Jacir Palace or Qasr Jacir ( ar, قصر جاسر) is the largest hotel in

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

in the central

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

. The building's original design was based on typical Palestinian architecture and the characteristics of an

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

household. Jacir Palace has three floors, each spanning 800 sq m. The newly built hotel added an outdoor swimming pool, a health spa, two meeting rooms, 250 available rooms and 11 food and beverage outlets including restaurants and bars.Hotel International: Jacir
Zara Investment (Holding) Co. Ltd Jacir Palace was built in 1910 by local craftsmen on commission of the former mayor of Bethlehem, also a merchant, Suleiman Jacir (great grandfather of Nasri Jacir, Emily and

Annemarie Jacir Annemarie Jacir ( ar, آن ماري جاسر) is a Palestinian filmmaker, writer, and producer. Career Filmmaker She has been working in independent cinema since 1998 and has written, directed and produced a number of award-winning films. Two o ...

), who intended that he and his five brothers’ families would live in the mansion together. So they did for a time, however, the family went bankrupt in the 1920s and were forced to sell the palace and its furniture. Jacir Palace was eventually taken over by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

who used it as a women's prison in the 1940s. In the 1950s it was a private school called al-Ummah, later the house became a public boys school and at a still later stage was transformed into a public girls school. The house was also used by the Israel Defence Forces, particularly during the First Intifada, as a point of control considering its advantageous location and continued to be a major point of confrontation between local stone-throwing youths and the IDF. Jacir Palace Hotel

In 2000, a group of Palestinian investors belonging to PEDCAR — which is linked to the

Palestinian National Authority The Palestinian National Authority (PA or PNA; ar, السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية '), commonly known as the Palestinian Authority and officially the State of Palestine,

— acquired Jacir Palace; they refurbished and renovated it soon after. Munib il Masri, father of filmmaker

Mai Masri Mai Masri ( ar, مي المصري; born April 2, 1959) is a Palestinian filmmaker, director and producer. Her films are primarily documentaries which focus on the real life struggles of the women and children living in the occupied Palestinian te ...

, now owns the Palace. However, the hotel was closed down from 2000 to 2005. It closed again in 2021 because of the COVID-19 epidemic, and remains shut in January 2023.Jacir Palace, InterContinental Bethlehem re-opens for business
InterContinental Hotels Group

References

{{coord, 31.7116, 35.1993, display=title, type:landmark_region:IL Buildings and structures completed in 1910 Buildings and structures in Bethlehem Hotels in the State of Palestine Palaces in the State of Palestine

See also

References