Street of the Prophets
Encyclopedia
Street of the Prophets is an east-west axis road in Jerusalem beginning outside Damascus Gate
and ending at Davidka Square
. Located to the north of Jaffa Road
, it bisects the neighborhood of Musrara
.
During its heyday in the late 19th century and early 20th century, Street of the Prophets was a favorite address for hospitals, churches, monasteries, hospices, government offices, foreign consulates, and wealthy Christian, Jewish and Arab residents.
Today the street still boasts the same heterogeneous mix of residents and workers, as well as schools, hospitals, churches and government offices. The elegant 19th-century architecture gives Street of the Prophets the appellation of "most beautiful street outside the Old City", while its historic buildings make it the most popular site for guided tours outside the Old City.
The street was officially named at the beginning of the British Mandate period by the Governor of Jerusalem, Ronald Storrs
. At that time, the street was paved and infrastructure for water and electricity were installed.
According to one opinion, the street was named for the prophets
of Israel
, many of whom prophesied in Jerusalem. Another opinion holds that the street was named for the prophet
s of Judaism
, Christianity
and Islam
, since the Mamluk
tomb of Nabi Okasha in the nearby Zikhron Moshe
neighborhood was traditionally viewed as the burial site of prophets of the three monotheistic
faiths.
The hospitals run by Christian missionary organizations offered free medical care to attract Jewish patients for the purposes of missionizing. This practice was decried by the rabbis of the era, who issued a cherem
against Jews who used these health services. Despite rabbinical opposition, many Jews continued to turn to Christian missionary hospitals for medical care.
The hospitals established on Street of the Prophets in the late 19th century and early 20th century included:
. The most prominent was the London Jews' Society mission headquartered at the western end of the street (now the Anglican International School campus). This 32-dunam site housed and employed hundreds of impoverished Jewish immigrants from Russia in the 1880s.
Notable residents who lived on the street include:
and Sephardi
families; Eshel Avraham was established in 1893 by Georgian
Jews; and Chatzer Strauss was founded in 1896 by Rabbi Shmuel Strauss for Ashkenazi
families.
Beginning in the 1880s, an Ethiopian
Christian community developed around the Ethiopian Church
of Debre Gannet (Mount of Paradise) located on a site in Ethiopia Street bought in 1888, just north of Street of the Prophets. Under the initiative of Empress Taytu Betul
, Ethiopian nobles and wealthy individuals contributed large sums of money to purchase houses on Ethiopia Street and Street of the Prophets, which belong to the community to this day.
) are typical of public buildings in Germany. Buildings and doors along the street are decorated with religious symbols such as crosses, Stars of David
, crescents
, symbols of religious order
s, and Bible
verses.
Several buildings were designed by architect Conrad Schick: the mission of the London Jews' Society (today the Anglican International School); the German hospital, and the Tabor House
(today the Swedish Theological Institute) (#58), which Schick made into his own home. Schick planned the William Holman Hunt House (#64), which Hunt himself built.
The Renaissance
-style Italian Hospital was designed by Antonio Barluzzi
, who created several other Christian churches in Jerusalem. It was completed in 1919; today it houses the Israel Ministry of Education and Culture.
In 1898, Theodor Herzl
came to Jerusalem for the first time to meet with German emperor Wilhelm II, who was also visiting this city. Herzl met the emperor on an empty lot at #42 Street of the Prophets, where Wilhelm and his entourage were quartered in a tent camp. Herzl's efforts to plead the Zionist
cause with the emperor were unsuccessful. Following the emperor's visit, the Ottoman authorities gave him the lot as a gift; Wilhelm, in turn, granted it to the German provostry, which constructed its headquarters there in 1903. Today the former provostry is part of the Jerusalem ORT
campus.
n consulate building at #38 and #40 is the sole representative of African architecture. The land for the building was purchased in 1910 by Baron von Ustinov on the directive of Empress Taytu
of Ethiopia; his widow, Magdalena, sold the property and the partially-finished building to Empress Zauditu in 1924. The white stone structure, completed in 1928, has gabled windows decorated with bright blue and gold porcelain
mosaic
s. The largest mosaic depicts a lion bearing a cross and flag — the symbol of the Ethiopian royal family — with the inscription in Ge'ez
: "The Lion of Judah Triumphs". Today the building is an apartment complex.
. It is a major shopping area for Arab residents, with many grocery stores and restaurants lining the street.
Homes in the Musrara
district (between Highway 60 and Shivtei Israel Street) were constructed by wealthy Arabs in the late 19th century and early 20th century . These Arabs fled or were expelled from the area during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
and were not permitted return to their homes after Israel was declared a Jewish state. Today Musrara is a Jewish neighborhood.
floor was discovered in a house at 18 Street of the Prophets, 200 meters east of Damascus Gate. Known as the "bird mosaic", it depicts peacocks, duck
s, stork
s, pigeons, an eagle
, a partridge
, and a parrot
in a cage, along with branches and grape clusters, all symbols of death in early Christian art
. An inscription at the top of the mosaic reads, "For the memory and salvation of all those Armenians
whose name the Lord knows". Beneath a corner of the mosaic lay a natural cave containing human bones which were dated to the 5th or 6th century, indicating that the room was used as a mortuary chapel.
, large buildings on the Street of the Prophets were appropriated for military use. The English Mission Hospital, for example, was used by the Ottoman army
to house their wounded soldiers during World War I; in 1917, the British Mandate officials turned it into the headquarters for the 60th Division that conquered Jerusalem. The Italian Hospital headquartered the British Royal Air Force
during World War II.
in the Old City, Arabs also rioted in the Jewish neighborhoods of Kiriyah Ne'emana, Eshel Avraham and Chatzer Strauss outside Damascus Gate. Nineteen Jews were killed, synagogues and private homes were burned, and the Jews abandoned these areas. Residents returned to Chatzer Strauss, but at the start of the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, this neighborhood was evacuated by the British police, turning the eastern side of Street of the Prophets into a de facto Arab neighborhood.
With the end of the British Mandate in 1948, Street of the Prophets continued to be divided in two by the Seam Line that separated Israeli West Jerusalem from Jordan
ian East Jerusalem. The eastern end of the street, forming a triangle with the Old City walls and the southern side of the neighborhood of Musrara, was part of the no man's land
between Israel and Jordan. The street was returned to Israel with the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967.
In late 2009, during construction on Jaffa Road for the Jerusalem Light Rail
, Egged city buses that normally traversed Jaffa Road were diverted onto Street of the Prophets. The street also sees increased traffic as an alternate route for buses traveling to northern Jerusalem neighborhoods (via Road 1
) whenever Straus Street is closed due to demonstrations.
In recent years, the city has granted permits for the development of high-rise, luxury apartment projects on and alongside Street of the Prophets. These projects are expected to alter the quiet, exclusive nature of the street.
Between 1976-1988, a railway coach parked a few meters east of Bikur Holim Hospital housed the national headquarters for the Yad Sarah
home-care equipment lending organization. The building at #43 Street of the Prophets still bears the organization's name.
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...
and ending at Davidka Square
Davidka Square
Davidka Square is a public square at the intersection of Jaffa Road, Street of the Prophets, and Kiach Road in Jerusalem, Israel. Its official name is Kikar Haherut...
. Located to the north of Jaffa Road
Jaffa Road
Jaffa Road is one of the longest and oldest streets in Jerusalem. It crosses the city from east to west, from the Old City walls to downtown Jerusalem, the western portal of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. It is lined with shops, businesses and restaurants...
, it bisects the neighborhood of Musrara
Musrara, Jerusalem
Musrara also known by its Hebrew name, Morasha is a neighborhood in Jerusalem. It is bordered by Meah Shearim and Beit Yisrael on the north, the Old City on the south and east, and the Russian Compound and Kikar Safra to the west.-History:...
.
During its heyday in the late 19th century and early 20th century, Street of the Prophets was a favorite address for hospitals, churches, monasteries, hospices, government offices, foreign consulates, and wealthy Christian, Jewish and Arab residents.
Today the street still boasts the same heterogeneous mix of residents and workers, as well as schools, hospitals, churches and government offices. The elegant 19th-century architecture gives Street of the Prophets the appellation of "most beautiful street outside the Old City", while its historic buildings make it the most popular site for guided tours outside the Old City.
Name
Street of the Prophets was established during the expansion of Jerusalem beyond the walls of the Old City in the mid-19th century. In the beginning, the street did not have a name. It was known as:- "Street of the Hospitals" — due to the many hospitals, Christian and Jewish, situated along its route;
- "Street of the Consuls" — due to the many foreign consulates that opened offices here.
The street was officially named at the beginning of the British Mandate period by the Governor of Jerusalem, Ronald Storrs
Ronald Storrs
Sir Ronald Henry Amherst Storrs, KCMG, CBE was an official in the British Foreign and Colonial Office. He served as Oriental Secretary in Cairo, Military Governor of Jerusalem, Governor of Cyprus, and Governor of Northern Rhodesia.-Biography:The eldest son of John Storrs, the Dean of Rochester...
. At that time, the street was paved and infrastructure for water and electricity were installed.
According to one opinion, the street was named for the prophets
Nevi'im
Nevi'im is the second of the three major sections in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh. It falls between the Torah and Ketuvim .Nevi'im is traditionally divided into two parts:...
of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, many of whom prophesied in Jerusalem. Another opinion holds that the street was named for the prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
s of Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, since the Mamluk
Mamluk
A Mamluk was a soldier of slave origin, who were predominantly Cumans/Kipchaks The "mamluk phenomenon", as David Ayalon dubbed the creation of the specific warrior...
tomb of Nabi Okasha in the nearby Zikhron Moshe
Zikhron Moshe
Zikhron Moshe is a neighborhood in the center of Jerusalem, Israel.Zikhron Moshe was founded in 1905. It is located between Meah Shearim and Geulah. The first inhabitants were secular teachers. It was one of several neighborhoods in Jerusalem named for Sir Moses Montefiore.The neighborhood grew up...
neighborhood was traditionally viewed as the burial site of prophets of the three monotheistic
Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief in the existence of one and only one god. Monotheism is characteristic of the Baha'i Faith, Christianity, Druzism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Samaritanism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.While they profess the existence of only one deity, monotheistic religions may still...
faiths.
Hospitals
Early on, Street of the Prophets was a popular address for hospitals. In the mid-19th century, the hospitals that were located in the Old City were forced to move due to high population density and difficult sanitary conditions. Each hospital re-established itself on Street of the Prophets to maintain its proximity to the Jewish residents still residing in the Old City.The hospitals run by Christian missionary organizations offered free medical care to attract Jewish patients for the purposes of missionizing. This practice was decried by the rabbis of the era, who issued a cherem
Cherem
Cherem , is the highest ecclesiastical censure in the Jewish community. It is the total exclusion of a person from the Jewish community. It is a form of shunning, and is similar to excommunication in the Catholic Church...
against Jews who used these health services. Despite rabbinical opposition, many Jews continued to turn to Christian missionary hospitals for medical care.
The hospitals established on Street of the Prophets in the late 19th century and early 20th century included:
- A sanitarium operated by the London Society for Promoting Christianity Among the JewsChurch's Ministry Among Jewish PeopleChurch's Ministry Among Jewish People is an Anglican missionary society founded in 1809.-History:...
(#82), built in 1862 - Marienstift Children's Hospital, opened in 1872 by Dr. Max SandreczkyMax SandreczkyMax Sandreczky was a pediatric surgeon who started the first hospital practicing western medicine in Jerusalem....
(#29)
- Meyer Rothschild Hospital, the first Jewish hospital outside the Old City, built by Baron James Rothschild in 1888 and named after his father (#37)
- German Deaconess Hospital, opened in 1894 (#49)
- English Mission Hospital, opened in 1897 (#82)
- Bikur Holim HospitalBikur Holim HospitalBikur Holim Hospital is a hospital in Jerusalem, Israel.-History:Bikur Holim first opened in a residential building in the Old City in 1826. In 1843, the hospital had only three rooms for patients. In 1854, a building was purchased which soon grew overcrowded...
, built in 1910 (#53) - Italian Hospital, opened in 1919 (#34)
Government offices and consulates
- The Pasha's Village (#61) was built by the Greek Orthodox ChurchGreek Orthodox ChurchThe Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
and rented out to the Ottoman governors of Jerusalem. - The German consulate once stood beside the International Evangelical Church on the site of present-day Raoul WallenbergRaoul WallenbergRaoul Wallenberg was a Swedish businessman, diplomat and humanitarian. He is widely celebrated for his successful efforts to rescue thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary from the Holocaust, during the later stages of World War II...
Street. It was attacked by the Israeli underground when it flew a flag with a swastikaSwastikaThe swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
in 1933, and was subsequently destroyed by the underground. - The U.S. Consulate General, founded in the Old City in 1844, relocated to an address near the beginning of Street of the Prophets in the late 19th century. In 1912, it moved to its present address on Agron Street.
- The Ethiopian consulate building (#38-40) was constructed by Empress Zewditu I of Ethiopia in 1928; it housed that country's consulate from 1948-1973.
Christian missions
Street of the Prophets was also home to Christian missionsMission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
. The most prominent was the London Jews' Society mission headquartered at the western end of the street (now the Anglican International School campus). This 32-dunam site housed and employed hundreds of impoverished Jewish immigrants from Russia in the 1880s.
Hotels
- The Kaminitz Hotel (#65), constructed in 1878, was a five-star hotel with a carriage entrance from Jaffa Road.
- The San Remo Hotel (#70) erected in 1927, occupied the three-story building on the northeast corner of Street of the Prophets and Straus Street, opposite Bikur Holim Hospital.
Notable residents
Unlike other areas outside the Old City which were exclusively Jewish, Christian or Arab, the Street of the Prophets was a heterogeneous zone. Ottoman and, later, British officials; foreign consuls and well-to-do residents all lived here, creating a cultural and social center.Notable residents who lived on the street include:
- Conrad SchickConrad SchickConrad Schick was a German architect, archaeologist and Protestant missionary who settled in Jerusalem in the mid-nineteenth century.-Biography:...
, German Protestant missionary and architect who constructed several of the buildings on the street (see next section), including his own home, which he called "Tabor HouseTabor House (Jerusalem)Tabor House is a landmark building in Jerusalem, Israel.Tabor House was built in 1882 by archaeologist, missionary and architect Conrad Schick as a home for his family...
" (#58). - William Holman HuntWilliam Holman HuntWilliam Holman Hunt OM was an English painter, and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.-Biography:...
, English painter, who constructed his own home at #64 in 1869; the home was subsequently occupied by Dr. Helena KaganHelena KaganHelena Kagan was a physician, an Israeli pioneer in pediatrics, who was responsible for the expansion of health care in Israel.- Early life :...
, Jerusalem's first pediatrician. Hebrew poetess Rachel BluwsteinRachel BluwsteinSela was a Hebrew poet who immigrated to Palestine in 1909. She is known by her first name, Rachel, or as Rachel the poetess .-Biography:...
lived in the small white house in the courtyard in 1925. - Joseph NavonJoseph NavonJoseph Navon was a Jerusalem businessman and the man principally responsible for the construction of the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway. For his effort, Navon was awarded the Légion d'honneur from the French government, and the Medjidie from the Turkish government, where he was also promoted to the title...
, a Jewish businessman and initiator of the Jaffa–Jerusalem railwayJaffa–Jerusalem railwayThe Jaffa–Jerusalem railway is a railroad that connected Jaffa and Jerusalem. The line was built in Ottoman Palestine by the French company Société du Chemin de Fer Ottoman de Jaffa à Jérusalem et Prolongements and inaugurated in 1892, after previous attempts by the Jewish philanthropist Moses...
, owner of the Navon Bey House (#59).
- Johannes Frutiger, a Swiss banker who named his home, built in 1885, Mahanaim after the verse in Genesis 32:2. His family was later forced to sell the mansion on the corner of Street of the Prophets and Shivtei Yisrael Street; it was later occupied, in turn, by the Evelina de RothschildEvelina de RothschildEvelina Gertrude de Rothschild was an English socialite and a member of the Rothschild banking family of England.-Biography:...
School, Menachem Ussishkin, director of the Jewish National FundJewish National FundThe Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...
, and Lord Herbert PlumerHerbert Plumer, 1st Viscount PlumerField Marshal Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer, 1st Viscount Plumer, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE was a British colonial official and soldier born in Torquay who commanded the British Second Army in World War I and later served as High Commissioner of the British Mandate for Palestine.-Military...
, High CommissionerHigh CommissionerHigh Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
during the Mandate period. Today it houses offices of the Israeli Ministry of EducationMinistry of Education (Israel)The Israeli Ministry of Education is the branch of government charged with overseeing public education institutions in Israel. The political head of the department is the Minster of Education, currently Gideon Sa'ar....
.
Communities
In the late 19th century, several Jewish neighborhoods were founded at the eastern end of Street of the Prophets, near Damascus Gate. Kiriyah Ne'emana (also known as Battei Nissan Beck), founded in 1879, housed HasidicHasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
and Sephardi
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
families; Eshel Avraham was established in 1893 by Georgian
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
Jews; and Chatzer Strauss was founded in 1896 by Rabbi Shmuel Strauss for Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
families.
Beginning in the 1880s, an Ethiopian
Ethiopian people
Ethiopian people or Ethnic Ethiopians are an ethnic group found in the horn of African country of Ethiopia.-Origins:Ethnic Ethiopians are one of the nearly 80 ethnic groups of the horn of Africa country and are found in every regional state of Ethiopia...
Christian community developed around the Ethiopian Church
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is the predominant Oriental Orthodox Christian church in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Church was administratively part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All...
of Debre Gannet (Mount of Paradise) located on a site in Ethiopia Street bought in 1888, just north of Street of the Prophets. Under the initiative of Empress Taytu Betul
Taytu Betul
thumb|Taytu BetulTaytu Betul was an Empress of the Ethiopian Empire and the wife of Emperor Menelek II.-Biography:...
, Ethiopian nobles and wealthy individuals contributed large sums of money to purchase houses on Ethiopia Street and Street of the Prophets, which belong to the community to this day.
Architecture
Most of the buildings on Street of the Prophets are constructed of stone and fronted by high walls built of stone and mortar. Private-home lots are large and include garden courtyards, either in front of the building (e.g. Hunt House, Navon Bey House, Mahanaim House) or behind it (e.g. Pasha's Village). The homes are one or two stories high; public buildings do not exceed four stories.European influence
Many public and private buildings on the western side of Street of the Prophets, from Shivtei Israel Street to Davidka Square, are constructed in the European style and reflect the nationality of their builders. For example, the German Deaconess Hospital and its bell tower (today the eastern wing of Bikur Holim HospitalBikur Holim Hospital
Bikur Holim Hospital is a hospital in Jerusalem, Israel.-History:Bikur Holim first opened in a residential building in the Old City in 1826. In 1843, the hospital had only three rooms for patients. In 1854, a building was purchased which soon grew overcrowded...
) are typical of public buildings in Germany. Buildings and doors along the street are decorated with religious symbols such as crosses, Stars of David
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
, crescents
Star and crescent
A star and crescent featuring in some combination form the basis of symbols widely found across the ancient world, with examples attested from the Eastern Mediterranean and Central Asia....
, symbols of religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
s, and Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
verses.
Several buildings were designed by architect Conrad Schick: the mission of the London Jews' Society (today the Anglican International School); the German hospital, and the Tabor House
Tabor House (Jerusalem)
Tabor House is a landmark building in Jerusalem, Israel.Tabor House was built in 1882 by archaeologist, missionary and architect Conrad Schick as a home for his family...
(today the Swedish Theological Institute) (#58), which Schick made into his own home. Schick planned the William Holman Hunt House (#64), which Hunt himself built.
The Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
-style Italian Hospital was designed by Antonio Barluzzi
Antonio Barluzzi
Antonio Barluzzi was an Italian Franciscan monk and architect, known as the "Architect of the Holy Land"...
, who created several other Christian churches in Jerusalem. It was completed in 1919; today it houses the Israel Ministry of Education and Culture.
In 1898, Theodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl , born Benjamin Ze’ev Herzl was an Ashkenazi Jew Austro-Hungarian journalist and the father of modern political Zionism and in effect the State of Israel.-Early life:...
came to Jerusalem for the first time to meet with German emperor Wilhelm II, who was also visiting this city. Herzl met the emperor on an empty lot at #42 Street of the Prophets, where Wilhelm and his entourage were quartered in a tent camp. Herzl's efforts to plead the Zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
cause with the emperor were unsuccessful. Following the emperor's visit, the Ottoman authorities gave him the lot as a gift; Wilhelm, in turn, granted it to the German provostry, which constructed its headquarters there in 1903. Today the former provostry is part of the Jerusalem ORT
World ORT
World ORT is a non-profit non-governmental organization whose mission is the advancement of Jewish and other people through training and education, with past and present activities in over 100 countries....
campus.
African influence
The former EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n consulate building at #38 and #40 is the sole representative of African architecture. The land for the building was purchased in 1910 by Baron von Ustinov on the directive of Empress Taytu
Taytu Betul
thumb|Taytu BetulTaytu Betul was an Empress of the Ethiopian Empire and the wife of Emperor Menelek II.-Biography:...
of Ethiopia; his widow, Magdalena, sold the property and the partially-finished building to Empress Zauditu in 1924. The white stone structure, completed in 1928, has gabled windows decorated with bright blue and gold porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s. The largest mosaic depicts a lion bearing a cross and flag — the symbol of the Ethiopian royal family — with the inscription in Ge'ez
Ge'ez language
Ge'ez is an ancient South Semitic language that developed in the northern region of Ethiopia and southern Eritrea in the Horn of Africa...
: "The Lion of Judah Triumphs". Today the building is an apartment complex.
Arabic influence
In contrast to the buildings on the western side of Street of the Prophets, the style of architecture on the eastern side, from Damascus Gate to Shivtei Israel Street, is distinctly Middle Eastern. The section from Damascus Gate to Highway 60 is solely inhabited by Palestinians and is part of East JerusalemEast 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...
. It is a major shopping area for Arab residents, with many grocery stores and restaurants lining the street.
Homes in the Musrara
Musrara, Jerusalem
Musrara also known by its Hebrew name, Morasha is a neighborhood in Jerusalem. It is bordered by Meah Shearim and Beit Yisrael on the north, the Old City on the south and east, and the Russian Compound and Kikar Safra to the west.-History:...
district (between Highway 60 and Shivtei Israel Street) were constructed by wealthy Arabs in the late 19th century and early 20th century . These Arabs fled or were expelled from the area during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
and were not permitted return to their homes after Israel was declared a Jewish state. Today Musrara is a Jewish neighborhood.
Armenian mosaic
In 1894 an ancient mosaicMosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
floor was discovered in a house at 18 Street of the Prophets, 200 meters east of Damascus Gate. Known as the "bird mosaic", it depicts peacocks, duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s, stork
Stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
s, pigeons, an eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
, a partridge
Partridge
Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East...
, and a parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
in a cage, along with branches and grape clusters, all symbols of death in early Christian art
Early Christian art and architecture
Early Christian art and architecture is the art produced by Christians or under Christian patronage from about the year 100 to about the year 500. Prior to 100 there is no surviving art that can be called Christian with absolute certainty...
. An inscription at the top of the mosaic reads, "For the memory and salvation of all those Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
whose name the Lord knows". Beneath a corner of the mosaic lay a natural cave containing human bones which were dated to the 5th or 6th century, indicating that the room was used as a mortuary chapel.
Wartime occupation
During both world wars and the Israeli War of Independence1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
, large buildings on the Street of the Prophets were appropriated for military use. The English Mission Hospital, for example, was used by the Ottoman army
Military of the Ottoman Empire
The history of military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years between 1300 and 1453 , the classical period covers the years between 1451 and 1606 , the reformation period covers the years between 1606 and 1826 ,...
to house their wounded soldiers during World War I; in 1917, the British Mandate officials turned it into the headquarters for the 60th Division that conquered Jerusalem. The Italian Hospital headquartered the British Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during World War II.
East-west division
During the 1929 riots1929 Palestine riots
The 1929 Palestine riots, also known as the Western Wall Uprising, the 1929 Massacres, , or the Buraq Uprising , refers to a series of demonstrations and riots in late August 1929 when a long-running dispute between Muslims and Jews over access to the Western Wall in Jerusalem escalated into violence...
in the Old City, Arabs also rioted in the Jewish neighborhoods of Kiriyah Ne'emana, Eshel Avraham and Chatzer Strauss outside Damascus Gate. Nineteen Jews were killed, synagogues and private homes were burned, and the Jews abandoned these areas. Residents returned to Chatzer Strauss, but at the start of the 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, this neighborhood was evacuated by the British police, turning the eastern side of Street of the Prophets into a de facto Arab neighborhood.
With the end of the British Mandate in 1948, Street of the Prophets continued to be divided in two by the Seam Line that separated Israeli West Jerusalem from Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ian East Jerusalem. The eastern end of the street, forming a triangle with the Old City walls and the southern side of the neighborhood of Musrara, was part of the no man's land
No man's land
No man's land is a term for land that is unoccupied or is under dispute between parties that leave it unoccupied due to fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dumping ground for refuse between fiefdoms...
between Israel and Jordan. The street was returned to Israel with the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967.
Controversial plans
In the late 1980s, a proposal was made to widen the narrow, two-lane street into a 32-meter-wide superhighway. The proposal met with stiff opposition from Jerusalem residents, as it called for destroying the historic garden courtyards of the buildings lining the street. An alternate plan called for laying the highway across the courtyards while retaining the outer stone walls to maintain the 19th-century look of the street. Neither plan has come to fruition.In late 2009, during construction on Jaffa Road for the Jerusalem Light Rail
Jerusalem Light Rail
The Jerusalem Light Rail is a light rail line, the first of several rapid transit lines planned by Israel for Jerusalem, Israel's capital city. Construction began in 2002 and ended in 2010, when the testing phase began. It was built by the CityPass consortium, which has a 30-year concession to...
, Egged city buses that normally traversed Jaffa Road were diverted onto Street of the Prophets. The street also sees increased traffic as an alternate route for buses traveling to northern Jerusalem neighborhoods (via Road 1
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...
) whenever Straus Street is closed due to demonstrations.
In recent years, the city has granted permits for the development of high-rise, luxury apartment projects on and alongside Street of the Prophets. These projects are expected to alter the quiet, exclusive nature of the street.
Schools
- Anglican International School (#82)
- Hadassah College Jerusalem (formerly Hadassah College of Technology) (#37)
- Jerusalem ORTWorld ORTWorld ORT is a non-profit non-governmental organization whose mission is the advancement of Jewish and other people through training and education, with past and present activities in over 100 countries....
(#42) - Lycée Française (French School) (#66)
Hospitals
- Bikur Holim HospitalBikur Holim HospitalBikur Holim Hospital is a hospital in Jerusalem, Israel.-History:Bikur Holim first opened in a residential building in the Old City in 1826. In 1843, the hospital had only three rooms for patients. In 1854, a building was purchased which soon grew overcrowded...
Between 1976-1988, a railway coach parked a few meters east of Bikur Holim Hospital housed the national headquarters for the Yad Sarah
Yad Sarah
Yad Sarah is currently the largest Israeli national volunteer organization, aiding disabled, elderly and housebound people and aimed at making home care possible...
home-care equipment lending organization. The building at #43 Street of the Prophets still bears the organization's name.
Christian organizations
- International Evangelical Church (#55)
- St. Joseph of the Apparition Convent (#66)
- Swedish Theological Institute (#58)
Government offices
- Ministry of Education and Culture (Italian Hospital building)
- Ministry of Education office (Lev-Ram building)
- Ministry of Education (Mahanaim house)
Memorials
- Davidka SquareDavidka SquareDavidka Square is a public square at the intersection of Jaffa Road, Street of the Prophets, and Kiach Road in Jerusalem, Israel. Its official name is Kikar Haherut...
, at the western end of the street (corner Jaffa Road), commemorates the homemade mortarMortar (weapon)A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
called the DavidkaDavidkaThe Davidka was a homemade Israeli mortar used in Safed and Jerusalem during the early stages of the 1948 Israeli War of Independence. Its bombs were reported to be extremely loud, but very inaccurate and otherwise of little value beyond terrifying opponents; they proved particularly useful in...
used during the Israeli War of Independence1948 Arab-Israeli WarThe 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded... - Mitzpe Tomer (Tomer Observation Post) at the eastern end of the street (corner Highway 60) commemorates the spot where, in April 2002, a traveling car bomb detonated, killing 19-year-old Israeli border policeman Mordechai Tomer