Last Saturday me and my parents spent a night in the historic city of Bethlehem. We stayed at the Jacir Palace hotel, a building constructed by a wealthy merchant in 1910, Suleiman Jacer. It's a pretty interesting site, apparently it was used by both the British and Israelis for military purposes, such is luxurious modern warfare. Now it's been transformed into a hotel after being acquired by Intercontinental.
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| Jacir Palace |
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| Jacir Palace |
I haven't been to Bethlehem for about 8-9 years, and since then a lot has changed. The separation wall stands scenically less than 200 feet from Jacir Palace, wrapping itself around the historic city, almost as if Asclepius himself has wielded this snake-like feature. I was literally stunned, we don't really see the wall in Ramallah, unless you drive towards the outskirts of the city.
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| Separation wall |
Our main aim was to check out my dad's work in Bethlehem. He's currently the chair of the Solomon's Pools Company. Unless you've studied archaeology or have an avid interest in ancient pools, you've probably never heard of Solomon's Pools. The site has three historic pools constructed around 2 BCE (Before Common Era is a politically correct term for Before Christ) during the reign of King Herod, and was used to store and supply water to the area. The Solomon's Pools Company is essentially a private sector venture with multiple investors to transform this historic site into a tourist destination.
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| Solomon's Pools before development |
In Europe/America something like the Solomon's Pools development might be referred to as a flagship project/design, usually as part of a wider urban regeneration plan. The Guggenheim museum in Bilbao is probably a close example I can think of, although it's a site in itself, the museum was only part of a project to regenerate the waterfront in Bilbao and create a knock-on effect for economic development. The Solomon's Pools development is also part of a wider urban regeneration project, called the Bethlehem Development Initiative (BDI) (http://www.bethlehemdevelopment.org/about-us26).
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| Guggenheim museum |
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| Solomon's Pools development |
To support the BDI, a group of Palestinian philanthropists decided to set up a non-governmental organisation called The Bethlehem Development Foundation. All decisions and plans are derived from extensive research carried out by this NGO. Some may argue that flagship projects often involve the commodification of grass-root culture/heritage for unfair profit making, producing something that is not universally accessible or liked. The Solomon's Pools development does not however feel like such a project. The owners do not aim to make large profits out of it, only enough to sustain and improve it. Said Khoury, a Palestinian-born billionaire in the top 1000 richest people in the world, is the biggest stakeholder in this whole initiative. It would be silly to suggest that Said is in it for the money, you only have to walk around Bethlehem/Jerusalem/Ramallah and count the number of mosques/churches/buildings donated by Mr. Khoury.
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| BDI board of directors |
Driving around Bethlehem feels a bit cramped, at one point we couldn't even pass through a road because it was filled with pedestrians (sidewalks are a taboo in Palestine). Apart from the Church of Nativity square, there was no other open space area like a park or fountain etc., the 'city centre' seemed to extend in an odd linear fashion. If you're a tourist you might not mind this feeling, as you're interested in seeing the churches or just looking at the old buildings etc. But if you're a resident in Bethlehem, these problems would probably irk you.
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| Cramped city centre |
There's always an emphasis on "place" when flagships are considered, and this one is no different. Clearly the BDI have considered the issue of place-making when they were designing this development, and the challenges the city faces. In a way, the Solomon's Pools development feels like a breathe of fresh air for the residents of Bethlehem. It's offering an alternative open space for people. The multi-use development seems to be absorbing aspects of the Bethlehem culture, evident in the different shops/cafes/restaurants opening, trying to create a meaning for "place".
The site also didn't feel exclusively like a tourist destination. The Ramadan festival going on this month was filled with families and young people from Bethlehem who literally came to hang out, without the need to spend money. If you like walking around, there's the Sultan's Bazaar, an arabic style open-air market experience. Then there's Kani Mani restaurant, a renovated Ottoman mini castle serving arabic dishes. There's also a museum showcasing different chapters of Palestinian history. Finally, there's a function area where various performances can take place.
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| Sultan Bazaar |
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| Function area |
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| Murad Museum |
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| Kani Mani restaurant |
Next week, Palestinian superstar Mohammed Assaf will be performing at Solomon's Pool in front of thousands.
The BDI feels exactly like the kind of improvisation needed by Bethlehem when local government is plagued by lack of funding and inefficient management (often the result of Israeli pressures and restrictions). If executed well, I think the Bethlehem Development Initiative, backed by its flagship Solomon's Pools development, could be Palestine's first successful comprehensive urban regeneration project.
