In 1898, the Ottomans granted Germany 8 hectares of land on the Mount of Olives. This was set aside for a church and hospice, and the complex was named after Augusta Victoria, wife of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Completed in 1910, the church is decorated with mosaics and frescos, and has a 60m-high bell tower that can be climbed by visitors (203 steps). Unfortunately, views from the bell tower are underwhelming and obscured by a safety grille.
The Turkish army occupied the hospice during WWI and the British later converted it into a military hospital – it’s still a hospital today.
