Haifa Attractions
Although it was destroyed in the seventh century, Haifa was famed in the 11th century for its shipbuilding and its Talmudic college. In 1099 it withstood a six- month-long siege by the Crusaders but was finally destroyed.
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Bahai Shrine (Persian Gardens)
The golden dome of the Bahai Shrine, erected in 1953, can be seen from all points in Haifa. Surrounding the Shrine are the lovely Persian Gardens.
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En Hod, Israel
(Near Haifa)
En Hod is an arts and crafts center. Families here produce items across a broad spectrum of genres.
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Haifa Museum
The Haifa Museum has a diverse collection of items and is particularly known for its Jewish ritual art.
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Old Technion
The Old Technion was built in the early 20th C and today is the home of the Institute of Architecture and the Museum of Science and Technology
The Town
Situated as it is on the slopes of Mount Carmel, the city is divided into three zones, one above the other. The Old City with its harbor and strip of coast forms the lower town; the central zone consists of the Hadar HaKarmel district, lying at a height of 120m/395ft, with Haifa's main shopping and commercial center; and the upper town, Central Carmel (250-300m/820-985ft), with the town's handsomest residential district and a number of exclusive hotels and restaurants. These different zones were linked in 1959 by the Carmelite underground railroad, which climbs with a gradient of 12% from the lower station in Kikar Paris (Paris Square) by way of four stations in the Hadar district to Gan Ha'em (alt. 280m/920ft), near the scenic Yefe Nof Street.
Bahai Archives
On the other side of Hazionut Street, in carefully tended gardens, is a neo-classical building erected in 1957 to house the archives of the Bahai faith, which has spread to Europe and America.
Ben-Gurion Street
Opposite the Dagon Silo in Haifa is Ben-Gurion Street (formerly Sderot HaKarmel), the old main street of the German colony founded in 1868 by members of the Society of the Temple which continued to exist until the Second World War. The houses with their tiled roofs are very characteristic.
(The cemetery of these modern Templars lies to the northwest, at 150 Jaffa (Yafo) Street, next to a British military cemetery of the First World War).
(The cemetery of these modern Templars lies to the northwest, at 150 Jaffa (Yafo) Street, next to a British military cemetery of the First World War).
Cable Car
Opposite the Carmelite Monastery in Haifa is the upper station of the Cable Car, a cabin cableway running down to the sea. On the way down visitors are given a commentary on the leading buildings of Haifa.
Central Carmel
From the Old Technion in Haifa it is a short walk uphill to Central Carmel, the highest and most select district of Haifa. In this area is the Gan Ha'em Park, with its small Zoo and the Museum of Biology and Prehistory. Hanassi Boulevard (with the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art at No. 89) and Yefe Nof Street now run downhill, affording superb views over the city and the harbor and across the bay to Akko.
Chagall House
Diagonally opposite the Haifa Museum is Chagall House, which puts on periodic exhibitions of work by contemporary Israeli artists.
Dagon Silo
The most striking of the port installations of Haifa are a 10,000 ton floating dock and the Dagon Silo, a grain elevator 68m/223ft high with a capacity of 100,000 tons. On the ground floor of the silo is a Grain Museum opened in 1955 (conducted visits). This presents a general survey of grain storage and processing; the oldest exhibits are millstones and other items from Jericho dating from the eighth millennium B.C.
Elijah's Cave
Opposite the Carmelite Monastery in Haifa is a path leading down to Elijah's Cave (also known as the School of the Prophet), at the foot of the cape. This is believed to be the cave in which Elijah hid from the kings of Israel and has been described by Zev Vilnay as "the holiest Jewish site in Haifa". Elijah is revered as El-Khidr by the Muslims, who had a mosque here until 1948.
Hours
May 1 to September 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | Closed | 8:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 13:00 | 18:00 |
October 1 to April 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | 8:00 | Closed | 8:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 13:00 | 17:00 |
Harbor
Between 1929 and 1933 the harbor of Haifa was developed into a deep-water port. It is protected by two moles. The area required for port installations, administrative buildings, warehouses, roads and railroad lines was provided by large-scale land reclamation schemes which have considerably altered the coastline.
Permits for admission to the harbor area can be obtained in the tourist information office to the right of the entrance. There are also boat trips round the harbor.
Permits for admission to the harbor area can be obtained in the tourist information office to the right of the entrance. There are also boat trips round the harbor.
Mane Katz Museum
The Mane Katz Museum in Haifa contains pictures and sculpture by the Jewish artist Mane Katz, with his personal collection of Judaica and antique furniture.
Maritime Museum
Next door to the Museum of Clandestine Immigration in Haifa is the Maritime Museum, with a collection of ship models, maps and charts, prints, etc., illustrating the history of seafaring and harbors in the Holy Land.
Museum of Clandestine Immigration
Some 200m/220yds southeast of the lower cable car station in Haifa, at 204 Allenby Street, is the Museum of Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum. On the roof of the museum is the "Af Al Pi", an old tank landing craft which broke through the British blockade and brought illegal Jewish immigrants to Palestine.
Paris Square
At the south end of Jaffa Street in Haifa is Paris Square (Kikar Paris), with the lower station of the Carmelite underground railroad and a Maronite church.
Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art
The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art in Haifa contains a collection of about 6,000 exhibits of Japanese art including paintings, sketches, books and statues.
The museum also contains a library with around 2,500 books on Japanese subjects.
The museum also contains a library with around 2,500 books on Japanese subjects.
Town Hall (Gan Haziqaron)
From Paris Square in Haifa Khatib Street and Hanevi'im Street run southwest; then in 300m/330yds Hassan Shukri Street, on left, leads to the Town Hall and, opposite it, Gan Haziqaron (Memorial Park). The park lies at a height of 60m/200ft above sea level on the site of the citadel built by Daher el-Amr, ruler of Galilee from 1740 to 1775. The only relic of the citadel is an old cannon.
University
To the south of Haifa, on the road running along the crest of Mount Carmel, is the University of Haifa, founded in 1972. The most eye-catching feature is the 30-story Eshkol Tower, designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. From the top of the tower there are breathtaking views. Within the University complex is the Reuben and Edith Hecht Museum, with a display of archeological material on the theme "The People of Israel and their Land" and a collection of Impressionist and Jewish painting.