Photos of pre-1948 Palestinian mansions in Talbiyeh, West Jerusalem

I take pleasure in sharing with you some snapshots of pre-1948 Palestinian prestigious mansions in Talbiyeh, West Jerusalem. The residents of this neighbourhood all fled away in the wake of fighting which erupted in Jerusalem in 1948. All Palestinian properties were taken over by Israelis.

This is one of the prominent buildings in Talbiyeh, commonly known as Villa Salameh,  which houses the residence of the Consul General of Belgium in Jerusalem. The building - rented to the Belgian Government back in 1948 - belongs to Salameh family, which, like other Arab citizens of the town, sought refuge outside Palestine.