Home to the landmark Montefiore Windmill , built in 1875 to provide the basis for a Jewish flour industry, this leafy neighbourhood was part of a scheme developed by English philanthropist Sir Moses Montefiore, who visited the Holy Land seven times in the mid-19th century. Hoping to aid the Jews living in Jerusalem and seeking to ease overcrowding within the city walls, Montefiore commissioned a block of 16 apartments that are today known as Mishkenot Sha’ananim (Tranquil Dwellings).
The flour mill was abandoned after only 18 years, made redundant by new steam-powered alternatives, and its upper portion was dismantled in the late 1940s. A new dome and blades identical to those of the original were added in 2012 (funded by Dutch Christians) and the mill's blades now turn for tourism and educational purposes.
