Jerusalem District

The Jerusalem District is one of the most diverse and historically rich regions in Israel. Since ancient times, Jerusalem and its surroundings have served as a vibrant religious, political, social, and cultural center, with evidence of this remarkable heritage found throughout the city.

While Jerusalem is best known for its ancient history, the Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel seeks to highlight later, yet equally fascinating and significant, chapters in the city’s story, beginning in the eighteenth century.

The district’s heritage sites include Arab and Jewish buildings constructed during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries under the Ottoman Empire; sites that bear witness to the many battles fought in the city—from the First World War to the Six-Day War; buildings and institutions established during the British Mandate; neighborhoods built for the New Yishuv; and the civic institutions of Israel’s young capital.

The district encompasses the entire municipal area of Jerusalem (126 sq. km), as well as the Mateh Yehuda Regional Council (64 communities, approximately 50,000 residents, 480 sq. km), the city of Beit Shemesh (approximately 180,000 residents, 38 sq. km), and the local councils of Abu Ghosh, Har Adar, Mevaseret Zion, Kiryat Ye’arim, and Tzur Hadassah. This is the district where the heart of Israel’s built heritage has been beating continuously for centuries, more than anywhere else in the country.

Jerusalem’s unique conservation challenges stem from its status as Israel’s largest city and the intense pressures of urban development. The Historic City area and Jerusalem’s designated conservation zones—including Ein Kerem, Malha, Lifta, Beit Hakerem, Talpiot, Romema, Beit Vegan, Abu Tor, Shuafat, and the historic village cores in East Jerusalem—cover approximately 15 square kilometers, representing around 11 percent of the city’s total area.

These areas contain thousands of historic sites and dozens of conservation precincts, representing the story of settlement and cultural landscapes that all require careful protection.

Jerusalem is home to approximately one million residents. It has Israel’s largest Jewish population, its largest Arab population, and its largest ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) community.

We believe that preserving and promoting the city’s built cultural heritage enriches the lives of both residents and visitors, creating a high-quality living environment that serves as a foundation for economic and social growth. Preserving this heritage is both a moral obligation to previous generations and a responsibility toward those who will follow us.

The Jerusalem District team works to safeguard the city’s heritage and historic landscape through three principal areas of activity:

Planning and Statutory Processes

The Council advances heritage conservation through statutory planning tools and planning procedures. As a professional public body authorized by law to submit objections under Section 100(3) of the Planning and Building Law, the Council serves as an active public guardian throughout planning processes conducted by local and district planning committees.

We submit professional opinions and appeals regarding building permits, local outline plans, national master plans, and strategic planning documents. We also promote heritage surveys, documentation projects, and conservation policy documents.

Practical Conservation and Physical Preservation

The district initiates projects to prevent the demolition and deterioration of heritage sites, carries out physical conservation work, and promotes the restoration and adaptive reuse of historic buildings and sites for the benefit of the public.

Education and Public Engagement

The district promotes heritage values through conferences, seminars, guided tours, and educational activities. We work to increase public awareness, disseminate professional knowledge, and encourage community involvement in preserving Jerusalem’s heritage.

Our activities seek to instill an appreciation of heritage as a living testimony to the values that shape our identity, while strengthening community pride, a sense of belonging, and social resilience.

The district’s work is founded on the understanding that heritage conservation and development should complement one another. We therefore maintain an ongoing dialogue with planning authorities, local governments, and residents to ensure that conservation becomes an integral part of the city’s future.

We have established a new Jerusalem Public Forum, composed of local professionals from a wide range of disciplines who volunteer their expertise on behalf of the city’s heritage. The Forum serves as a civic advisory body supporting the district’s activities and works to safeguard Jerusalem’s historic landscape, cultural assets, unique character, and spirit with professionalism, responsibility, commitment, and determination in the public interest.

You are welcome to contact us at any time by email at tzafi@shimur.org.il.

Jerusalem District Office
46 Ben Maimon Boulevard
Jerusalem

We look forward to hearing from you.

Architect Tzafi Shelef
Director, Jerusalem District
The Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel