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Mamilla Mall sits just outside the Jaffa Gate of the Old City and is the only open-air shopping mall in Jerusalem. It opened in two stages from 2007 to 2008.
History
Mamilla was originally a neighborhood established in the late 19th century. It was a mixed Jewish and Arab business district from its foundation until the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. From 1949 to 1969, the western ¾ of the neighborhood belonged to Israel while the eastern quarter was a no-man’s land between Israeli and Jordanian lines. Most of the eastern end, which makes up today’s Mamilla Mall, was destroyed by Jordanian shelling.
After the Six-Day War in 1967, controversial redevelopment plans stalled any reconstruction of the area. It remained an eyesore for several years throughout the 1970s and 80s. 700 families were evicted from their homes during that time. Construction was delayed several times for several different reasons.
Mamilla Mall
The heart of the redevelopment project was the upscale Mamilla Mall, which opened 37 years after its initial proposal.
The mall consists of a 610 meter (2,000 foot) pedestrian promenade lined by international stores, restaurants, cafés, and office space. It sits atop a multi-story parking garage and bus terminal. There are also two hotels and a condominium complex, which were completed in the 1990s.
Mamilla Mall is lined with 19th century façades restored from the original Mamilla Street as well as a few original buildings. There are 140 stores taking up 28,000 square meters (300,000 square feet) of retail space. They attract tourists and locals of all different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Up to 20,000 people visit the mall daily during peak tourist season.
Along the promenade, there are often art exhibitions and sculptures on display. All of the pieces are made by local artists and many are for sale.
Convent of St. Vincent de Paul
One prominent building along Mamilla Mall is the Convent of St. Vincent de Paul. It was built in 1886 and was the first structure on Mamilla Street. It’s operated by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, an order of French nuns. It housed an orphanage, old-age home, and a shelter for the mentally and physically handicapped.
Jerusalem International YMCA
A few blocks south of Mamilla Mall along King David Street is the Jerusalem International YMCA, which was established in the early 20th century. In 1924, Archibald Clinton Harte, the General Secretary of the International YMCA, raised $1 million towards its construction.
The cornerstone of the building was laid in 1928 by Herbert Plumer (1857-1932), the British High Commissioner for Palestine, on a plot of land purchased from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. It opened on April 18, 1933, and was designed by American architect Arthur Loomis Harmon (1878-1958).
The Jerusalem YMCA contained the city’s first heated swimming pool and first gymnasium with a wooden floor. It also had the only football stadium in Jerusalem until 1991, housing the Beitar Jerusalem Football Club.
