Quick facts

Location

The Saraya stands at the heart of the Old City of Nazareth in the Lower Galilee, among its markets and alleys, close to the White Mosque and the Basilica of the Annunciation. It looks out over Marj Ibn Amer, whose security Zahir al-Umar oversaw from here.

History: from Zahir al-Umar to the municipality

• 1730–1740: Zahir al-Umar al-Zaydani built the Saraya as the seat of Nazareth's government and administration and made it his home. From here he oversaw security in the Nazareth area and Marj Ibn Amer as he extended his control over Galilee.
• Mid-19th century: an arcade was added to the building's upper floor.
• Early 20th century: the clock tower was built to mark the 25th anniversary of Sultan Abdul Hamid II's accession.
• Until 1991: the building remained the seat of the city's administration and municipality, which then moved to a new building.
• Today: the Nazareth municipality has begun restoration work to turn the building into a museum of the city's history.

Architecture: the haremlik and selamlik

The Saraya was designed in the manner of Ottoman palaces. It included the private living quarters of the ruler's family, known as the haremlik, and the wing for receiving visitors and guests, known as the selamlik, along with a prison and stables, bringing together government, residence and security in a single building. In the mid-19th century an arcade was added to its upper floor, enhancing the elegance of its façade.

The clock tower

In the early 20th century a clock tower in the Italian Renaissance style was added to the Saraya to mark the 25th anniversary of Sultan Abdul Hamid II's accession to the Ottoman throne. It was one of seven clock towers built in Palestine for the occasion, alongside those of Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, Acre, Safad and Nablus, as part of an Ottoman policy of modernising cities. Added to the seat of government, the tower became a symbol of modern authority in the city.

The Saraya prayer hall and the White Mosque

In Zahir al-Umar's time Nazareth had no mosque, so he set aside a prayer hall for Muslims inside the Saraya. It served them until the White Mosque was completed in 1812, becoming the city's first mosque and one of its most prominent landmarks alongside the Basilica of the Annunciation, an image of the coexistence of Nazareth's Muslims and Christians.

Ottoman clock towers in Palestine

The Nazareth tower was one of seven Ottoman clock towers in Palestine: the Jaffa tower in Clock Square, the Haifa tower opposite al-Jarina Mosque, the Acre tower above Khan al-Umdan, the Safad tower near the Saraya, the Nablus tower (al-Manara) at Bab al-Saha, and the Jerusalem tower above Bab al-Khalil, which the British Mandate removed in 1922. The Nazareth tower stands out as part of the Saraya building itself and for its Italian Renaissance-inspired style.

Nazareth and the Nakba

Zionist militias occupied Nazareth on Friday 16 July 1948. Unlike many Palestinian cities, most of Nazareth's people remained in their city, and thousands of refugees from surrounding villages took shelter there, among them the people of Saffuriya, many of whom settled in the Safafra quarter. Nazareth became the main administrative and cultural centre for Palestinians inside the Green Line and the most important cultural and media centre for the Arab population of the areas occupied in 1948. Throughout those decades the Saraya remained the seat of its Arab municipality, until 1991.

The Saraya today (2026)

After the municipality moved to a new building in 1991, the Nazareth municipality began restoration work on the Saraya to turn it into a museum of the city's history. As a first step, its infrastructure was restored and the structure reinforced. The project is expected to bring one of the Old City's most important landmarks back to life, telling future generations the story of Nazareth from Zahir al-Umar to the present, in the hands of its own people.

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion

From Zahir al-Umar's seat of government and the city's first Muslim prayer hall, to an Ottoman clock tower and the home of an Arab municipality that endured after the Nakba, the Nazareth Saraya has carried nearly three centuries of the city's history. Now, as it prepares to become a museum, it stands as a witness that Nazareth, the capital of Palestinians inside the Green Line, still tells its own story.