Haifa - is the largest city in northern
Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a
population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns
directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot,
as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher. Together
these areas form a contiguous urban area home to nearly 600,000
residents which makes up the inner core of the Haifa
metropolitan area. Haifa is mixed city: 90% are Jews, more than
a quarter of whom are immigrants from the former Soviet Union,
while 10% are Arabs, predominantly of the Christian faith. It is
also home to the Bahá'í World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site.
Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel, the history of settlement
at the site spans more than 3,000 years. The earliest known
settlement in the vicinity was Tell Abu Hawam, a small port city
established in the Late Bronze Age (14th century BCE). In the
3rd century CE, Haifa was known as a dye-making center. Over the
centuries, the city has changed hands: It has been conquered and
ruled by the Phoenicians, Hebrews, Persians, Hasmoneans, Romans,
Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans, British, and the
Israelis. Since the establishment of the State of Israel in
1948, the city has been governed by the Haifa Municipality.
Today, the city is a major seaport located on Israel's
Mediterranean coastline in the Bay of Haifa covering 63.7 square
kilometres (24.6 sq mi). It is located about 90 kilometres (56
mi) north of Tel Aviv and is the major regional center of
northern Israel. Two respected academic institutions, the
University of Haifa and the Technion, are located in Haifa, and
the city plays an important role in Israel's economy. It has
several high-tech parks, among them the oldest and largest in
the country, an industrial port, and a petroleum refinery. Haifa
was formerly the western terminus of an oil pipeline from Iraq
via Jordan.
Bat Galim - is a neighborhood of Haifa, Israel, located at the
foot of Mt. Carmel on the Mediterranean coast. Bat Galim is
known for its promenade and sandy beaches. Bat Galim was the
first point of Jewish settlement in modern Haifa. The
neighborhood was established in the 1920s as a garden suburb of
private homes designed by the Bauhaus architect Richard
Kaufmann. During the British Mandate, Bat Galim was Haifa's
entertainment center. The "Casino," a landmark building on the
Bat Galim promenade, housed a cafe patronized by British
officers, although it was never used for gambling. It was also
the center of water sports in the country, and a swimming pool
was built there.
Rambam Medical Center, the Technion's Faculty of Medicine and
the Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical
Sciences are situated in the north of Bat Galim, near the shore.
Bat Galim and nearby neighborhoods are served by the Haifa Bat
Galim Railway Station. Bat Galim is the lower station of the
Haifa Cable Car, which runs up and down the Carmel from Stella
Maris. |