Minorities District

The Minorities District was set up in 2008 and is comprised of all the minority populations from the far south to the north, including Muslim, Druze, Bedouin, Circassian, and Christian communities.

In this district, a variety of preserved sites and buildings can be found, all of which tell the fascinating story of a population that has lived in Israel for generations. 

Currently, we are actively involved in advancing the work of The Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel in projects that will generate change in the minority populations, such as the World Circassian Museum in Kfar Kama, the Daher al-Omar Citadel in Dir Hana and the designation of additional buildings for conservation.

Presently, two conservation committees operate in the Minorities District, one in the north and one in the Triangle (the eastern Sharon plain), and are composed of engineers, architects and public figures. The committees convene once every four months to discuss buildings for conservation and prepare conservation guidelines for urban development plans in the minority sector. 

We managed to set up conservation committees in some of the Minority Municipalities, but these committees not active for reasons related to the municipalities themselves. The problems we encounter daily are not easy, since most of the buildings in this sector are under private, not public, ownership, a fact that seriously impedes our work.

The conservation challenges in this sector are not easy and The Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel is being watched carefully by the population. Some of the communities question the value of these conservations efforts, while others recognize the potential for development and economic growth, such as in Kfar Kama.  

Many of the buildings we managed to locate in these areas were fit for conservation; unfortunately, some of the buildings were past the point of repair due to their low architectural quality and the lack of attention paid to them over the years. Nevertheless, our work in these areas has already made a significant mark. We hope to continue this important work by putting conservation on the agenda of these minority councils and communities, ensuring that conservation and preservation become an integral part of the community’s development. 

Amir Mezarib
Director, Minorities District