Haifa city, the principal port of the country,
lies along the Bay of Haifa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Haifa is first mentioned in the Talmud (c. 1st-4th century AD). Eusebius, the early Christian theologian and biblical topographer, referred to it as Sykaminos. The town was conquered in 1100 by the crusaders, who called it Caiphas. In later times it was taken by Napoleon in 1799. Ibrahim Pasha, the Egyptian general and viceroy, captured Haifa in 1839 but was compelled to surrender it to Turkey in 1840 under the pressure of the fleets of the European powers, led by Britain. In 1918 British forces occupied the town, and it subsequently (1922) became part of mandated Palestine.
The deepwater port was opened in 1933 and expanded extensively after Israel achieved statehood.
Haifa, with its key port and industries, was of great concern to the combatants in the Palestine war of 1948-49. The Arabs and the Haganah, the Jewish defense forces, fought for control of the city, and on April 22, 1948, the Arabs surrendered. Of more than 50,000 Arabs living in Haifa before the war, only about 3,000 subsequently chose to remain under Israeli rule. Despite this, Haifa is still cosmopolitan, with admixtures of Muslim and Christian Arabs (the latter mainly Maronites) and Baha'is.
Haifa city, the principal port of the country,
lies along the Bay of Haifa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Haifa is first mentioned in the Talmud (c. 1st-4th century AD). Eusebius, the early Christian theologian and biblical topographer, referred to it as Sykaminos. The town was conquered in 1100 by the crusaders, who called it Caiphas. In later times it was taken by Napoleon in 1799. Ibrahim Pasha, the Egyptian general and viceroy, captured Haifa in 1839 but was compelled to surrender it to Turkey in 1840 under the pressure of the fleets of the European powers, led by Britain. In 1918 British forces occupied the town, and it subsequently (1922) became part of mandated Palestine.
The deepwater port was opened in 1933 and expanded extensively after Israel achieved statehood.
Haifa, with its key port and industries, was of great concern to the combatants in the Palestine war of 1948-49. The Arabs and the Haganah, the Jewish defense forces, fought for control of the city, and on April 22, 1948, the Arabs surrendered. Of more than 50,000 Arabs living in Haifa before the war, only about 3,000 subsequently chose to remain under Israeli rule. Despite this, Haifa is still cosmopolitan, with admixtures of Muslim and Christian Arabs (the latter mainly Maronites) and Baha'is.
