Batey Mahase Square, Heritage site in East Jerusalem, Palestine

Batey Mahase Square is a residential complex in the Old City made up of several buildings that were originally built as a connected settlement. The layout features structures arranged around a central open space, creating an enclosed courtyard-like arrangement.

Batei Mahse was built between 1857 and 1890 by Kollel Hod, an organization of Dutch and German Jews, as free or low-rent housing for poor families. In 1858 Rabbi Azriel Hildesheimer and the kollel bought a 13,000-square-cubit plot near the Rothschild Hospital for 84,000 Turkish grush. The complex held 100 two-room apartments, funded by donations collected as far as Australia and a large gift from Baron Wilhelm Carl von Rothschild of Frankfurt.

The Hebrew name means "shelter for the needy." Apartments were allocated in thirds: one third to Hungarian Jews, one third to German and Dutch Jews, and one third to poor Jews from other countries. Each apartment's number was carved into its lintel in Hebrew letters.

The site is located in a densely built section of the Old City and is accessible on foot, though narrow streets and uneven ground should be expected. Early morning or late afternoon visits tend to be less crowded and offer a better experience for exploring the area.

Each apartment door carries its number carved into the lintel in Hebrew letters, so residents once found their homes by reading the stone above the entrance. A third of the flats went to Hungarian families, a third to German and Dutch ones, and a third to poor Jews from other lands.