The original turn-of-the-20th-century construction was done with limestone, quarried in the region. The wear and tear of time and exposure to dampness (from groundwater and humidity) on this century-old building has eaten away at the fundamentally soft stone and resulted in the building becoming too hazardous to remain open to the public.

Israel’s fourth largest, and fastest growing city, and the Capital of the Negev (Israel’s entire southern region), Be’er-Sheva has an obligation to provide its residents and the surrounding regional population – nearly half a million people today, with more than the bare necessities of life. The quality of life of Be’er-Sheva’s citizens is of paramount importance to the city’s leadership.

One aspect of the City’s master plan for enriching the cultural and recreational elements Be’er-Sheva has to offer is long-term plans to restore and beautify the historic Old City of Be’er-Sheva. The City is already beginning work to preserve and restore many of its fine historic buildings.

Located at the very heart of the Be’er-Sheva’s Old City are situated two historic Be’er-Sheva sites and their adjacent park. Selected as the first two buildings to undergo restoration and preservation, for years these two build! ings have housed Be’er-Sheva’s Negev Museums. Each building filled central functions in the history of the city. The wear and tear of time on these two century-old buildings has brought them to a state where, without restoration and preservation – they simply have become too hazardous to remain open to the public.

The building that housed the Arch! aeology Museum is located in a former Mosque... Technically, the process these buildings will undergo is both painstaking and costly, as what is required is actually “reconstruction” of the individual stones in the walls. The work needs to be done slowly, carefully, and by an expert. Once the stones are rebuilt, they will be fortified, and then sealed through modern technological methods, so that the con! dition will not recur in future.