Ruins in הפרויקט הישראלי

Zvi Efrat, the former head of the Bezalel Department of Architecture, devoted a chapter of his book/exhibition Haproject HaIsraeli, to the subject of ruins. Although Efrat does not add much to the theory of ruins, he does rightly place ruins within the broader context of Israeli architecture.

Efrat points out a number of ways in which ruins are part of the narrative here in the Holy Land. Firstly, archaeological ruins are used as testament to previous inhabitants. The nascent State of Israel used archaeology to prove that the Land was once inhabited by Jews. Additionally, ruins are used as tourist attractions, luring visitors to come see ancient sites from the Bible and later history. Jews especially have long held a place for ruins in their collective memory, especially the ruins of the Temple. Efrat especially emphasizes the aspect of tragedy, stating from the onset that

"Ruins of the Land were consecrated by Jews and Arabs alike as metonymy for national tragedy and as metaphors of exile and redemption. The ownership of ruins, testimony to decisive victory, was also ownership of historical memory."

Ruins certainly have multifaceted appeal. They attract on a purely aesthetic level, but they are especially meaningful when you feel a personal connection to the ruins. From the standpoint of the State of Israel, emphasizing ancient Jewish ruins seems like a natural thing to do.