[1] The hill of Tell el-Ful, located just west of Pisgat Ze'ev and overlooking the Arab neighborhood of Shuafat, is 2,754 feet (839 m) above sea level, making it one of the highest summits in the vicinity.

[2] The structure was intended to be a summer residence for King Hussein of Jordan, whose grandfather, Abdullah I, occupied Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank, annexing the territory after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

By 2010, it had become a haven for drug users; a local official said at the time that attempting to redevelop the building and end the neglect would potentially "raise a storm in Jordan.

[8] The identification of tell el-Ful with biblical Gibeah, the capital of King Saul, is generally accepted[9] and ruins of a fortress are apparent at the site.

Jordanian plans to build the royal palace atop the mound prompted a third excavation in 1964 which attempted to salvage and document the findings prior to construction work.