Bab a-Zahara
Encyclopedia
Bab a-Zahara is an Arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem
, north of the Old City and South of Salaheddin Street. It is bordered by the Herod's Gate
and Damascus Gate
on its south, and the American Colony
and Sheikh Jarrah
to the north, Bar Lev Street and Mea She'arim to the west, and Wadi Joz to the east. Herod's Gate, which is called Bab a-Zahara (Gate of Flowers) in Arabic, lend its name to this neighborhood.
The neighborhood was founded at the end of the 19th century along the road to Nablus
and near the Garden of the Tomb
(Hebrew: Gan HaKever), and was one of the first Arab neighborhoods built outside the Old City walls
. During the British Mandate in Palestine, and especially after the partition of Jerusalem in 1948, the neighborhood became a commercial center of East Jerusalem.
The main thoroughfares of the neighborhood, Nablus Road
(see Highway 60
) and Salah a-Din Road (pictured at right) are commercial centers for the Arab people in Jerusalem. Branches of the main banks and restaurants have offices there. These practically continue the open market in the Muslim Quarter
of the Old City. In the eastern part of the neighborhood resides Rockefeller Museum
of Archaeology, which was opened in 1937. Also on Salah a-Din Road are located the district court, the judiciary office, and the legal counsel for the government. Another famous building in this neighborhood is the Orient House
.
East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
, north of the Old City and South of Salaheddin Street. It is bordered by the Herod's Gate
Herod's Gate
Herod's Gate is a gate in the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. Its elevation is 755 meters above sea level. It adjoins the Muslim Quarter, and is a short distance to the east of the Damascus Gate. In proximity to the gate is an Arab neighborhood called Bab a-Zahara, a variation of the Arabic...
and Damascus Gate
Damascus Gate
Damascus Gate is the main entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem. It is located in the wall on the city's northwest side where the highway leads out to Nablus, and from there, in times past, to the capital of Syria, Damascus; as such, its modern English name is Damascus Gate, and its modern Hebrew...
on its south, and the American Colony
American Colony
The American Colony was a colony established in Jerusalem in 1881 by members of a Christian utopian society led by Anna and Horatio Spafford. Now a hotel in East Jerusalem, it is still known by that name today.-History:...
and Sheikh Jarrah
Sheikh Jarrah
Sheikh Jarrah is a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem on the road to Mount Scopus.-History:Sheikh Jarrah was established on the slopes of Mount Scopus, taking its name from the tomb of Sheikh Jarrah. The tomb, dated to 1201, is the burial place of Husam al-Din al-Jarrahi, an...
to the north, Bar Lev Street and Mea She'arim to the west, and Wadi Joz to the east. Herod's Gate, which is called Bab a-Zahara (Gate of Flowers) in Arabic, lend its name to this neighborhood.
The neighborhood was founded at the end of the 19th century along the road to Nablus
Nablus
Nablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
and near the Garden of the Tomb
Garden Tomb
The Garden Tomb , located in Jerusalem, outside the city walls and close to the Damascus Gate, is a rock-cut tomb considered by some to be the site of the burial and resurrection of Jesus, and to be adjacent to Golgotha, in contradistinction to the traditional site for these—the Church of the Holy...
(Hebrew: Gan HaKever), and was one of the first Arab neighborhoods built outside the Old City walls
Walls of Jerusalem
The Walls of Jerusalem surround the old city of Jerusalem . The walls were built between 1535 and 1538, when Jerusalem was in the Ottoman empire region of Palestine, by order of the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
. During the British Mandate in Palestine, and especially after the partition of Jerusalem in 1948, the neighborhood became a commercial center of East Jerusalem.
The main thoroughfares of the neighborhood, Nablus Road
Nablus Road
The Nablus Road is one of the traditional routes into Jerusalem's walled city. Starting at the Damascus Gate, it is the ancient road north.-Places of interest:* The Garden Tomb* The Dominican School of Biblical Research and Saint Stephen's Monastery...
(see Highway 60
Highway 60 (Israel)
Highway 60 is a north-south intercity road in Israel and the West Bank that stretches from Beersheba to Nazareth.-Route:The route is also known as the "Route of the Patriarchs" since it follows the path of the ancient highway that runs along the length of the central watershed, and which...
) and Salah a-Din Road (pictured at right) are commercial centers for the Arab people in Jerusalem. Branches of the main banks and restaurants have offices there. These practically continue the open market in the Muslim Quarter
Muslim Quarter
The Muslim Quarter is one of the four quarters of the ancient, walled Old City of Jerusalem. It covers 31 hectares of the northeastern sector of the Old City. The quarter is the largest and most populous and extends from the Lions' Gate in the east, along the northern wall of the Temple Mount in...
of the Old City. In the eastern part of the neighborhood resides Rockefeller Museum
Rockefeller Museum
The Rockefeller Museum, formerly the Palestine Archaeological Museum, is an archaeological museum located in East Jerusalem that houses a large collection of artifacts unearthed in the excavations conducted in Ottoman Palestine beginning in the late 19th century.The museum is under the management...
of Archaeology, which was opened in 1937. Also on Salah a-Din Road are located the district court, the judiciary office, and the legal counsel for the government. Another famous building in this neighborhood is the Orient House
Orient House
Orient House is a building located in East Jerusalem that served as the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organization in the 1980s and 1990s. Built in 1897 by Ismail Musa al-Husseini, it has been owned by the Al-Husayni family since...
.