Viennese Strudel in the Muslim Quarter
במהלך המאה ה- 19, לאור היחלשותה של האימפריה העות’מאנית, החלו המעצמות הקולוניאליות האירופאיות לנסות ולהשיג דריסת רגל בירושלים. גם הקיסרות האוסטרו-הונגרית החליטה לחזק את נוכחותה בעיר הקודש, ובאמצע המאה ה- 19 נבנה בית הארחה לצליינים אוסטרים ברובע המוסלמי. האכסניה, בשמה הרשמי “ההוספיס האוסטרי של המשפחה הקדושה”, נחנכה רשמית ברוב טקס על ידי הקיסר פרנץ יוזף בכבודו ובעצמו בשנת 1869, במהלך מסעו בארץ ישראל.
With the British occupation of the Land of Israel after World War I the building was used as an orphanage, and between the two world wars returned to being used as a hostel for pilgrims. After World War II, it became a hospital, and continued to be used for this purpose even during the Jordanian rule. King Abdullah I, who was shot in an assassination attempt on the Temple Mount in 1951 alongside his young grandson, Hussein, was rushed to the hospital mortally wounded, but died of his wounds. In the mid-1980s, the building was returned to its Austrian owners and went back to being used as a hostel for pilgrims and tourists.
The guest house is a surprising bubble of European tranquility amidst the Middle Eastern chaos of Old Jerusalem. On the entrance floor there is a large portrait of the emperor. It also houses a cafeteria designed in Viennese style with a well-kept and beautiful garden, where you can find typical Austrian foods such as Viennese schnitzel and Strudel cake. The first floor has kept the classic style from the empire days. The luxurious lounge, which looks like it was taken straight out of a 19th century European palace, is paneled in wood and decorated with ornaments and paintings.
The Austrian hospice is especially known for the spectacular view from its roof. This is one of the best view points on the Temple Mount and the Old City, and most of the city's main sites are visible from it, including the Nablus Gate, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Hurva Synagogue, the Church of the Redeemer, and more.
(Anecdote authored by: עמיר)
(Number of views: 31)
English 
עִבְרִית