Jerusalem and Its Environs

As reviewed on Amazon: In this wonderful well written book the author expertly describes the historical, architectural and spatial development of Jerusalem from 1800-1948. The emphasis here is on geography, space and buildings, rather than culture or society. This book covers in great detail with well placed pictures, maps and period drawings and sketches, including blueprints, the development of the city. Jerusalem in 1800 was a sparsely populated place with a walled old city that was over-crowded, polluted and disease ridden. However by mid century Jewish investment, led by Montefiore, led to the creation of religious and then secular neighborhoods outside the city. During the late 1800s and early 1900s Christian Arabs began to move into the new upper class neighborhoods of Talbieh and El Qatamon.
This well written book described this period, including the outlying neighborhoods such as Lifta, Abu Ghosh, Deir Yassin and Ein Karem. It covers religious endowments and secular and commercial building. An excellent resource for anyone studying the period, very fair and enlightening.