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Haifa Israel's Port City on the Mount
Haifa is Israel's third largest city and home of it's oldest commercial seaport. The city is often referred to as the City on the Mount as much of it meanders up the slope of Mt. Carmel, a geological curiosity that stretches from north of the city all the way down Israel's coast line to end opposite the ancient Roman city of Caesarea.
Until the 1920's, Haifa was a sleepy, mostly Arab inhabited town that was considered nothing more than a suburb of Acre, a larger coastal town with a history going back more than 4,000 years. All that changed, however, when the British Mandatory government decided to build a seaport there, largely as a refueling and maintenance depot for Royal Navy vessels which frequented the area. The completion of the port changed the city and its character forever as Haifa became a bustling cargo and passenger port as well as serving His Majesty's fleet.
Following WWII, the city became known as the one in which the British Mandatory authorities used to take Jewish would-be immigrants until transferring them to internment camps on Cyprus. Stories like the fate of the vessel 'Exodus' still recall these trying times. Following Israel's independence in 1948, the city became known as a workers town, and one that 'went to sleep' after 8 p.m. It's only been in past 20 years that the city began to develop a new character as a town where people could enjoy some night life without having to go all the way to Tel Aviv. Haifa is actually divided into several districts, with most of its Arab population living on the coast near the port and its Jewish population living on the sides of Mt. Carmel. The city's unusual terraced landscaping has made Haifa into a truly attractive city, with green areas interspersed with tall, high rise buildings. Three prominent landmarks of the city are the University of Haifa, located on the summit of Mt. Carmel, the Technion (Israel's polytechnic university), and the Bahai Temple and Gardens.
The Bahai temple and gardens complex is truly one of the new wonders of the modern world, as its unique architecture and landscaping is definitely worth seeing. The Bahai temple was built following the re-establishment of the Bahai religion's headquarters there after being banished from Persia at the end of the 19th Century. The gardens literally climb the mountain and the Bahai World Centre is a drawing for thousands of Bahai worshipers who come to visit or live there for short periods each year.
Haifa is also home to one of Israel's largest oil refineries, and that together with numerous chemical and concrete manufacturing plants have made Haifa one of the most polluted cities in the world. Though efforts are now being made to rectify this situation, including cleaning up the Kishon River, one of the country's most polluted streams, a lot more needs to be done to improve the area's environment.
Despite the environmental problems, Haifa is definitely worth a visit, including taking a ride on either the cable car which goes up the mountain, or the Carmelite rail tram, the first of its kind in Israel. Spectacular views of the port and other parts of the city can be found on many parts of the Carmel; and couples often take photos there prior to getting married.
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