Rehabilitating a Unique Ancient Complex in the Old City: Dar al-Consul

On November 9, 2021, an eight-year restoration project in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem came to fruition when the Dar al-Consul project was inaugurated.

The Dar al-Consul civic and residential complex, which has foundations that date back almost 1,000 years to Mamluk times and belongs to the Custody of the Holy Land, covers about 2,400 sq. m. bounded by Khan El Zeit Street, where there are souk shops, and El Tkiyyeh Street, where the entrances to the complex are found. For three decades in the mid-19th century, the complex served as the Prussian Consulate and the residence for the Prussian Consul; hence its name Dar al-Consul (Arabic for the House of the Consul).

The eight-year project was funded by the European Union (EU) for EUR 4.23 million and jointly managed by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

The inauguration, shown in this video, was attended by EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, UN-Habitat Head of Country Programme Dr. Zeyad Elshakra, Friar Francesco Patton, Custodian of the Holy Land, and Dr. Imad Al-Khatib, Al-Quds University vice president for Jerusalem affairs.

The project, which also engaged over 40 undergraduate and graduate students from Al-Quds University, will provide a unique community space in the Old City. 

The overall project, as the speakers note in the video, was intended to empower Palestinian Jerusalemites and help them preserve their heritage.