A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY: THE BOMBED OTTOMAN MERCHANT HOUSE Located in the heart of Nablus' old town, the hostel is accommodated in a typical Nabulsi merchant housing-&-productive complex from the Ottoman period. The hostel is part of a dwelling complex built by the Ashour family, a notable Nabulsi family locally historically famous for its trades and the production of soap. The complex was built around the 17th century and consists in two adjacent residencies and a soap factory. Being bombed during the 2nd Intifada (2002), the building lost its roofing and went partially burned, and was abandoned by its owners, who resettled outside the kasbah. BACK TO LIFE: AN EXERCISE IN CRITICAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION In the Spring of 2019, one of the two dwellings was fully restored so to accommodate the hostel: the project was initiated and directed by Al-Marsam according to the principles of the heritage conservation theories from the Rome school of thought, and realized with the cooperation and involvement of artisans and workers from the kasbah of Nablus. The renovation of the second residency is planned for the Fall 2019. The revitalization project offered the occasion to test effective, low-budget techniques and for creating in cooperation with the local artisans modern design solutions that well integrate the ancient building, restoring its damaged or destroyed parts, adding to its atmosphere without betraying the authenticity of the domestic environment of this Ottoman dwelling.
