Putting Historical and Modernized Focus on Haifa

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Israel is one special country because of its Roman Catholic background. We have seen Israel as a city where religion and towering architecture meets, and Israelis are being keen followers of what their country had established hundreds of years back.

When we think of Israel and all that it possesses, we imagine of mosques and Catholic churches being harmoniously present with kilometers from each other, of nicely preserved stone houses and flowing tapestries of local wardrobe, of little Israeli smiles adorning the streets while the sun proudly shines from above.

We think of archaeological sites, of vast tracks of sand and dust, of the sweltering climate only relative to travelers from nearby Middle Eastern cities. Israel is such a humongous cistern containing a strong historical backdrop and standing still amidst everything that shook the nation. And one city that’s cut above the rest is a little town called Haifa.

Location

With a huge number of inhabitants of almost 300,000, Haifa is considered as the largest city in Northern Israel and is ranked as the third largest city of the country.

Now serving as Israel’s busiest seaport, Haifa is a major determining factor of the country’s economical standing and growth.

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Haifa is located on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, which is in the Bay of Haifa, which stretched to up to 63.7 square kilometers in total land area.

It is at about 90 kilometers from another Middle Eastern city, Tel Aviv and is home to numerous Mediterranean bodies of water, endless landscapes and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Climate

According to the Koppen Climate Classification or CSA, Haifa is under the hot summer Mediterranean class. This cluster experiences the hottest and driest of summers, and the coolest and rainiest of winters.

By the month of March, temperatures begin to increase rapidly as spring kicks in. Two months after, on the month of May, summer is at its peak and temperature is considerably higher. Summer temperatures can go on an average of 26 degrees.

Winter is at 12 degrees on an average and snow rarely happens in Haifa. While snow seldom occurs, mornings in this city can freeze as below as 3 degrees. For the months of September onwards, rains are expected to fall with 629 millimeters as the recorded annual precipitation.

Transportation

While Haifa has an airport within its wings, the closest international airport that you can subscribe to if you’ll be originating outside of the Middle East would be Ben Guiron International Airport that is located in Tel Aviv.

The Haifa Airport caters to inland and domestic flights to Eliat and Cyprus. From Tel Aviv, catch a connecting flight to Haifa Airport and set to be amazed once you’re in this highly suburban city.

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Train options would also be a plausible choice as the city is well connected to other noted cities such as Tel Aviv, Ben Guiron, Beer Sheva and Nahariyya. You can choose from the open six train stations in Haifa that operates daily with the exclusion of the Sabbath.

International cruise lines also dock in Haifa’s harbor such as the local budget cruise system called Mano, which serves Southern Europe cities and Mediterranean spots. If you’re lucky and are coming from other destinations such as Greece and Turkey, you can find yourself treading the water lines with ferry boats which run at specific seasons only.

What to See

Bahai Gardens and World Center

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Be enthralled by Bahai Gardens and World Center’s Shrine of Bab, which sits in the middle of the whole complex and is one of the reasons why this spot is a must-visit for travelers.

The gardens, with its manicured lawns and flowers adorning the green blankets of grass, is a simple way of appreciating the whole place as this is astoundingly amazing already on its own.

Tours to this holy place is free and no reservation is needed to enter.

Wadi Nisnas

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If you’re on the lookout for submerging yourself on the busy metro streets, then Wadi Nisnas is the perfect place for you. Feast your brains into taking in street arts adorning the pedestrian crowded area and savor all the smell of stores selling local food and souvenirs.

Take a swig of their local alcohol on sidewalk bars and make friends with Haifa inhabitants as you move along this bustling strip.

Cave of Elijah

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Religion had a strong hold on this city and even the most innocent places can be the holiest when history and habits have been infused together.

Named after the prophet Elijah, this cave is said to be inhabited by him during the reign of King of Ahab. The cave is a simple awning of a rock formation which visitors go to for solemn prayers to the great Elijah.

Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery

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Built in 1836, this religious establishment is a French Carmelite church, hospice and monastery. This very church is a founding place of the Carmelites which is known to be a Roman Catholic Church order.

Pegged by the great prophet Elijah, the Stella Maris boasts beautifully painted walls and ceiling with portrayals of the famous chariot of fire. An adjacent museum is nursing artifacts from the Byzantine and Crusader era, both of which have a strong hold on the Catholic history.

University of Haifa

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Home to the celebrated Hecht Museum and the Eshkol Tower; this university is a famous landmark of Haifa, built by yet another infamous person, Oscar Niemeyer.

The Eshkol Tower is the place to be if you want to have a larger than life view of the entirety of Northern Israel. The Hecht Museum is open for visitors and is a place for safekeeping of archaeological facts and art collectibles.

Images
(1) www.compasstravelisrael.com
(2) www.dianliwenmi.com
(3) www.anglo-list.com
(4) www.watsongregory.homestead.com
(5) www.curiouscake.wordpress.com
(6) www.turkeynuggets4pete.blogspot.com
(7) www.flickr.com
(8) www.skeyesmedia.org

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