Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 30 Nov. - 6 Dec. 2000 Issue No.510

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Hanging on to the Old City

By Sherine Nasr

The Old City of Jerusalem was put on the list of World Heritage Sites in 1981 and designated a "World Heritage Site in Danger" in 1982. The deterioration of many buildings, monuments and utilities in the area impacts negatively on the social, economic and housing conditions of the city's Palestinian residents. Such deterioration is blamed primarily on the systematic campaign by both the Israeli authorities and Israeli settler groups to displace the Palestinian population of the Old City.

"In 1995, following Israel's discriminatory policy of confiscating the IDs of Arab citizens of Jerusalem, the city has witnessed an influx of Jerusalem ID holders returning to live in the city so as not to lose their IDs," explained Shadia Touqan, director of the technical office of the Old City of Jerusalem Revitalisation Project (OCJRP).

Although there are no accurate statistics to show the number of Palestinians who have moved back to live in Jerusalem, it is evident that the Israeli policy has backfired and resulted in an increase rather than a decrease in the Palestinian population of Jerusalem. This sudden population increase has, in many cases, resulted in the damaging of many buildings of historic and cultural value of the Old City.

"It has become essential to move fast to save these buildings. Our main challenge is how to protect the buildings, many of which are of a splendid architectural style, while improving their capacity to satisfy present needs," said Touqan.

In 1995, the OCJRP's technical office was established to implement a comprehensive programme to improve the infrastructure in the Old City and to restore buildings of historic or cultural significance. The projects carried out by the technical office, which is affiliated with the Welfare Association, a non-profit Palestinian organisation, are co-funded by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) and other international organisations, including UNESCO, the Ford Foundation and the World Bank.

Explaining the challenges the OCJRP faces, Touqan said, "On the one hand, there is the goal of preserving the city's heritage and protecting it from the users' abuse. On the other hand, there is the goal of encouraging residents to stay in the Old City."

During the first phase of the project, emergency restoration of at least 40 sites including gates, residential complexes as well as religious sites was carried out. The other component of the project was the total restoration and comprehensive rehabilitation of other buildings such as the Islamic museum and the Al-Aqsa library, in addition to a number of mosques and schools built during the Mameluke era. Restoration also included nine courtyards where 35 Palestinian families live.

"Some 65 buildings were restored in both components of the project at a cost of $2.5 million," said Touqan.

More important still was the need to create a detailed and accurate database of the Old City of Jerusalem and to carry out a comprehensive documentary survey of all the Arab historic and religious buildings in an attempt to prove the Palestinians' right to these sites. "This initiative was carried out in coordination with UNESCO at a cost of half a million dollars," said Touqan. She explained that the database included the economic and tourist activities in the Old City, the status of the infrastructure, the environmental conditions and current and historic routes in and out of the city.

The restoration of historic buildings necessitated taking into account the social needs of those in the environs of the sites. Thus, old stables have been renovated for use as computer centres; the old "Qatanin market," established in the 13th century, is now being revitalised to serve its original function; while Al-Ashrafiya school that lies within the boundaries of Al-Haram Al-Sharif has been converted into a centre for the restoration of ancient manuscripts and copies of the Qur'an.

At present, the project is in its second phase. "We have a budget of $6 million from the Ford Foundation and $2 million from the AFESD. Yet, our financial resources and technical capacities are far from sufficient to cope with this huge task," said Touqan.

Among the major projects of the second phase is the restoration of "Orphanage House," originally a palace built under the Mamelukes but expanded during the Ottoman era into a complex with components for a variety of purposes. "It was once used as the residence of the Ottoman ruler. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became the centre for the British mandate," said Touqan.

Later, the site was used as a school for orphans and a centre for teaching crafts. "The school graduated a number of excellent Palestinian scholars during the thirties and forties while the production of the crafts centre was so successful that it became self-sufficient," she said. Unfortunately, since the Israeli occupation in 1967 this academic complex has deteriorated rapidly. Currently, 600 students are pursuing studies in academic subjects along with 150 students enrolled in the crafts centre.

In spite of the difficulties they face, Palestinians have chosen to stay in Jerusalem. "The picture may look bleak, but every day brings new reasons for hope, new stories of resistance and perseverance within the Old City walls, where Palestinians remain as deeply entrenched as ever," Touqan explained.

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