The Museum of the Underground Prisoners occupies a stone fortress surrounded by a high perimeter wall in the Morasha neighborhood. During the British Mandate, this site served as the Jerusalem Central Prison. In nineteen forty-seven, Irgun…
Downtown British Mandate History
This walk traces the physical and political transformation of Jerusalem under British Mandate rule through its grand civic monuments and high-society landmarks. We walk past the stone-carved buildings, fortified security zones, and historic hotels that defined the city’s dramatic transition into a modern capital.
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1. Museum of The Underground Prisoners
2. The Post Hostel
The Post Hostel occupies the old central post office building in Jerusalem. It sits behind a facade of heavy, cut stone typical of the British Mandate era, though the interior now functions as a high-ceilinged common space for travelers.…
3. Generali Building
The Generali Building stands out because of the massive bronze statue of a winged lion perched high on its corner. This limestone structure served as the Jerusalem headquarters for the Italian insurance company Generali during the British…
4. Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem
The Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem occupies a massive, limestone-clad building distinguished by its blend of Ottoman and Art Deco detailing. It stands on the former site of the Palace Hotel, which opened in nineteen twenty-nine. The Grand Mufti…
5. Jerusalem International YMCA
The Jerusalem International YMCA features a central bell tower rising one hundred and fifty-two feet above King David Street. Arthur Loomis Harmon, who designed the Waldorf Astoria in New York, modeled the tower’s stone carvings after…
6. King David Hotel
The King David Hotel rises above the Hinnom Valley with a facade of pink limestone quarried in Hebron. Ezra Mosseri, an Egyptian banker, commissioned the hotel in the late nineteen twenties to provide a luxury destination for travelers in…