Batei Saidoff, Historic residential compound on Jaffa Road, Jerusalem, Israel.
Batei Saidoff is a former courtyard compound on the southern side of Jaffa Road at numbers 153–157, built as two long two-story buildings whose commercial front curves along the road, with two smaller two-story wings enclosing an inner courtyard. Two entrances on Jaffa Road lead into the courtyard, where two cisterns were dug and a staircase rises to a balcony running along the upper story, off which the homes opened.
Yitzhak Saidoff, a wealthy Bukharan Jew, built the compound in 1911 as one of several courtyard neighborhoods along Jaffa Road, alongside Sha'arei Yerushalayim and Ohel Shlomo. By the 1950s its residents were mainly poor Sephardi and Mizrahi families, and family dwellings gave way to workshops and warehouses. The facade was refurbished in 1983; after a conservation dispute reached the Supreme Court, building rights for the tower were granted in 2008.
The name Batei Saidoff means "Saidoff Houses," after builder Yitzhak Saidoff. Writers Herzl and Balfour Hakak, who grew up here until age 12, left memoirs of courtyard life. The ground floor now holds shops, cafes and a synagogue, and the Bita Jerusalem center operates in the western part of the building.
The site sits between Mahane Yehuda Market and Jaffa Road, with good access via the Light Rail system connecting to central areas. The open courtyard layout allows visitors to wander freely and observe how the original buildings relate to modern structures.
The tower was designed by architect Rani Zis and rises 24 stories, not 23, according to the Hebrew source. Most of its luxury apartments were sold to overseas residents. The courtyard around it was paved, planted with trees, and given a fountain.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,883 contributors worldwide.