan, arab mob ransacked , burned of district , stabbed of jewish residents in course of 1947 jerusalem riots, 1 of events leading area s decades-long stagnation.

jordanian period

as 1948 arab-israeli war commenced, neighbourhood s location between israeli , jordanian forces made combat zone, leading flight of both jewish , arab residents. on may 22, 1948 consul, thomas c. wasson, assassinated shortly after leaving french consulate in mamilla district. after signing of 1949 armistice agreements , division of jerusalem, western three-quarters of mamilla held israel , eastern quarter became no man s land of barbed-wire , concrete barricades between israeli , jordanian lines. active , hostile border subjected mamilla jordanian sniper , guerilla attacks, , stones thrown arab legionnaires old city walls above. neighbourhood 1 of several border areas in city experience sharp decline, , subsequently became home families of new immigrants many children , of weak financial abilities, dirty light industry auto repair. in mamilla in period, residents kurdish immigrants , israeli children.

reunification , urban renewal plans

after six-day war, jerusalem s municipal borders expanded include old city , beyond. barricades had lined border torn down. many buildings on mamilla s eastern end in shambles fighting , lack of maintenance. several historic buildings condemned. 1 stern house, housed zionist leader theodor herzl on 1898 visit. however, popular outcry brought supreme court involvement led temporary dismantling , reassembly nearby of historical landmark.

the terrace , jerusalem stone-covered parking garage construction in background, january 2007

the 1970s saw numerous proposals rehabilitating neighbourhood, , defined zone of high-priority reconstruction efforts. administration responsible preservation , construction in old city took mamilla under jurisdiction well, both because of proximity , possession of many of same considerations british weighed when regulating development. 1972 master-plan revitalising city centre transferred 100 of 120 dunams (0.1 square kilometres (0.04 sq mi)) karta, municipal firm led architects gilbert weil , moshe safdie charged project, , called destruction of every building save french hospice st. vincent de paul. plan called subterranean street system, over-ground buildings offices , stores, pedestrian promenade, parking 1,000 cars, , bus terminal.

this plan evoked massive criticism throughout city government, although mayor teddy kollek lent full political backing plan. when deputy mayor meron benvenisti commissioned more conservative plan under architect david kroyanker based on facadism, mayor filed away without discussion. karta evicted 700 families, communal institutions, , businesses, placing them in then-developing neighbourhoods of baka , neve yaakov, , moved industry talpiot, seed of current industrial zone. evictions cost israeli government on $60 million , completed in 1988, when mamilla ceased exist neighbourhood , instead became compound slated future construction.

hospice saint vincent de paul, mamilla

the evicted residents jewish immigrants arab states weak financial status left them vulnerable kollek s plan. following steep increase in real-estate values of formerly depressed areas mamilla near former armistice line , old city perceived evicted mizrahi jews injustice. became key issue in 1970s israeli social upheaval , founding of black panthers movement in israel.

upscale apartments in david s village echoing arches , alleyways of old city

after 16 years of controversy, during half-constructed mamilla project remained eyesore in heart of city, revised plan drawn architect moshe safdie incorporating elements of kroyanker s conservative design moved forward in 1986. new plan called compound divided 4 areas: open-air mall mixed-use 3-6 storey buildings , multi-storey car park, terraced residential housing, , 2 hotels along border downtown. british ladbroke group plc, controls hilton hotels corporation, won bid build project s main hotel (originally hilton jerusalem , david citadel hotel) , housing, built luxury gated community named david s village (hebrew: כּֽפָר דָּוִד‎, kfar david).

numerous disputes between karta , ladbroke led british firm exit project, , shares assumed alfred akirov s alrov company. however, further objections many sources—including religious groups opposed entertainment area close old city , possible operation on jewish sabbath—kept construction @ crawl. both alrov , karta accused each other of breach of contract , sued. after years of frozen construction , drawn-out mediation, jerusalem district court found parts of both parties complaints justified , ordered 100 million nis paid alrov karta, allowed construction resume.

may 28, 2007 saw opening of phase 1 of shopping mall , part of 600-meter promenade. completion of remainder of promenade, stern house rebuilding, , other construction, including 207-room five-star second hotel, scheduled completed in spring of 2008.

like several other luxury neighbourhoods in city, apartments in david s village development owned foreigners visit few days or weeks year. critics contend makes ghost town in city centre.

mamilla location of projected simon wiesenthal center s center human dignity, controversial project because construction require building on part of old muslim cemetery.