Beit HaNassi, Presidential residence in Talbiya, Jerusalem, Israel

Beit HaNassi is the official residence of the President of Israel, a rectangular building on a ten-dunam plot in the Talbiya neighborhood of Jerusalem. Its ceremonial hall, two storeys high, holds Moshe Castel's blue 5x5.5-metre relief "Wall of Praise to Jerusalem" and Reuben Rubin's stained-glass windows of biblical scenes. The facade is clad in sawn granite from the mountains of Eilat, and flat concrete domes top the building and its gate.

Plans for a permanent residence began in 1963 under Zalman Shazar, who rejected a site among existing government buildings; a ten-dunam plot in Talbiya was chosen instead. Aba Elhanani won the 1964 competition from 47 entries, but budget cuts halted work until 1967. Shazar inaugurated the house in spring 1972, and the first state events were held there on Independence Day that year.

The residence's ceremonial hall displays national and biblical motifs commissioned from leading Israeli artists of the period: a 5 by 5.5 metre blue relief, "Wall of Praise to Jerusalem", made by Moshe Castel from crushed basalt, faces a "Golden Scroll" recalling the Dead Sea Scrolls. Reuven Rubin's stained-glass windows show David entering Jerusalem, Jacob wrestling the angel and Elijah ascending. The ceiling holds 63 paintings by Naftali Bezem on asbestos panels, and Shraga Weil designed the tall entrance doors.

Visits require advance reservations and are subject to strict security procedures with specific identification requirements for all guests. Visitors should plan ahead and check current access requirements before making the trip.

The ceremonial hall's floor is a mosaic by Heinz Fenchel, and its ceiling holds 63 paintings by Naftali Bezem on asbestos panels depicting scenes of immigration to Israel. On the southern wall hangs Moshe Castel's 5 by 5.5 metre blue relief "Wall of Praise to Jerusalem", made with crushed basalt arranged in courses like the Western Wall.