Mount Zion Hotel, Early 20th Century.
Another Once Upon a Time in Jerusalem.
The hotel is located above the Old City Basin, overlooking the Old City walls, Sultan’s Pool, and the Valley of Hinnom. It stands near Mishkenot Sha’ananim and across from today’s Begin Center, above what is now the Jerusalem Cinematheque.
The facade seen in the picture faces the start of what is now Hebron Road, back when there were no traffic jams, taxis, buses, or smoke-filled vans full of workers from East Jerusalem. Those were the days…
The building was originally constructed in 1882 as an eye hospital founded by members of the British Order, under the patronage of Queen Victoria and her son, Edward VII, the Prince of Wales. After much effort, they managed to convince the Turkish ambassador in London, representing the ruling power in the region, to approve the hospital’s establishment. The poverty, low hygiene levels, and overcrowding in late 19th century Jerusalem contributed to the spread of eye diseases.
Once the clinic opened, word spread, and eye patients began arriving from the Old City, Jaffa, Nablus, and as far as Tiberias, Damascus, and Petra in Jordan. According to reports, around 80 patients were treated daily in 1882.
The hospital became a central institution for eye treatment, earning support across different faiths, including from the Turkish governor of Jerusalem, the Greek and Armenian patriarchs, and the chief rabbi of the city at the time. By the end of 1888, 58,000 patients were being treated annually, with around 900 surgeries performed. But in Jerusalem, there’s never a dull moment.
During World War I, the hospital was closed and converted into an ammunition depot for the Turkish army. When the British conquered Jerusalem, they expelled the Turks, and the former hospital became the headquarters of the London Division commander.
At the end of 1919, the headquarters were vacated, the hospital resumed its operations, and due to the overwhelming number of patients, a new wing was built across the road. This building, connected by a tunnel under the road, is what we know today as Beit Ot HaMotsar.
The hospital continued to operate until 1948, when it became a strategic post for the Haganah forces. A cable car was installed from there, spanning over the Valley of Hinnom to Mount Zion, transporting weapons, equipment, and supplies.
After the war, the building housed the Netiv Meir Yeshiva until it moved to the Beit Vagan neighborhood a few years later.
In 1964, the Israel Land Authority purchased the building and sold it to a private developer in 1972. The developer planned to demolish the entire structure, and after destroying the southern and central wings, a campaign by preservation and environmental organizations succeeded in halting the demolition and saving the building. Restoration efforts led to the site becoming a hotel in 1986.
In December 2019, the Azrieli Group purchased the hotel and land for NIS 265 million from the Eliyahu and Schechter families, who had owned the property until then. Today, the entire complex is fenced off and undergoing significant construction. The old buildings, which witnessed history through inflamed eyes, will be preserved and restored as part of the future hotel complex.
This is our Jerusalem,
A British hospital built during the Ottoman era that served patients of all faiths, from Damascus to Jordan and Gaza, which became a Turkish headquarters, then a British one, then a Haganah post during the War of Independence, a yeshiva, later claimed by a greedy developer, and ultimately saved by vigilant and good-hearted people for its historical and architectural justice. It then became a hotel, purchased to be restored, preserved, and expanded.
The city and its stones, having seen changing regimes, Zionist revival, and much blood and tears, through red, weary eyes. A 150 year time machine on speed.
Shabbat Shalom to those near and far from Jerusalem, may the hostages return with peace of mind and body along with all the IDF soldiers and residents evacuated from the north and south back to their homes. 
