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Haifa – So Much Sea and Sights!

Towering 70 meters over the lower portion of the city of Haifa, the DAGON grain silos, usually thought of as somewhat of an eyesore from the touristic point of view, daily attract hundreds of thousands of birds.

In huge flocks the birds swoop in relatively tight formations, wafting to and fro over the freebie grain that seems to be more than generously spread out everywhere around and on top of the buildings. The to and froing of the birds is quite hypnotic not only for pedestrians in the busy down town thoroughfare, but also passing drivers.

Stopping at the traffic lights, drivers can be seen twisting and turning in their seats trying to catch a glimפse of the feathered silent rhapsody in the sky, the winged dancers however quickly break away when disturbed by loud honking as the traffic lights are about to change and the non-birdwatchers, fingers on the horn drivers itching to continue on their way, rev up and noisily move forward.

The speed with which the birds dive to the grain carpeted forecourt, or hang on the sides of the slits in the buildings or perch on the rooftops where grain obviously becomes lodged, gobbling up as much as can be stuffed in their beaks at one session, is really quite breathtaking.

Standing on the pavement, completely mesmerized by the collective antics of the grain seeking waltzing birds flying over the traffic clogged downtown main road, this writer wonders if our feathered friends possibly tweet (excuse the pun) a few expletives or jokes of their own with regard the chaotic scene below.

The ground floor of the silo houses a Grain Museum with an archeological collection on the subject of grain collection, handling and storage in the Land of Israel and its neighbors from the birth of agriculture in the Neolithic period to the present.

The golden-domed Bahai shrine and meticulously laid out layered gardens (recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site) that literally flow down the Carmel Mountain overlooks the silo end of the port, the 19th century built German Templer colony sweeping from the bottom of the gardens to the main sea shore road. A portion of the almost totally renovated late 1800s Templer homes and communal buildings were constructed on land dried and developed during the 1930s British Mandate period building of Haifa Port.

A short walk along the road from the silos, past the main Haifa Railway Station and toward the entrance to Haifa port where, in pre-pandemic times, thousands of cruise ship passengers and shore leave hungry crews of visiting naval ships from other countries disembarked for short visits, Haifa takes on a totally different persona. Here, one can find the historical Palmer Gate, the mythological main entrance to the Port of Haifa, the gate and road leading to – or from – the gate named after British engineer, planner and builder (between 1930-1933) of Haifa Port, Sir Frederick Palmer.

Thousands upon thousands of new immigrants to the State of Israel, disembarking ships at Haifa Port – particularly in the 1940s and '50s, entered the State of Israel at this point, including this writer – who originates from Wales and made aliya in the mid-1960s, embarking on the Israeli ship Moledet at Marseilles, experiencing one of the worst, never to be forgotten, voyages that saw even some of the Israeli crew members become as sick as we the new olim.

Upon disembarking the Moledet and being duly processed, my group of fellow Brits and I passed through the Palmer Gate to a waiting truck only to be once more thrown from side to side, sitting huddled together on the unpadded benches – it certainly didn't help the sore, queasy stomachs!

Slowly but surely the dilapidated buildings of yesteryear's downtown' are either in the process of being spruced up, or have already been demolished and replaced by stylish, multi-storey office blocks some of which housing top-flight hi-tech hubs as well as banking headquarters, a central post office, extension of Haifa University campus and much more.

Close to the port entrance, an adventurous and attractive building literally soars into the air.The majestic sail-shaped building is crammed full of government offices dwarfing many of the buildings around which includes the impressive large white domed Maronite Catholic Church across the way. A few blocks down in the opposite direction is a Carmelite church and a number of mosques, their minerets standing proud amongst all the surrounding modernity.

The governmental high-rise in the sky sits in the historical walled old city, built by Dahar El Omar in the 18th century, the area nowadays known as the Rabin Government Center (Kiryat HaMemshala).

The gentrification of downtown Haifa has attracted large numbers of young people, students and artists in particular, who have brought a much needed new pulse (particularly at night time) to what had become a dull, grimey and none too pleasant to the eye part of the city, the majority of residents then either Arab Muslims or Christians as well as Jewish immigrants, mostly from Arab lands.

Jews, Muslims and Christians run their businesses, a large portion of which are eateries, pubs, art galleries and studios, side by side with a local colourful market or two livening up the neighbourhoods. During a recent visit to this part of the city, vendors and customers from different sectors of the community, spoke proudly of their relationships and as one gentleman, commented: "Okay, the recent tensions and violence were shocking to everybody but decisions had to be made in the aftermath – look around you, something stronger than hatred is working here – mutual respect and wish to make a living … together, we rely on each other to be successful in that – as Shimon Peres once said, you need two hands to clap."

Wherever one turns there are buildings, houses of worship and cemeteries – most of which adorned with blue plaques erected by the Israel Society for Preservation of Israel's Heritage Sites (SPHIS) reminding one of the Ottoman Empire and British Mandate periods in particular.

There are still some areas of downtown Haifa, a short walk from the illustrious new multi-storey plush offices, that are somewhat dilapidated but are full of character and colourful people running small, almost hole-in-the-wall businesses with storefronts in rundown buildings. One of those businesses, crammed to the rafters, deals in second-hand vintage items of clothing, knick-knacks and in large numbers, dolls and clothing for them.

This particular business is also a repair shop for broken dolls – and if the reconstruction, repair and revitalization of those dolls is on par with the gentrified neighbourhood just a short walk away, then some little girls are going to be delighted when their beloved dollie returns from the downtown doll hospital. 

 

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Friday, 29 March 2024

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