Shneller in Jerusalem was until a year ago an army camp for the civil defense unit of the army, it's where you went to get your gas masks or to have bomb shelter plans signed off on. It also housed a large medical unit.
The main building in the campus however has two dates on it, 1856 and 1910, I'm not sure what either signify however this is a very old building. Sadly in huge disrepair and almost falling down we took our lives into our hands, literally, in climbing the rotting wooden staircases.
Shneller is off bounds to the public as it is considered a 'heritage' site but due to some wangling with the city council I managed to get in today under strict instructions that I was allowed to photograph the courtyard only and for just 10 minutes. Well the official had to leave and the security guard couldn't care less so I may have spent 3 hours there!
Shneller was built by the turks as an army barracks but interestingly it has a very christian feel with a bell tower and a chapel. The English took it over, again as an army base and I believe it was they who installed the intricate clock and bell ringing mechanism now long rusted in the tower.
I was working on comission for the college for disadvantaged youth who were thinking of buying the area but having looked at it, it would take some $10 million dollars just to become safe nevermind habitable, it's a huge building which a loud sneeze would bring tumbling down!
I intend to post up a series of photos from the too little time I had there but I've been shooting for the college all day till 11pm, it's now almost 2am so here is the picture I shot as an addition to my fine art project, 30 megapixel stitch with an 85mm lens.
I'll post up more when I get round to it.