Al-Madrasa al-Rashidiyya is located a few meters from the Palestine Museum building. In most cases, entry to the premises is permitted, especially during school days (with the exception of Friday and Sunday) during the morning hours.
The school is one of the main educational features of the city, with many generations studying and graduating from it over the years, including this writer. The school was established by Muhammad Rashid, the Ottoman governor of Jerusalem, in 1906. It was known in the past as the Arab College and had students from neighboring countries, as well as many Palestinian cities.
Building Characteristics
Al-Rashidiyya building is typical of the Arab building style at the beginning of the twentieth century. The building’s fabric resonates with construction modernism and local traditions, including many large windows and stressing internal space, with the end of the building receding into a pediment, while the window and door lintels protrude from the wall level. The arch keyss also protrude in line with these lintels. A suspended entrance is accessed by a wide staircase ending in an open space, serving as a distributor leading to a wide internal double staircase, giving the feeling that one is entering an imperial palace. Among the local architectural features is the use of arches and stone and adding an inscription of a memorial text, as can be seen at the top of the main southern façade of the school building.
