Hanna Safieh, of Armenian origin, was born in Jerusalem and remained there until his death in 1979. During his lifetime he witnessed the two World Wars, yet despite the hardship of his times, his gift to his country was, and remains, the beauty and exquisiteness he captured in his black and white photographs of Jerusalem. His work was exhibited in Paris and Brussels and New York, with his photos appearing in the National Geographic magazine, Readers Digest and other books. 
 

The black and white photos of Hanna Safieh taken of Jerusalem in the years between 1930 - 1967 are a testimony of a time that has been lost in the most holy city of the Holy Land. The moments captured by his pictures are a chronicle of the history of the city and the land. Moving through religious events and ceremonies, fishermen spreading their nets on Lake Tiberias, Bedouin women, and Samaritans playing the flute, his photos give a true account of the people who lived side by side in this country and depict the glory of a place which survived wars, massacres, and destruction. Hanna's photographs end in the year 1967, a fact that speaks volumes to us all. Whatever the reason for this bitter end, Hanna Safieh left behind a most exquisite legacy which lives in the eyes of all those privileged enough to view his work.