Ottoman heritage gets a boost

The municipality of Tel Aviv and the Turkish Embassy have agreed to set up a Turkish heritage visitors' center in Jaffa.

The municipality of Tel Aviv and the Turkish Embassy have agreed to set up a Turkish heritage visitors' center in a newly renovated Ottoman-era building in Jaffa, reports www.local.co.il. Beit Saria was built in 1897 for the Turkish government and also served as a house for the Turkish governor. According to the report, the building was recently renovated at a cost of NIS 4 million by the city in conjunction with the Tourism Ministry. Now the city has reached an agreement with the Turkish embassy to convert it to a Turkish heritage visitors' center. The Turks will conduct further renovations inside the building, including restoring wall frescoes with the assistance of old photographs and experts in Ottoman art.