Mamilla

The most refined piece of real estate outside the Old City is Mamilla, a lump of land due west of Jaffa Gate that is dominated by the King David Hotel. The area includes parks, gardens, some of the best hotels in the city and rows of affluent homes overlooking the golden walls of the Old City.

Mamilla was developed in the mid-19th century as the first residential neighbourhood outside the Old City walls. Commerce was brisk and expansion went unabated until 1948 when war broke out and a line was drawn between Arabs and Jews. For 19 years the valley between east and west Jerusalem was a sniper-targeted no-man's-land. The unification of the city had Mamilla back in the sights of developers and the area has been given an air of exclusivity.

HaMelekh David St, which runs south from the New City centre down to the railway station, escaped the fighting relatively unscathed and has several important landmarks, including the architecturally noteworthy Hebrew Union College building, the King David Hotel and the YMCA.