THE PALACE HOTEL - A Turkish touch...

The Palace Hotel - Jerusalem
By Akil Ulukaya

The Palace Hotel was built in 1928-29 on the initiative of the Supreme Muslim Council, during the term of Raghib Nashashibi as the British-appointed mayor of Jerusalem. Designed by Turkish architect Mimar Kemalettin and completed by his student architect Mehmet Nihat.

Mimar Kemalettin

Hotel built by one Arab and two Jewish contractors employing some 500 workers, the four-story building was completed in the record time of eleven months (the contract stipulated a deadline of 13 months, with a 1000 pound fine for each day of delay).

A mixture of Greco-Roman, Renaissance, Gothic, Romanesque, neo-Moorish and Mamluk elements was combined in this eclectic structure, which became one of the most luxurious buildings in Jerusalem. Located a short walk from the Old City, at the bottom of Agron Street (previously Mamilla Road), the building was meant to be a showpiece of Arab architecture in Jerusalem, both in appearance and in the comfort it afforded. Of the 145 rooms, 45 had private bathrooms - unheard of in the country at the time - and there were three elevators and central heating - another rare luxury. The facade was adorned with engraved verses from the Koran and the entrance lobby, topped by an octagonal skylight, reached to the entire height of the building. Decorative columns with Doric, Ionic and Corinthian capitals grace the entrance, and the lighting fixtures throughout the building were done in the art deco style.

The financial load of the hotel's upkeep proved too much for the Supreme Muslim Council, and it leased the hotel to hotelier George Barsky, who, in turn, found that he could not compete with the nearby King David Hotel, once it opened in 1931. Shortly thereafter the Palace Hotel ended its career as a hotel; it was turned into administrative and military offices of the mandatory government. In 1937, the Royal Peel Commission, which investigated the ongoing Arab riots and recommended the partition of Palestine, convened in the hotel. Since the establishment of the State in 1948, the building has housed the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

BEAUTIFUL DETAILS OF THE PALACE HOTEL...
(BEFORE THE RENOVATION)

Jerusalem to get Waldorf-Astoria hotel in 2010

New hotel, managed by Hilton chain, to include 220 rooms and suites, swimming pool and spa

During the British Mandate the Palace served as military and administrative offices and with the establishment of The State of Israel the Ministry of Trade took up residence. In 1936 a radio studio was opened in the Palace building belonging to the National Radio Authority. In recent years the structure had been abandoned until it was purchased in 2005 by Paul Reichman.







Another Turkish touch.....
After 81 years , another Turkish architect Sinan Kafadar and Metex Design Group is
doing the interior design of The Palace - Jerusalem ( Waldorf Astoria)

Mimar Sinan Kafadar




MIMAR KEMALEDDIN - Wikipedia - Turkish
http://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimar_Kemaleddin

http://www.metexdesign.com/

http://www.jerusalemquarterly.org/pdfs/18_haj%20Amin.pdf

Thanks to Yaniv for the beautiful pictures of The Palace Hotel :
click to see more pictures of Yaniv at Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ppudding/sets/72157601064862333/

BOOK : The Supreme Muslim Council - By Uri M. Kupferschmidt

http://books.google.com/books?id=eNEUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA136&lpg=PA136&dq=PALACE+HOTEL+JERUSALEM+TURKISH+ARCHITECT&source=bl&ots=ojr0zQOg1k&sig=VPpv38gTdQ6VyNbpiMguox2d8cU&hl=en&ei=Zm6qSZOaM6KHjAfTmrH9Dw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result

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Aquils recepies

KARNI YARIK (Eggplant split belly )

Ingredients 6 eggplants 400 gr. ground meat 1/3 glass rice 2 tablespoons margarine 2 onions 2 tomatoes 1 lemon (juice) 1/2 tablespoon salt 1 bunch parsley 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 1/2 glasses water

Preparation : Peel the eggplants in lengthwise strips at 1 1/2 cm intervals. Depending on their sizes cut accross into either 2 or 3 pieces and remove the insides of each eggplant. Put the margarine and the chopped onions into a pan and saute until the onions are tender. Add washed rice and 1 glass of water, close the lid and cook for about 10 minutes over moderate heat. Remove from heat, add the ground meat, salt, black pepper, the peeled-sliced-chopped tomatoes and chopped parsley, mixing all together for about 5 minutes. Stuff the eggplants with this mixture, place in a pan and cover with a plate. Add 1 1/2 glasses water and the lemon juice and cook over moderate heat for about 40-50 minutes. Remove from heat, place in a serving dish and serve.

see the Kıtchen TV video ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj7IBllVCk0&feature=related

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Artichoke with Olive oil

Artichoke with Olive oil (Zeytinyağlı Enginar)

Ingredients	Measure	Amount
Artichoke	8 medium size	1.5 kg
Lemon juice	2/5 cup	80 gr
Onion	2 medium size	120 gr
Carrot	2 medium size	200 gr
Green peas	1/2 cup	75 gr
Olive Oil	1/2 cup	100 gr
Dill	1 bunch	40 gr
Potatoe	2 medium size	200 gr
Salt	2 teaspoon	12 gr
Sugar	2 teaspoon	8 gr
Water	1 1/2 cup	300 gr
Flour	1 tablespoon	6 gr
Lemon juice	1 1/2 tablespoon	15 gr

Preparation

Cut off 2 1/2 cm (1 inch) of tops of artichokes with a sharp knife. Trim stems leaving 1 cm (1/2 inch) stub. Remove outside lower leaves and thorny leaf tips and wash. Place water in a saucepan. Add lemon juice. Place artichokes in water. Set aside. Cut onions in quarters. Slice into 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) slices. Cut pared (or scraped) carrots into lenghtwise. Slice 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick diagonally. Remove artichokes from water. Combine with onions, carrots and peas in a saucepan. Place dill bunch tied up firmly. Sprinkle with salt and sugar. Add lemon juice, olive oil and hot water . cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes. Reduce heat. Pare potatoes and cut into 1 cm (1/2 inch) cubes. Add to vegetables. Cook over low heat until potatoes are tender. Dissolve flour in cold water. Stir in lemon juice. Blend in vegetables stirring constantly. Simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat; cool. Remove artichokes from pan. Place on a serving plate, with open sides up. Spoon mix vegetables over artichokes. Garnish with coarsely chopped dill. Serve cold.

Servings: 6

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ÇIĞIRTMA ( From Bergama)

Malzemeler

6 adet ince patlıcan 1 kilo domates 10-12 diş sarımsak 1 su bardağı zeytinyağı

Hazırlanış

patlıcanları alacalı olarak soyun ve içlerine zeytinyağı işlemesi için bıçakla derin çizin. Tencereye patlıcanları ve zeytinyağını koyun tencerenin kapağını kapatıp 45-50 dakika çok kısık ateşte pişirin.Kabukları soyulmuş ve 6 ya elma dilimi gibi kesilmiş domatesleri ve sarımsakları üzerine yayıp 45-50 dakika daha pişirin.Sıcak olarak servis yapın.