Jerusalem has been included on UNESCO’s List of Endangered World Heritage Sights since 1982. However, Israel’s suspension of ties with UNESCO in 2016 has impeded inspection — and protection — of vulnerable cultural heritage of outstanding universal value in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.  

The Illés Maquette of Jerusalem, completed in 1873, which is owned by the citizens of Geneva, allows you to virtually inspect the medieval Islamic city that was on the cusp of modernization. Since that date, Jerusalem has been divided. The Mughrabi Quarter has been destroyed.  Illegal settlements have been built. Palestinian homes have been demolished.  

Al-Aqsa is threatened by continuous tunneling. The ironically named “Family Reunification Law” and other violations seriously compromise the social and cultural fabric of the Palestinians. Most recently, and with the specific intention of further imposing a specifically Jewish narrative of Jerusalem, a 202-meter suspension bridge was built from the slopes of the Hinnon Valley to Mount Zion that provides access to the Western Wall.

The clock is ticking.  We invite you to participate in the Virtual Illes Initiative to protect Jerusalem before it’s too late.

Dr. Maryvelma Smith O’Neil Founder and Director, ARCH Jerusalem

Don’t miss this marvelous experience to discover Jerusalem virtually and to digitally explore its many historical layers, as well as the colorful mosaic of its nearly thirty neighborhoods represented in miniature.