It is curious how next to one of the oldest cities and ports in the world (Jaffa) grew in a few years (just over a hundred) one of the most important cities along the Mediterranean, such as Tel Aviv. And it is also curious how this ancient port that has thousands of years of history was able to preserve its characteristics from several centuries ago without being dragged down by the explosive growth of its neighboring city.
Matias callone while in Tel Aviv modern skyscrapers emerge, walk in Jaffa in the historic area it is a trip to the past (and both are not separated by more than a few meters). Jaffa
It is a city with human presence and activity since at least 7,500 BC And the natural port of Jaffa has been used as such since at least the Bronze Age: for this reason it is considered one of the oldest continuously active ports in the world. world. Let’s just imagine all the stories, cultures and civilizations that passed through there.
Jaffa can be reached on foot from Tel-Aviv in a few minutes just by following the coastline (and beaches). And that’s the way I get to capture the photos that I share now, and also upload to my Instagram day by day.
That said, it is impossible to get lost. And when you arrive in Jaffa the urban landscape changes completely: the skyscrapers are a distant landscape and in the historic center of Jaffa what is repeated with Arab-style alleys and buildings that were restored but retain the appearance of yesteryear.
Jaffa Tel-Aviv
Jaffa Tel-Aviv
The port of Jaffa on its coast (in the photo you can see a door and stairs through which you enter the old town):
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Jaffa Tel-Aviv
Alleys that seem from another time (that is, the old town is not very big and you can walk it in half an hour). Jaffa is so old that it is mentioned in biblical stories, but it also had its Byzantine and Islamic phases, conquest by the Crusaders, the Mamluks, the Ottomans (in two periods) and if that was missing, even Napoleon set his sights and army there. To bring us closer to our times, the British Empire had Jaffa under its command, to then go through the Arab-Israeli War to the current Jaffa where the population is mostly Jewish, and secondarily Arab.
Jaffa Tel-Aviv
Today Jaffa together with the capital of Israel make up a municipal entity (Tel Aviv-Yafo). But the profile of both cities is completely different. It is without a doubt one of the unmissable points to visit on your way through Tel-Aviv.
All images belong to Matías Callone, and are licensed under Creative Commons (via Flickr)
