Attraction Archives | Page 13 of 33

Citadel of Acre

The current building which constitutes the citadel of Acre is an Ottoman fortification, built on the foundation of the citadel of the Knights Hospitaller. The citadel was part of the city’s defensive formation, reinforcing the northern wall. During the 20th century the citadel was used mainly as Acre Prison and as the site for a gallows. During the Palestinian mandate period, activists of Arab nationalist and the Jewish Zionist movements were held prisoner there; some were executed there.

Image Attribution:
איציק מוזן, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons;
israeltourism from Israel, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons;
Steve Slep from Nope, The World, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons;
Heritage Conservation Accre and Surrounding Pikiwiki Israel, CC BY 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons;
Lev.Tsimbler, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Old City of Acre

Acre’s Old City is a historic walled port-city designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It has been a place of continuous settlement from the Phoenician period and today, the city contains characteristics of a fortified town dating from the Ottoman 18th and 19th centuries, with typical urban components such as the citadel, mosques, khans and baths. The remains of when the Crusaders inhabited the region, which was between the years 1104 and 1291, remain intact, both above and below today’s street level.

Since the 1990s, large-scale archaeological excavations have been undertaken and efforts are being made to preserve ancient sites. In 2009, renovations were planned for Khan al-Umdan, the “Inn of the Columns,” the largest of several Ottoman inns still standing in Acre. It was built near the port at the end of the 18th century by Jazzar Pasha. Merchants who arrived at the port would unload their wares on the first floor and sleep in lodgings on the second floor. In 1906, a clock tower was added over the main entrance marking the 25th anniversary of the reign of the Turkish sultan, Abdul Hamid II.

See the highlights of Acre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZXQTRUD29g

Templars Tunnels

The Templars were a military-monastic order who – in the name of the pope – aided pilgrims coming from Europe to visit the holy sites of the Land of Israel.

They first settled in Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount, hence their name, “the Templars”, the guardians of the Temple. Following the conquest of Jerusalem by Salah Al-Din in 1187, the Templars made their home in Akko and began to build their quarter in the City’s southwest section.

Here, at the western edge of the tunnel is where the main fortress of the Templar order was built. “The Templar Fortress was the strongest one in the city and, for the most part, it abutted the sea line. As a strong fortress, its entrance was protected by two powerful towers with 28-foot thick walls. Two smaller towers were built on either side of the towers and each tower was topped by a gilded lion” (as described by a Templar who lived in Akko during the siege of 1291).

The tunnel is 150 meters long and it extends from the Templars fortress in the west to the city’s port in the east. It crosses the Pisan quarter and, in the past, served as a strategic underground passageway that connected the palace to the port. The lower part of the tunnel is carved in the natural stone and its upper part is made of hewn stones covered with a semi-barreled dome. The tunnel was discovered in 1994. The Akko Development Company, in collaboration with the Antiquities Authority, cleared away the dirt and made the tunnel available to visitors. The tunnel’s western section was opened to the public at large in August 1999. From 1999 to 2007, the Akko Development Company continued to expose and rehabilitate the eastern section of the tunnel and in 2007, the entire length of the tunnel was made available to the public (the site is accessible).

Photo attribution:
Ricardo Tulio Gandelman from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Jaffa Port

The Jaffa Port is an ancient port that serves as a fishing harbor, a yacht harbor, and as a tourism destination. It offers a variety of culture and food options, including restaurants where fresh fish and seafood is served.

Jaffa port is mentioned in various ancient works, including the Hebrew Bible, such as the Book of Jonah, and the works of Josephus describing Jewish history and the First Jewish Revolt against Rome. For over 7,000 years it has been actively used, predating Muslims, Christians, Jews, and even Egyptians Still functional as a small fishing port, the port is currently a recreational zone featuring restaurants and cafés. A lighthouse, Jaffa Light, is located above the port.

In 1917, during World War I, British troops under General Allenby defeated the Ottomans and took Jaffa, which became part of the British-administered Palestine Mandate (1922–1948). In 1947 and 1948 there was sharp fighting between Jaffa, which was largely inhabited by Arabs, and the adjoining Jewish city of Tel Aviv. On 13 May 1948 (a day before the proclamation of the State of Israel), the Arab forces in Jaffa were defeated after long fighting with the Zionist underground Haganah and Irgun Zva’i Leumi forces. On 24 April 1950, the Jewish city of Tel Aviv and the Arab city of Jaffa were unified, and the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality was established.

Image attribution:
Heritage conservation picture Project – Jaffa Port Pikiwiki Israel, CC BY 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons;
Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia;
zeller- zalmanson Pikiwiki Israel, CC BY 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons;
Heritage conservation picture Project – Jaffa Port Pikiwiki Israel, CC BY 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons;
Bukvoed, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons;
Heritage conservation picture Project – Jaffa Port Pikiwiki Israel, CC BY 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons

Suspended Orange Tree

Ran Morin (born 1958) is an Israeli artist, known for his statues involving full-sized living trees. Much of his work is found in Israel, notably the Floating Orange Tree located in the city streets of old Jaffa. Finished in 1993, this is a small orange tree that is elevated off of the ground by a large earthenware jug hung by metal chains from the walls of houses nearby. The tree is growing out of the pitcher, trying to break it. Morin sought to emphasize the increasing world of separation between man and nature, as “creatures that grow in containers.” This statue is hung only a foot or so off of the ground – enough to see its shadow, but not so high that it seems about to fall down.

The Jaffa orange, a label introduced by German Templers in the late 19th century and also known by their Arabic name, Shamouti orange, is an orange variety with few seeds and a tough skin that makes it particularly suitable for export. Developed by farmers in the mid-19th century, the variety takes its name from the city of Jaffa where it was first produced for export. The orange was the primary citrus export for the city. It is, along with the navel and bitter orange, one of three main varieties of the fruit grown in the Mediterranean, Southern Europe, and the Middle East. The Jaffa orange is also cultivated in Cyprus, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Turkey.

Image attribution:
Mary Madigan from Highland Park, NJ and Santa Fe, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons;
צילום:ד”ר אבישי טייכר, CC BY 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons

Jaffa Clock Tower

The Jaffa Clock Tower is built of limestone and incorporates two clocks and a plaque commemorating the Israelis killed in the battle for the town in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It is one of seven clock towers built in Ottoman Palestine. The others are located in Safed, Acre, Nazareth (though that one is significantly smaller), Haifa, and Nablus. Jerusalem also had a clock tower built during the Ottoman period, but the British Field Marshal Sir Edmund Allenby, demanded its destruction as he would not see such a clear Ottoman symbol resting on the city wall of Jerusalem, for which he had much emotions.

The construction of the tower was initiated by Joseph Bey Moyal, a prominent Jewish businessman from Jaffa. He was also the mind behind the Jerusalem – Jaffa train line. The construction was made possible with contributions from all the communities of Jaffa, Arabs, Armenians, Maronites and Jews. The watch mechanism itself was done by Moritz Schoenberg, a Jewish clock-maker from Rishon LeZion who also built a few stores in the adjacent Negib Bustros St. (now Raziel St.). The official goal was to commemorate the silver jubilee of the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, however, the local community had a lot to gain, as Jaffa was going through a rapid process of modernisation and urbanisation, and the building of the clock tower helped develop the vibrant and well-functioning centre of town alongside the market, the bank and many new offices and shops. The construction was carried out by Baruch Papirmeister from Rishon LeZion, who studied architecture in Germany, hence the German style of the tower.

The cornerstone was laid in September 1900 and a year, two floors were built and the construction of a third floor had begun. In 1903, the clock tower had been erected and Schoenberg designed and installed four clocks at its top. In 1965 or 1966, the Jaffa Clock Tower was renovated; two new clocks were installed and colorful stained glass windows describing the history of Jaffa designed by Arie Koren were added.

Image attribution:
Jorge Láscar from Australia, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons;
Noam.armonn, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons;
Shaharkalaora, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Sant Jeroni Square

Sant Jeroni square, on the limit of the call, was chosen for the construction here – financed by the Jewish collective – of the Santa Fe (Holy Faith) church. Leaving the square, Calders street again meets Montserrat street which gives out onto Porta del Mar street, in the heart of the tanners´ district. Where it crosses with Calatrava street recalls another of the orders connected with Palma which arises where, at one time, the gate of the same name was situated.

Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor is a town square in Segovia, Spain, located at the end of the street called Calle Real, which is one of the most famous streets in Segovia. Within Plaza Mayor, you can find several significant buildings, such as the town hall, the Juan Bravo Theatre, the San Miguel Church, and the cathedral. The streets of the Jewish Quarter can be found right outside of the Plaza Mayor.

House of Abraham Seneor

This site presents the former house of Abraham Seneor, a former Jew who later converted to Roman Catholicism. The house has now been converted into a hotel. Abraham Seneor was a Sephardic rabbi, banker, politician, and patriarch of the Coronel family. In 1492, at the age of 80, he converted to Roman Catholicism, taking the name Ferran, Fernan or Fernando Pérez Coronel, thus founding the noble lineage of Coronel.

Not all the descendants of Rabbi Abraham Senior, also known as Fernán Pérez Coronel, truly embraced Catholicism. Some were denounced as New Christian judaizers (secret Jews), and punished by the Inquisition, lost their possessions and even were deported to Brazil. Other descendants fled to lands more tolerant to Jews, such as Duarte Saraiva (born 1572), who escaped to Holland, where he adopted the name David Senior Coronel and subsequently went to Brazil, where he was considered the richest man in Dutch Brazil. Rabbi Menasseh Ben Israel (1604–57) dedicated his book, Conciliador, to Perez Coronel. Pérez Coronel descendants are scattered around the world, some in Israel, others in Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela, Holland, and the United States.

Samuel ha-Levi Statue

Samuel ben Meir Ha-Levi Abulafia was a public figure, the treasurer of king Pedro I “the Cruel” of Castile and founder of the Synagogue of El Transito in Toledo, Spain.

He was a member of the powerful Abulafia family, who provided leadership to the Jewish community of Toledo and Castile more generally since around 1200. Samuel’s parents died of plague shortly after arriving in Toledo. Subsequently, he worked as an administrator to the Portuguese knight Juan Alfonso de Alburquerque, but soon became recognized enough to achieve employment at the court of Pedro I of Castile, first as camarero mayor (chamberlain), later as almojarife (treasurer), and as oídor (judge). His employment came to an end when the enemies of Pedro I, led by Henry of Trastámara, organized a pogrom against the Toledan Jewry, enabling them to assume possession of the royal treasures. The king, accompanied by Samuel Ha-Levi, marched to Toro to demand the return of his belongings. Following this, Samuel Ha-Levi supported the King in reclaiming Toledo for the crown, and in the establishment of a peace treaty with the Portuguese at Évora in 1358.

In Toledo, he lived in the palace that is today the Museo de El Greco, and with the considerable riches bestowed upon him by his employer he founded the Synagogue of El Transito between 1355 and 1357. The building, still around today, was one of ten synagogues serving Toledo’s large Jewish population. The building is architecturally exquisite and has features in common with the Muslim architecture of King Pedro’s palace in Seville and the Alhambra palaces in Granada, even including inscriptions in Arabic as well as Hebrew. Its construction was opposed by the Catholic church, but King Pedro permitted it. The King was constantly criticized by his rivals for his permissive stance towards Jews, compelling him to turn against Samuel, having him incarcerated and tortured on suspicion of embezzlement in 1360. He died under duress of torture.

The prominence of Samuel Ha-Levi Abulafia at Pedro’s court is cited as evidence of his supposed pro-Jewish sentiment, but Don Samuel’s success did not necessarily reflect the general experience of the Spanish Jewry in this period which was often marked by discrimination and pogroms. Even Samuel’s career showed that the opportunities for Jews were restricted to certain offices and positions whereas other forms of advancement were denied to them.

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