Published: 9 November 2018
Last updated: 4 March 2024
WALK DOWN THE STREETS of Ramallah on any given weekday, and the call to prayer from the city’s mosques is likely to be drowned out by the sound of construction, while dust from newly dug foundations always seems to find its way into homes.
The de-facto capital of Palestine – situated an hour north of Jerusalem – is experiencing a construction boom bigger than in any other city in the West Bank.
Ramallah’s location plays a big part in its real estate prices, but the lack of progress in peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine has given them a further boost. “With the hopes of Jerusalem becoming our capital dwindling to maybe zero, a lot more people are interested in investing now in Ramallah,” says Sahar Qawasmi, co-founder and director of Sakiya, a residency program for art, science and agriculture.
But the building of new apartment blocks and glitzy shopping malls comes at a cost. According to local architects, a quarter of a century ago Ramallah boasted 832 historical houses. Only 380 still stand.
FULL STORY Ramallah construction boom threatens city's architectural heritage (Guardian)
Photo: Protection for any structure built later than 1917 requires the intervention of Palestine’s minister of antiquities (Courtesy: Sahar Qawasmi)
