After being displayed in the Ottoman Pavilion at the 1873 Vienna World's Fair, the model was displayed around Europe and was purchased in 1878 by community leaders in Geneva where it was displayed in the Calvinium, also known as the Salle de la Reformation, for 40 years. In 1920 the building in which the model was housed was leased by the League of Nations. The model was moved and soon forgotten. In 1985, then graduate student Moti Yair of the Hebrew University came across a reference to it and tried to track down its location. With the help of some friends and a librarian from the Library of Geneva, the model was found in the library's attic. Shortly afterwards it was decided to offer the model to Jerusalem on permanent loan. It is currently on exhibition at the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem.