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Two months ago Jerusalem's Montefiore windmill was all wrapped up and minus its dome.
Next to it parts were waiting to be put up--gears and wings and wooden bow things.
Click on the photo and then click again to find all the exciting details.
It is exciting to see new life for our windmill because the last time it ground wheat was 119 years ago!
It was put back in working order using replica parts made in Britain to the designs of the Holman Company of UK that built the original mill in 1857.
The parts were shipped to experts for assembly in Holland and then transported for final fitting to the mill in Jerusalem.
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The funding of the restoration and the operating and maintenance expenses for the first few years--some 5 million shekels ($1,250,000)--was raised by the Jerusalem Foundation, Christians for Israel (Dutch Friends from Holland), The Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Jerusalem Municipality.
And here is a picture from August 14. Isn't she beautiful?!
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Tonight was the festive rededication of the windmill.
Sorry I could not be there.
Soon, some say, the sails will be turning and flour will be produced and the bread made from it will be sold to visitors.
The mill will operate five days a week at set hours and will effectively become the only working mill in Israel.
The
Jerusalem Foundation website says
Inside the mill, the historic four story structure will be restored as it looked when the flour mill was active. There will be four floors: a "Flour Floor" - at the entrance to the mill, the "Mill Floor," on the second floor, which held the heavy millstones, and the "Seed Floor" on the third level, where sacks of grain were emptied into large containers and placed on the fourth floor, the "Dust Floor" at the top.
Visitors coming to the mill will be able to enter at the ground floor, look at the flour milling process and watch a short movie about the establishment of the windmill and [19th century] Jewish settlement outside the Old City walls.
I can hardly wait! I have never seen the inside of a windmill.
The wonderful blog "
Israel's History--A Picture a Day" has good information and historic photos of the mill, including one showing how the British army blew up a Haganah sniper's nest at the top of the windmill in 1948.
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UPDATE #2: The wonderful
The Real Jerusalem Streets blog shows first-hand coverage of the dedication ceremony with all the VIPs.
UPDATE:
Watch videos:The
architects explain the history of the windmill and plans for its future.
Hoisting the cap and wings into place.
The
first turning, August 28!
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