Official Language:
Hebrew
Secondary Language:
Arab, English, and Russian
|
Currency:
New Israeli Shekel & U.S. Dollar
|
Population:
Approximately 300,00 people call Haifa home.
|
Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Haifa Israel: Israel has a Mediterranean climate characterized by long, hot, dry summers and short, cool, rainy winters, as modified locally by altitude and latitude summers are hot and dry. Daytime highs can reach up to 100 or evenhigher. Spring and fall are delightful and winter highs are generally in the 60s°F. January is the coldest month, with temperatures from 41-50°F/5-10°C, and August is the hottest month at 64-100°F/18-38°C. About 70 percent of the average rainfall in the country falls between November and March; June through August are often rainless.
|
|
|
|
As the country's primary port, Haifa, is located on a natural bay between the Mediterranean Sea and Mt. Carmel. Haifa is Israel’s third largest city and the largest port in the region. Among it's inhabitants are a significant number of Christians and Muslims. This is a rarity for the region, to see people from different backgrounds living and working alongside each other. It is very mountainous and is divided into three parts. First, on top, there is the Carmel district, boasting breathtaking views and clean air. Then in the middle is the Hadar district, where the business district is located. Finally, the area around the port is Haifa’s industrial center.
The majority of homes and businesses in Haifa are located on the slopes. This left only the Port of Haifa and some of the area’s main industries around the bay. Along the north side of Mount Carmel is Israel’s main port of Haifa, gateway to ancient Jerusalem, a city which contains some of the world’s most impressive Jewish, Christian and Islamic sites. Haifa has played an important role in history over the years. The town was conquered by crusaders in 1100, taken over by Napoleon and was later captured by an Egyptian general and surrendered to Turkey. It is also the world headquarters of the Bahai faith and the final resting place of Abd al-Baha, the son of the founder of the Baha’i faith. Though highly industrialized, Haifa is a modern city with a variety of panoramic views. Across the harbor is the medieval, walled fortress city of Acre, while the heights of Rosh Hanikra, the white cliff, checkpoint on the Israel - Lebanon border, sit to the north. To the east you can see the snow capped peak of Mount Hermon.
Haifa’s history has revolved around the sea. The ancient Phoenicians called the area Zalemona, and it excelled as a major trading outpost. In Biblical times, Elijah the prophet defeated King Ahab and his wife Jezebel’s forces in a battle atop Mount Carmel. The area lay dormant after the Arab reconquest of the area one thousand years ago, only to revive when Great Britain chose Haifa as the site for a new harbor. The northern city was the first to come under Jewish control
after World War II, and thousands of Holocaust refugees settled here.
The first man known to live in the area was during Paleolithic times. During the days of Abraham, sometime around the eighteenth century BC, the city was called Salem. Following the death of Solomon in 930 BC, Jerusalem was the capital of the southern kingdom of Judah. The Greeks occupied the city during the fourth century BC, the Romans took possession during the first century BC and by 326 AD, Emperor Constantine turned Jerusalem into a Christian city, building many churches.
Most tourists base their Israeli itineraries around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and that is understandable. There is so much to see in Israel’s two largest cities that it can be hard to find time for a trip up north. But a visit to Haifa completes Israel’s picture. Only when you combine the history of Jerusalem, the modernization of Tel Aviv, and the beauty of Haifa, will you get a genuine feel for the true Israel.
|
|
Attractions |
 |
 |
On this stop during your cruise vacation, visit Haifa’s beaches which lie just south of the city itself. Resort companies are just finding out that they are Israel's finest beaches.
There are several museums, parks, theaters and gardens for visitors to enjoy.
Basilica of the Annunciation
This is where the archangel Gabriel is said to have appeared to Mary.
The Sea of Galilee - Lake Tiberias
This is a clear freshwater rift valley lake that is completely encircled by a beach. In the past, the vicinity of Lake Tiberias was well populated, and several of the great trade routes of Asia Minor converged at the lake. Nine cities flourished on its shores, and it was the center of an extensive fishing industry.
Baha'i Shrine & Gardens
Haifa's most impressive sightseeing attraction is the splendid Baha'i Shrine and Gardens, reached from Zionism (Ha-Zionut) Avenue. The immaculate, majestic Baha'i gardens-with their stone peacocks and eagles, and delicately manicured cypress trees-are a restful, esthetic memorial to the founders of the Baha'i faith. Haifa is the international headquarters for the gentle Baha'i faith, which began in Persia in the mid-19th century in a bloodbath of persecution.
Baha'is believe in the unity of all religions and see all religious leaders-Christ, Buddha, Muhammad, Moses-as messengers of God, sent at different times in history with doctrines varying to fit changing social needs, but bringing substantially the same message. The most recent of these heavenly teachers, according to Baha'is, was Baha' Allah. He was exiled by the Turkish authorities to Acre, wrote his doctrines there, and died a peaceful death in Bahji House just north of Acre.
In the Haifa gardens, the huge domed shrine entombs the remains of the Bab, the Baha' Allah's herald. The tomb is a sight to see, with ornamental gold work and flowers in almost every nook and cranny. The Bab's remains, incidentally, were hidden for years after he died a martyr's death in front of a firing squad. Eventually, however, his followers secretly carried his remains to the Holy Land.
On a higher hilltop stands the Corinthian-style Baha'i International Archives building, modeled after the Parthenon, and the Universal House of Justice, with 58 marble columns and hanging gardens behind. These are business buildings, not open to tourists. They, and the shrine of the tomb of the Bab, all face toward Acre, the burial place of Baha' Allah.
The beautiful grounds were originally planned by Shoghi Effendi, the late Guardian of the Faith. The Baha'i gardens have recently undergone a massive redesign aimed at putting them on the world's horticultural map. They are now a geometric cascade of hanging gardens and terraces down to Ben Gurion Boulevard-a gift of visual pleasure to the city that gave the Baha'i religion its home and headquarters. In addition to tourists, you'll see pilgrims who have come from all parts of the world to pay homage to the first leaders of this universal faith. At the entrance to the shrine, where you must remove your shoes, you will be given a pamphlet providing further details on Baha'i history and doctrine.
|
|
More Information |
|
|
|
Web: http://tour.haifa.gov.il/
|
|
