The Zion sisters monastery is located on via Dolorosa Street in the Muslim quarter erof ancient Jerusalem it is a compound which incorporates a monastery and a church. The monastery was built by Alfonse retisboon who was a converted Jew and son to a rich family from the town of Strasburg, France.
In the year 1843 Alfonse helped his brother Theodor retisboon (who converted to Christianity a long time before him) to establish a catholic religious order that was known by the name "the Zion sisters".
In 1855 retisboon moved the order to the city of Jerusalem in order to convert Jews to Christianity. A year later approximately retisboon built the "Zion sisters" monastery in the Muslim quarter in Jerusalem located on via Dolorosa Street . There were an all girl school and an orphanage in the monastery.
The church was inaugurated in 1868; it was planned in a Byzantine roman style in accordance to the ancient remains that were found in the area. In 1860 retisboon added a branch of the order in "ein kerem" a village near Jerusalem where he is also buried.