Tel Aviv attractions โ 25 most interesting places
The second capital of the Holy Land, as Tel Aviv is unofficially called, has an interesting history of its origin. At the beginning of the 20th century, it began with the new Jewish quarter of the ancient city of Jaffa. Residents of the quarter called it Tel Aviv, which means โspring hillโ, where the word โspringโ is synonymous with โrenewalโ. Over the years, the quarter expanded, accepting more and more visitors from Poland and Russia, and with the advent of Hitler, thousands of German Jews rushed here.
A significant event in the unification of the two cities (new Tel Aviv and ancient Jaffa) occurred in 1949, and Tel Aviv became the economic center of the blessed Land of Israel. Now the diverse city contains ultra-modern skyscrapers, low-rise buildings of the 30-40s of the last century, and very ancient buildings. Let's talk about the most important sights of Tel Aviv.
Azrieli Center
Modern sights undoubtedly include three unique skyscrapers โ the center of Azriel, named after the designer of architectural high-rise buildings. The construction was financed by a businessman from Canada, a Jew by nationality, David Azriel, who made such a gift to the city. From a distance, skyscrapers look like giant three-dimensional models of geometric shapes: a triangle, a cylinder and a square.
It was in this form that their author conceived and, having overcome all difficulties, brought his idea to life with brilliance. The construction of the towers began in 1996, two of them โgrew upโ in 1999, the last (square) was completed only in 2007. Now three beauties, gracefully rising against the blue Israeli sky, delight the eyes of local residents and hundreds of tourists. The highest of them is a round tower (187 m), at a height of 182 meters there is an observation deck from which a bright, stunning perspective of Tel Aviv opens.
Its triangular sister is slightly lower (169 m), and the square one is 154 m. All three skyscrapers are connected by a huge shopping complex on the lower floors. In total, there are 30 restaurants, about 200 shops, 8 auditoriums, a childrenโs play area with exercise equipment, labyrinths, and a swimming pool in the towers. Azriel Center is the most visited place.
Pagoda House
An amazingly beautiful house, built in 1925 by order of a local businessman Bloch, is very interesting for its architecture, or rather, a mixture of architectural styles. This happened, according to a popular legend, due to the whims of the customer, who changed architects: first, Alexander Levy was the author of the project, then an American architect, then Levy again.
The latter, as if in retaliation to the customer, embodied several styles of different cultures in his eclectic brainchild, as a result of which the Pagoda House arose. The building of peculiar beauty consists of 4 floors, each of which has elements of a certain architectural style in the design. The first floor is decorated in oriental motifs, with lancet arches of the windows.
In the design of the second floor there is a Byzantine style and features of medieval churches. The third floor is represented by the architecture of Greek temples and Doric columns. The fourth floor is presented in the form of a pavilion in the Moorish style with decorations of the facade with wall carvings, columns and figured arches. The miracle house ends with a multi-tiered roof in the Chinese style, for which it received its name.
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But Bloch's house is not only famous for this: it became the first private house where an elevator was installed in the 30s, which became a bait for kids who want to ride on an outlandish lift. Another innovation was the central heating of the house, which for that time was a technical novelty in the arrangement of buildings.
In a unique house, in addition to the owner's family, lived the families of famous people of the country: the prosecutor on Eichmann's charge; Hayt, the first Israeli plastic surgeon; talented doctor Volokh. For some time the first floor was occupied by a synagogue, while the others housed workshops and shops during the war; the basement was used as a shelter. Now the owner of the building is Robert Weil, a Swedish Jew, who restored the house to the delight of the residents.
Eretz Israel Museum
The thematic pavilions of the museum, opened in 1952, represent the historical and anthropological development of Jewish society, starting from the Copper Age BC. e. and ending with the 19th. e. Visitors are truly amazed by the large number of ancient relics of the prehistoric period, which clearly demonstrate the rather high level of technological progress of those eras.
This is especially noticeable in the pavilion โMan and his workโ, where you can not only see samples of pottery, weaving, jewelry production, but also the methods by which handicrafts were carried out. It demonstrates the processes of turning grain into flour and baking bread, various tools and all kinds of devices, amphoras and jugs.
The Nekhushtan pavilion (a symbol of the Copper Age) exhibits stone axes and hammers, flint knives, and copper chisels. Authentic examples of smelting furnaces from different periods of pre-Christian development are presented. Bowl-shaped furnace from the Copper Age (4000 BC); domed kilns (Bronze Late Age); shaft furnace of the Iron Age. There are also fragments of a glass furnace (13th century AD) discovered during excavations in the Crusader fortress of Sommelaria.
The Midianite temple pavilion exhibits a model of the aforementioned temple. It is named in accordance with the name of the area where it was located โ the Midian land, in which copper was mined (before 12 BC). The pearl of the pavilion is the copper serpent Nekhushtan with a head covered with gilding.
The Glass Pavilion presents an exhibition of ancient glass vessels, divided into 3 time periods of glass production โ non-blown and blown. Here, too, there are โpearlsโ: โrhytonโ โ a thin Greek horn for wine with 2 holes; and the โBlue Jugโ signed by its maker Ennion (1st century AD, first half).
The philately pavilion illustrates the history of the development of the postal service from the mid-19th century to the mid-19th century. until the middle of the 20th (1948), when the state of Israel was formed. Exhibits in the form of envelopes, letters, photos, posters, various types of mailboxes are widely presented here. The most interesting object is a mail truck (1949). Philatelists will undoubtedly like a large collection of postage stamps, among which there are many very rare and valuable ones.
Caesarea National Park
This kind of unique park is the only one in the world where archaeological sites are located in the depths of the sea. It was opened in 2006 on the site of the center of the ancient Palestinian city of Caesarea, which went under water centuries ago.
Now the territory of the national park includes, in addition to the underwater part, a modern well-maintained beach, an old active harbor, and many resort infrastructure facilities. Caesarea Park is the most popular place for tourists. Massive stone walls remained from the ancient city, now built up with picturesque art galleries, shops with bright windows, cafes, restaurants, and rental shops.
A visit to this park is a mass of new, previously unknown impressions and knowledge, an exciting journey into the world of mysteries and new discoveries. Anyone who has diving skills can see the underwater part of the park, where there are port facilities, sunken ships, construction equipment used in the construction of ancient ports under King Herod (25 objects).
Four diving stations, equipped with all the necessary professional equipment, are located in the park. 10-minute show โJourney Through Timeโ โ a video clip about the history of the development of Caesarea, clearly telling about it with the help of computer innovations. A visit to the cinema hall is impressive to the core, where on 4 screens viewers โmeetโ with historical figures who played a significant role in the life of the city (King Herod, Baron Rothschild, Hanna Senesh and others).
A fascinating attraction is the Tower of Time, located on the territory of an ancient fortress restored from the ruins. Here, visitors take a virtual walk through a giant screen through the ancient city, โwalkโ into houses, โshop at the local market, and meet ships at the port.โ
Climbing to the very top of the tower, you can see the stunning beauty of the surrounding landscapes. Golf enthusiasts have the opportunity to show off their skills in a luxurious world-class golf club. Caesarea Park is an unforgettable place full of mysterious attraction.
Diamond Exchange
In the age of the highest modern technologies and an increase in the level of human intelligence, the primitive interest of homo sapiens in sparkling stones with the magical name โdiamondsโ has not faded at all, but, on the contrary, is increasing more and more. This is evidenced by the state of affairs of the Israel Diamond Exchange, located in the suburbs โ Ramat Gan. Baron Oppenheimer, who left a diamond inheritance and knew well the passion of the rich and noble for exquisite stones, made a luxurious gift to the state. The Israel Diamond Exchange is the most influential and largest in terms of turnover of diamonds and jewelry with them.
It is a one-stop center for diamond processing and international trade, occupying 4 huge buildings. They house a diamond-cutting factory, exhibition and trading halls, jewelry stores, service offices, a medical facility, a customs office, catering establishments and prayer places. The Diamond Exchange is a real city within a city, where active life is in full swing every day, deals are made; where magical diamonds sparkle with their magical facets, attracting hundreds of thousands of customers, merchants and big businessmen with their brilliance.
Get here (only by prior agreement) and inquisitive tourists from all over the world. Here you have the opportunity to watch the whole process of turning nondescript diamonds into jewelry masterpieces. The production is equipped with ultra-modern equipment and a staff of highly professional craftsmen, so the goods of the exchange are in wide international demand (annual turnover reaches 10 billion dollars). An impeccable quality control system that complies with international standards and the legal purity of transactions play an important role here.
It is impressive to visit the Oppenheimer Diamond Museum, whose collections consist of diamonds, diamonds, various precious stones and jewelry. Among them are unique prehistoric relics discovered during excavations in Israel: a collection of โGolden Applesโ made of silver. Many priceless exhibits stagger the imagination:
Wishing Bridge in Jaffa
An interesting place in the old city of Jaffa is the stone Bridge of Desires, connecting the opposite edges of the moat. Despite its small size and discreet architecture, the bridge attracts many people with its mysterious mystery. It contains all the signs of the zodiac, according to legend, bringing good luck and fulfillment of desires, if you make a wish and touch your zodiac image. People believe in miracles at all times, so everyone who visits Jaffa willingly comes here.
Gate of Faith
On one of the highest points of the coastal strip in the ancient city, there is a picturesque square-shaped arch โ the Gate of Faith. They were commissioned by the two Meir brothers, famous for the creation in 1965 of the tallest skyscraper of their time in the Middle East. For 2 years, the sculptor Kafri worked on the original sculptural composition in honor of the third brother Meir.
The gate was made of noble Galilean stone, which in itself is a rare decoration, not to mention the elegant sculptural images carved on the gate pillars. The 4-meter vertical pillars are covered with images of the Old Testament patriarchs: Abraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov. The base of the vertical pillars are stones from the โWailing Wallโ as a symbolic connection with the First Temple of Jerusalem.
On one of the pillars is carved the biblical plot of sacrifice, where Abraham, bending over the lamb, lifts Yitzhak up. The other depicts the plot of Jacob's prophetic dream, in which two angels are above him, โbeatingโ their wings. On the horizontal stone crossbar of the gate, the sculptor placed an image of the implementation of the Covenants: the capture of Jericho by the Kohanim carrying the Covenant Ark and swords.
According to legend, the Gates have the magical power of fulfilling desires, if you go around them on the left, turn to face them, making a wish; close your eyes and touch them. Many sincerely believe in this and prove their case by their own example.
Fountain โSigns of the Zodiacโ
Another object in Jaffa that grants wishes is a bizarre fountain, equipped in 2011 on the site of an abandoned well, supposedly possessing magic. The authors of the sculptural frame of the fountain, not without a share of kind irony, created images of the Zodiac signs, putting a humorous flavor into them. Each of those who come to the fountain throws a coin into the water and, having made a wish, must touch his sculptural sign. The crowd of people at the fountain clearly illustrates people's faith in miracles.
Mini Israel Park
The Holy Land of Israel has so many historical, cultural and archaeological attractions that even a cursory examination of them will take a lot of time. Anyone who certainly wants to see unique monuments can do it in one day in the Mini Israel miniature park. An unusually interesting park is located in the vicinity, in the city of Latrun. The territory in the form of a Star of David is divided into 6 sectors, each of which represents a mini-city or a mini-district of Israel.
There are miniature objects in the park, exactly repeating in their appearance the real prototypes of reproduced monuments of religion, architecture, art and culture. The location of the layouts relative to each other is observed, each of them is surrounded by landscapes corresponding to reality. Moreover, they were created by the painstaking work of landscape designers and agronomists not with artificial trees and shrubs, but with living dwarf specimens of plants. Here you can see temples, churches, theaters, natural unique places.
Figures of people and animals are of particular delight, some of them perform mechanical movements, depicting activities: people work, walk; animals are running. Auto transport runs along the routes of the mini-state: trucks, buses, cars. Sea vessels, boats (100 pieces) move along the water surfaces.
At the mock-up airfields, the planes froze while loading. The organizers did not forget about the 1 km long railway, on which the funiculars really move. To ensure the movement of all objects, more than 40 km of electrical wires and cables were laid underground, 400 motors were involved; installed sensors, bulbs and flashlights.
The park flora here is very rich and varied, there are many species of exotic plants, trees and ornamental shrubs. Amazing landscapes surround wonderful fountains, artificial ponds with beautiful fish living in them. Cozy paths with stone benches on the sides are conducive to a peaceful rest. For locals, Rothschild Park is a favorite place for walking.
Frank Meisler Gallery
A graduate of the Department of Architecture at the University of Manchester, Meisler became a popular talented sculptor. Having moved to his historical homeland in 1960, he was actively engaged in creative work and created many original metal sculptures. As a material, he used gold, silver, an alloy of bronze with other metals and decorated his creations with precious stones, turning sculptures into jewelry. Many of his works have moving parts, secret โhighlightsโ. For example, in the โsculpturalโ Picasso, you can fold back the hem of the jacket and look inside.
Some of his masterpieces are captured in motion, like a girl speeding on a skateboard. She holds the phone to her ear with one hand and holds the child under her arm with the other. Probably, the sculptor in such works reflected the frantic pace of life of a modern woman. The striking expression and fun of Meisler's sculptures attract numerous admirers and connoisseurs of his work.
White City
In the nineteenth century, many Jews were forced to immigrate, causing Old Jaffa to burst at the seams. As a result, a new city was founded โ the first Jewish city among the sand dunes, rebuilt since biblical times. The second wave of immigration came at a time of heightened anti-Semitic politics in Germany.
Many Jewish architects came from the Bauhaus school, which was supposed to combine functionality and aesthetics. So the White City grew up, perfectly adapted for existence among the sands under the scorching eastern sun. Today, scattered here and there throughout the city are neighborhoods whose construction took place during the interwar period, as well as in the first decade after the Second World War.
A particularly large concentration of buildings in the Bauhaus style is observed in the city center. And at the beginning of our century, the White City officially came under the protection of international cultural organizations, as a unique architectural nursery of the beginning of the last century.
New buildings in a similar color appear today. Modern architects respect the old traditions and make sure that their buildings do not stand out too much against the general snow-white background.
Trumpeldor Cemetery
One of the most famous cemeteries in the city is located right in the center of the city. The charm of this place has nothing to do with the rural simplicity of the old cemetery near the Sea of โโGalilee, nor does it have an atmosphere of holiness here, like on the Mount of Olives. This place appeared during the outbreak of cholera, when the bodies were no longer placed in the old cemetery. Some time after a series of rituals, the heat subsided, and cholera ceased to claim lives.
They tried not to use the cemetery, as it was surrounded by sand dunes that swallowed up the tombstones. Due to Jewish traditions, some people had to be buried at night, and the processions were lost before reaching the place of the supposed grave. This happened until the road to the cemetery was consecrated. Soon the cemetery began to bury not only ordinary people, but also politicians, artists and Zionist leaders.
Museum of the Jewish People in the House of the Diaspora
The Museum of the Jewish People is named after Naum Goldman. It is located on the campus of Tel Aviv University, right in the middle of lush gardens. At the time of its creation โ in 1978 โ it was one of the most innovative complexes in the world. The expositions of the museum are designed to visually demonstrate the history of the Jewish people. Artifacts are divided into six independent sections.
The โFamilyโ section with a variety of household items and models of Jewish communities on all continents passes into the โReligionโ section with miniatures of synagogues from all over the world (including a large Chinese synagogue). The โCultureโ section has a unique exposition dedicated to the revival of the Hebrew language. The departments โAmong the Nationsโ, โReturn to Zionโ and โCommunityโ need no additional introduction. In addition, the museum has a large collection of visual documentation.
Church of the Apostle Peter
The Church of the Apostle Peter and the Righteous Tabitha has a bell tower, which is one of the highest points in Jaffa. Byzantine influence is clearly felt in the proportions of the temple. This feeling is enhanced if you look at the dome of the church and the paintings that adorn its walls from the inside. Both local craftsmen and Italian architects were involved in the construction. Anton Ledakov, an outstanding master from Russia, worked on the icons.
It is noteworthy that although initially the place for the construction of the church was chosen almost spontaneously, according to the results of archaeological excavations, which were carried out much later, the ancient tomb of supposedly the most righteous Tabitha was discovered. There were also rich Byzantine mosaics, presumably from the fifth century.
Yarkon Park
Tel Aviv can hardly be called a green or blooming place. The local jungle has grown on glass and concrete. The earth warmed by the eastern sun was not generous for more. That is why the Yarkon Park is so significant. One gets the impression that the Israelis decided to compensate for the general lack of greenery by planting more than thirty-eight hectares of land with shady alleys.
Here they built the Botanical Garden with the largest collection of cacti, a water park that invariably attracts tourists, arranged a childrenโs corner with numerous animators, and even dug an artificial lake, on the shore of which a โbird placeโ is open today. The Japanese-style rock garden also deserves attention. The most diverse live music is heard from all sides โ from pretentious classics to youth amateur ensembles.
Habima Theater
Today, the Habima Theater is rightfully considered the oldest repertory theater in Israel. Its history is quite dynamic. Initially, it was opened in Russia in 1913, but almost immediately, due to funding problems, the theater was closed. Four years later, the government again received a petition to open a Jewish theater. The new building of the theater was often called a snuffbox because of its modest size, but it was in it that some of the most famous plays were played: A-Dibuk, Primordial Ball and many others.
Subsequently, the theater changed its location more than once, and the brilliant troupe conquered the stages of France, Germany, the USA, Latvia and other countries. But after another tour in 1927, most of the troupe decided to move to Palestine, while the artistic director himself remained in the United States. The modern theater of Habima is a kind of partnership. It continues to develop steadily. And โA-Dibukโ became a legendary production.
old port
At the confluence of the Yarkon River in the Mediterranean Sea is the Old Port. The need for its discovery appeared during the British Mandate, when Arabs began to attack Jewish immigrants. Around the same time, a blockade of cargo supplies began in the port of Jaffa. All this forced the city authorities to seriously approach the opening of a new port. The first bag of cement that arrived in the city in 1936 is still part of the local museum. The port was not particularly large.
This was not required, since only maneuverable boats came here, which could deliver cargo to the city from ships anchored. The old port worked until the creation of the port in Ashtod. Then, for almost thirty years, he was forgotten. The modern port is a tourist area with cafes and bars. The best time to visit is on a Saturday, when antique dealers appear on the street.
Neve Tzedek
Neve Tzedek is a cultural and historical monument, which allows you to see the best examples of architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries in colors. Once upon a time, exceptionally wealthy residents lived here, which left a certain imprint on the atmosphere of this place. It was built up spontaneously, since there was simply no town planning plan.
At some point, Neve Tzedek, due to an extremely violent industrial leap in the last century, found itself in a dense ring of skyscrapers and could well have been demolished. Fortunately, this did not happen, and today this quarter is the center of local bohemia. Many art galleries are concentrated here, and the rich decoration of the facades of old mansions turns a walk along it into a bright carnival of masks.
Ilana Gur Museum
Ilana Gur's house is also a museum that exhibits contemporary art. It is such a colorful atmosphere that suits such a bright personality as Ilana Gur as well as possible. She was the granddaughter of the founder of one of the classical art schools in Tel Aviv, but she never graduated from school. However, this did not prevent her from receiving the Roscoe Prize and making acquaintances with many presidents.
The museum owns an old Jaffa house, which once served as a hotel for Jewish pilgrims. Outside narrow street, inside a huge space. Usually the most stunning impression comes from the room of the monks, in the center of which there is a wooden table and twelve chairs. There are bizarre objects and plants made of iron on the table.
Palmach Museum
The Palmach is more of an experimental museum. Despite its seemingly not very exciting theme, it is very interesting. All expositions are devoted to the history and traditions of the โShock Companiesโ, which consisted exclusively of Jewish conscripts. There are twelve halls in total, but the way the material is presented is somewhat different from the usual museum format.
The tour is based not on dry documents gathering dust under the showcases, but on the living stories of eyewitnesses. A small performance comes out, which is accompanied by spectacular special effects, as well as a voluminous film, the shooting of which was based on documentary evidence.
Art Museum
The museum of fine arts actually means a number of practically independent pavilions, which contain samples of paintings and sculptures of modern art, starting from the nineteenth century. The most striking are the โtemple of modernismโ, the sculpture garden of Lola Ebner, the Helena Rubinstein pavilion, as well as the main building, whose expositions moved here from Dizengoff's house. Both Israeli masters and recognized Western masters are exhibited here: Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, Monet and even Pollock.
Museum collections are constantly replenished through generous donations and gifts regularly made by patrons, strengthening the cause of Meir Dizengoff, the first mayor of Tel Aviv, who believed that the city needed not only the harmony of architecture, but also cultural awareness.
Israel Defense Forces Museum
Israel's main military equipment museum is located in Neve Tzedek, one of the districts. The museum highlights some of the most striking pages in the history of Israeli military affairs. Halls dedicated to the activities of the Jewish underground deserve special attention. In particular, the Haganah organization was active both during the British Mandate and during the country's independence. Dozens of units of military equipment are also presented here. Moreover, not only purely Israeli achievements of military science are presented here, but also captured weapons and weapons that were confiscated from various terrorist organizations.
jaffa clock tower
In the center of old Jaffa on Clock Square stands the Clock Tower, which is the physical embodiment of the shift in public thought towards secular culture. It was built at the beginning of the last century in honor of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the reign of Abdul Hamid II. Similar structures appeared throughout the empire. It is noteworthy that it was built mainly on donations from local Jews and Arabs. This architectural monument is in no way associated with religion, although outwardly it evokes associations with the old European church. Today, the tower clock shows two times โ local and European. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the ringing of tower bells is heard over the city.
Soaring orange tree
One well-known urban legend is associated with this unusual attraction. They say that once a man wanted to grow an orange tree near his house. It would seem such a simple desire! However, it turned out to be impossible, since the legislation was very strict about those who wanted to grow something on the territory of the Old City. Years of litigation yielded nothing. The owner of the plot had no choice but to plant a tree in a vessel that did not touch the ground, thereby not violating the law.
Unfortunately, this witty legend is just a legend. And the soaring orange tree is by no means a spontaneous installation by Renรฉ Morin. However, the inhabitants quickly fell in love with this strange monument. A huge ceramic vessel and a magnificent tree fit perfectly into the general style of the ancient city.