Tradition says that Sinan, the architect for
Suleiman the Magnificent, was put to death by the Sultan after he rebuilt the walls of the
Old City of Jerusalem. The reason given is that Sinan forgot to include Mount Zion within
the walls. This hill is so important in the tradition of the city that Jerusalem is
frequently called "Zion" in the Bible. When Sir Moses Montefiore met with the
Turkish Sultan he was asked why the stones of the Western Wall were so important to the
Jews. Heanswered, "You must understand, Your Majesty, there are people with hearts of
stone, and stones with the hearts of people."
In 1870, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria visited Jerusalem and was taken to visit the
Jewish quarter of the Old City. The Tiferet Israel Synagogue had not been completed for
lack of funds. When the Emperor asked about the unfinished dome of the building, he was
told: "As a man removes his hat to greet a distinguished visitor, the dome of the
building has been removed to greet you!" The emperor then donated the money
necessary to complete the domed roof of Tiferet Israel.
Many neighborhoods in modern Jerusalem bear Montefiore’s Hebrew name, Moshe. These
places include Kiryat Moshe, Yemin Moshe, Mazkeret Moshe and Ohel Moshe.
