Royal Palace, Tell el-Ful
Encyclopedia
The Royal Palace at Tell el-ful stands near Beit Hanina
, atop a hill named Tell el-Ful (Hill of Beans, , Givat Shaul, lit. Hill of Saul). It was intended to be a summer residence for King Hussein of Jordan, who had controlled Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank
by annexing the territory after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Construction started in the mid-1960s, but was interrupted when Israel captured the area during the 1967 War. Still owned by the Hashemite Kingdom, it remains today as found in 1967, an unfinished shell.
overlooking the Arab neighborhood of Shuafat
, is 2,754 ft above sea level, making it one of the highest summits in the region. The identification of tell el-Ful with biblical Gibeah
, the capital of King Saul, is generally accepted and ruins of a fortress are apparent at the site. Due to the sites archaeological significance, a number of digs have occurred at the site, the first in 1868. Jordanian plans to build the royal palace atop the mound prompted a third excavation in 1964 which attempted to salvage and document and findings prior to construction work.
. Construction came to a halt after the 1967 war when Israel took control of the West Bank. The structure was still a building site and was left uncompleted. The skeletal, two-storey cement structure remained empty and has since become a haven for drug users. Local officials said that attempting to redevelop the building and end the neglect would potentially "raise a storm in Jordan." In August 2011, the Jerusalem municipality stopped unauthorised workers who had erected a fence around the site. The Jerusalem wakf denied that Jordan was preparing to renovate the palace.
Beit Hanina
Beit Hanina is a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem on the road to Ramallah. It is bordered by Hizma to the east, Shuafat to the south, Beit Iksa and Nabi Samwil to the west, and Bir Nabala, al-Jib, Kafr Aqab and ar-Ram to the north. The total area of Beit Hanina is 20 sq. kilometers...
, atop a hill named Tell el-Ful (Hill of Beans, , Givat Shaul, lit. Hill of Saul). It was intended to be a summer residence for King Hussein of Jordan, who had controlled Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
by annexing the territory after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Construction started in the mid-1960s, but was interrupted when Israel captured the area during the 1967 War. Still owned by the Hashemite Kingdom, it remains today as found in 1967, an unfinished shell.
Location
The hill, located just west of Pisgat Ze'evPisgat Ze'ev
Pisgat Ze'ev , is an Israeli settlement and a residential neighborhood with a population of 50,000 located in northern East Jerusalem. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, although the Israeli government disputes this...
overlooking the Arab neighborhood of Shuafat
Shuafat
Shu'fat , also Shuafat and Sha'fat, is a Palestinian Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem, forming part of north-eastern Jerusalem. Located on the old Jerusalem-Ramallah road about three miles north of the Old City, Shuafat has a population of 35,000 residents...
, is 2,754 ft above sea level, making it one of the highest summits in the region. The identification of tell el-Ful with biblical Gibeah
Gibeah
Gibeah is a biblical site identified by archaeologists as a hill in Jerusalem, on the outskirts of the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood, known as Tell el-Ful.-Etymology:...
, the capital of King Saul, is generally accepted and ruins of a fortress are apparent at the site. Due to the sites archaeological significance, a number of digs have occurred at the site, the first in 1868. Jordanian plans to build the royal palace atop the mound prompted a third excavation in 1964 which attempted to salvage and document and findings prior to construction work.
Current usage
The palace was built in reaction to the locating of the residence of Israel's president in West Jerusalem. Intended to be the official holiday retreat of the Jordanian royal family, it was to be an architectural masterpiece that would host dignitaries from around the world. The design envisaged a grandiose structure consisting of three levels, interconnected with arches plated with Jerusalem stoneJerusalem stone
Jerusalem stone is a name applied to various types of pale limestone, dolomite and dolomitic limestone, common in and around Jerusalem that have been used in building since ancient times...
. Construction came to a halt after the 1967 war when Israel took control of the West Bank. The structure was still a building site and was left uncompleted. The skeletal, two-storey cement structure remained empty and has since become a haven for drug users. Local officials said that attempting to redevelop the building and end the neglect would potentially "raise a storm in Jordan." In August 2011, the Jerusalem municipality stopped unauthorised workers who had erected a fence around the site. The Jerusalem wakf denied that Jordan was preparing to renovate the palace.