Mukataa (Arabic: المقاطعة‎, "something separated") is the name used to refer to the offices and administrative centers of the Palestinian National Authority. Mukataas were mostly built during the British Mandate as Tegart forts and were used both as British government centers and as dwellings for the British administrative staff. Some Mukataas also included police stations and prisons. After the British left, the buildings often functioned similarly under the Jordanians, and then the Israelis.