Mevaseret Zion is a suburb of Jerusalem, with the administrative status of a local council. Mevaseret Zion is composed of two distinct older township: Maoz-Zion and Mevaseret, but are both under the jurisdiction one local council.
The settlement is located on mountain ridge about 750 meters above sea level, on outskirts of Jerusalem. It is about ten kilometers from the city, straddling both sides the Tel-Aviv -Jerusalem highway.
The Romans built a fortress there known as Castellum. The crusaders built a castle on top of those ruins - Castellum Belveer, which is mentioned in a letter from 1187 describing the slaughter of Christians by sword of Mafiemetus. At the end of the British mandate, in 1948, several battles took place at the castle. The aim of each side was to take control of al Qastal, which overlooked the main road to Jerusalem. In the 9th of April the Castal finally fell.
Maoz Zion was established in 1951 to house new immigrants from Iraq, Kurdistan, and North Africa, who had been living in “maabarot” (transit camps). Many were employed at the nearby Sollel-Bone stone quarry. Mevaseret was established east of Maoz Zion in 1956 by immigrants from North Africa. In 1963 a joint local council was formed called “Mavassert Zion”. The name comes from book of Isaiah. Today the Harel shopping mall is located here. Among the residents there are many famous people.
בין תושבי המקום אהרון אפלפלד, דוד גרוסמן, צרלי ביטון, רן כהן, צחי הנגבי, יובל שטייניץ. כולם גרים פה ועובדים בירושלים