Musrara, Jerusalem

Musrara (Arabic: مصرارة‎, Hebrew: מוסררה‎) also known by its Hebrew name, Morasha (Hebrew: מורשה‎)^[1] 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

Musrara was founded by upper class Christian Arab residents during the late 19th century, as a part of the "departure from the walls," during which people began living outside the Old City of Jerusalem. During the Israeli War of Independence, the Arab residents fled during the fighting or were expelled and not permitted to return to their homes. Musrara remained on the Israeli side of the border between Israel and Jordan.^[2]

During the early days of Israeli statehood, there was an extreme shortage of housing for the thousands of olim (immigrants) who flooded to Jerusalem. As a result, the Ministry of Housing decided to populate the previously Arab houses with olim from North African countries.^[2] Due to its proximity to the new border, the residents of Musrara were exposed to daily attacks from Jordanian snipers stationed along the border, who did their utmost to disrupt the lives of the residents.^[2] This new reality became routine until the reunification of Jerusalem after the Six Day War in 1967.

There are a number of prominent Christian instiutions in Musrara, including the Notre Dame Hostel, the Church of Saint Paul, the French Hospice, and the Romanian Church.

In 1971, young, second-generation Mizrahi Jews from the neighborhood founded the Israeli Black Panthers, a protest movement against the perceived injustice and discrimination by the government against them. The rage quickly spread from Musrara to all areas inhabited by poor Mizrahi Jews, and eventually evolved into a political movement.

Musrara's strategic location between the Hareidi and religious neighborhoods to the north and the secular neighborhoods to the west has contributed to its diverse population. Over the last decade some have advocated to prevent the neighborhood from becoming more Hareidi, a process which has since slowed considerably.

Today, Musrara is home to about 4,500 people,^[2] and is considered one of the most beautiful neighborhoods of Jerusalem.

Architecture

Musrara is living testimony to its diversity - and that of Jerusalem in general - over the last 130 years. Relics of every stage of architecture during this period can be found there. These can be divided into three general periods:

The first period was the Arab phase, in which large, luxurious mansions were built by rich Arabs attempting to escape the overcrowding in the Old City during the late 19th century. These houses have grand entrances, beautiful masonry and shigled roofs.

The second phase, starting from the War of Independence, were battle-torn years, with abandoned houses and difficulties resulting from its proximity to the border. The inhabitants were largely distressed, and the scene in the neighborhood was one of unemployment, poverty and neglect. It was these conditions that caused the beginnings of the Black Panther movement, where people first were exposed to the difficulties faced by new olim from North Africa. This lasted through the 1970s.

The third period, beginning in the 1980s, saw increased activity as a result of a Jerusalem Municipality project to improve the neighborhood. Regulations were introduced designed to restore the neighborhoods former glory. The renovations were all completed in the style of the magnificent Arab structures. In many of these buildings, a clear line can be seen between the lower floors, built in the Arab style, and the upper floors, which look like modern apartment buildings. These lines are the result of real estate developers who, in an attempt to increase their profit, stopped following the regulations to match the character of the neighborhood.

Cultural influence

Musrara currently serves as an important cultural center, with a number of museums and centers of the arts. These include the Naggar School of Photography, known simply as "Musrara," the Ma'ale school of film, the School of Eastern Music, the Jerusalem Municipality's art center, the Museum on the Seam, and the Museum of Underground Prisoners. Additionally, the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design is scheduled to move to a new building in the nearby Russian Compound. Since 2009, the "muslala" group that is composed of artists, creators and residents of the neighborhood, has been developing art routs : different artist are invited to create site-specific interventions in the neighborhood public space, and the public is invited to follow in their steps, using maps that are distributed for free . the group also started the musrara community garden

External links

• Musrara Neighborhood Tour on Ynet.com (Hebrew)
• muslala project map for printing(english)
• musrara school of art
• musrara school of art - english version

References

1. ^ A stir over sign language, Haaretz
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Jerusalem Municipality - Morasha neighborhood

Coordinates: 31°46′57″N 35°13′32″E / 31.7825°N 35.22556°E / 31.7825; 35.22556