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Cultural
Dimensions |
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The New
Orient House
A History of Palestinian Hospitality
A landmark East Jerusalem Mansion has existed in our midst without
much notice and stature. Built by the late Ismail Musa Al-Husseini
in 1897, the Orient House Building has stood as a witness to the
city’s old and beautiful landscape.
The owner of the building applied both taste and grandeur in the
erection of his own home. Due to the prestige endowed to this house,
foreign dignitaries used to be hosted at the Husseini House. The
building was site to a number of functions, including a tea party in
honor of the German Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm, when he visited
Jerusalem in 1900.
When Sharif Hussein Ben Ali (Sharif of Mecca) was buried in the Holy
Mosque in Jerusalem, condolences were accepted in the Husseini
Mansion by his sons King Abdallah, King Ali and Prince Zaid in the
year 1930.
When the Emperor of Ethiopia Hilla Silasi and Empress Minan of
Abyssinia were overthrown by Italians in 1936-1937, he came to
Jerusalem and set his court in the Husseini House.
In 1945, the owner Ismail Husseini died and left the property in the
hands of his son Ibrahim. In 1949-1950 the House was used as
headquarters for the Conciliation Committee, and the UNRWA (United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees) after
that.
Under the ownership period of Ibrahim Husseini, the House was opened
to the public and thus became a hotel, better known as “The New
Orient House” Hotel. It was among the first hotels in Jerusalem,
especially at a time when Arab Jerusalem was lacking in hotels,
after the withdrawal of the British Mandate forces from Palestine in
1948.
With the onset of additional turmoil to Jerusalem in 1967 and with
the deterioration in economic conditions at a time when the tourist
traffic became scarce, the owners of the New Orient House closed the
building and re-used it as a house again.
The up-keep of such a large building in today’s economic conditions
became very hard. Although the owners rented out the top floor to an
international agency, the spirit of the Orient House remained absent
and the building stood neglected.
At the outset of 1983, the Arab Studies Society rented a section of
the establishment in order to set up in it offices for archives,
press data, statistics, and other resources. At the same time the
A.S.S. rented another section of the building which was used for
research and administrative offices. Unfortunately, on the eve of
July 28, 1988, the Israeli occupation forces broke into the building
and closed the establishment for security reasons. In late July
1992, the Israeli authorities permitted all the offices of the Arab
Studies Society to re-open. With the Headquarters of the Society
located in the annexed section of the building, it was only logical
for Mr. Faisal Husseini to rent the whole premises. With some
renovation and re-construction, the Orient House regained that lost
spirit, its elegance and pride.
During the periods between 1897 and 1930, the Orient House stood as
the only formidable Palestinian Guest House, where a foreign
dignitary always found a welcoming Home. On October 26, 1992, the
Orient House re-opened its door again to welcome its guests as an
official Palestinian Guest House.
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