Mediterranean Magic In Haifa

Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel, some 3,000 years ago, Haifa has evolved from a small fishing village into a thriving city and beautiful Mediterranean beach resort. Despite its growth, it still retains charm and features evocative of the many cultures that have ruled the area through the centuries, including the Phoenicians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Ottomans, British, and the Israelis. Just 55 miles north of Tel-Aviv, and a major seaport, Haifa has become an important economic centre for northern Israel. As the Israelis commonly say, “Haifa works, Jerusalem prays, and Tel Aviv plays.” Through the centuries, the city has developed in three distinct tears from the old city near the port to the lower slopes of Mount Carmel, and gradually rising upwards.

Peaceful Co-Existence

While the majority of Haifa’s residents are Jewish, around ten percent of residents are either Muslims or Christians. This peaceful co-existence has become symbolic of tolerance in Israel. Haifa is also home of the The Bahá’í World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, consisting of the Shrine of the Báb, its gardens and Arc buildings on Mount Carmel. Apart from travelling further afield to visit Bethlehem, Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, there is plenty to see in Haifa, itself:

Cave of Elijah and the Carmelite Monastery

Located on Cape Carmel on the western outskirts of Haifa, the Carmelite Monastery is the first monastery built by the Carmelite order, founded on Mount Carmel in 1150, and has been destroyed and rebuilt many times over the centuries. Steps from the monastery lead down to the cave where Elijah lived and meditated, before calling down fire from heaven. Legend has it that Joseph, Mary and Jesus also stayed here on their return from Egypt. The cave, which is now a holy place to Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze, was the site of a mosque until 1948, but a domed chapel now enshrines the cave, which lies underneath the main altar.

Haifa Museums

Haifa is home to a large number of museums and galleries, these include:

  • Haifa Museum on Shabtai Levi Street, which comprises the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Ancient Art, together with departments of ethnography and folklore, and a section devoted to Jewish ritual art.
  • The National Maritime Museum on Allenby Road showcases 5,000 years of the maritime history of the Mediterranean basin, the Red Sea and the Nile.
  • The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art is the only museum in the Middle East dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of Japanese art, and was founded in 1959 by Dutchman, Felix Tikotin.
  • Due to open in 2012, the latest museum in Haifa is the Hermann Struck Museum on Arosolov Street, which will house the work of important 20th century print artists, including Struck. The museum building was home to Struck, until his death in 1944.
  • Ein Hod Artists’ Community attracts many visitors. Established in 1953 by Marcel Janco, a leader in the Dada movement, the community is now home to ninety artists and craftsmen who have studios there and exhibit their work in the community’s galleries.

Mount Carmel National Park

Outdoor lovers, particularly hikers, will enjoy Mount Carmel National Park, where visitors can see the caves where evidence of Neanderthal life has been discovered. The 21,000 acres, which offer breathtaking Mediterranean views, are dedicated to the protection of Mediterranean nature and landscape. The north of the park can be accessed from Haifa.

Hannah writes for Medwelcome, the holiday property rental website for the Med.