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Old Jaffa

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Peregrine
Peregrine
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4 out of 5
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Old City of Jaffa

  • September 28, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Peregrine from , New Mexico
Old City of Jaffa

Like Medieval Pilgrims, we began our journey in Israel along the coast. Seven centuries ago, pilgrims would have landed at the ancient port of Jaffa while we touched down at Ben-Gurion airport a few miles north.

Jaffa is worth a morning’s wanderings through the old stone streets that curve and meander beside ancient buildings. The parts we wandered through, high stone walls, and pathways that became steps here and there, were virtually void of autos. Set in the side of buildings at each intersection were ceramic street signs written in Hebrew letters, Roman letters and pictograms (for those who can’t read). The streets are also lined with antique shops, gift shops, and coin shops, most of which don’t open until mid-day, so we were too early to shop.

Jaffa also has beautiful parts. We wandered through one lush park that opened onto a spectacular view of the skyline of Tel Aviv. In Rameses II Park, we passed an open archaeological site that shows you the various levels of occupation from the earliest, Hellenic, level, through the time of the Persians, the Canaanites, Pharaohs (Rameses II), Crusaders and medieval pilgrims to the era of British Mandate.

Jaffa is one of the oldest cities still inhabited, and over the past 4000 years they have accumulated a collection of interesting legends. Off the coast, Andromeda’s Rock brings to life the Greek myth of a beautiful young woman chained to a rock – and rescued by Perseus. Another legend says that treasure from all the sunken ships are swept to Jaffa and will be yielded up when the Messiah comes.

From journal Modern Tel Aviv

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