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| City Guide - Tel Aviv - City Overview | ||
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City Overview Born out of the sands, the modern metropolis of Tel Aviv was founded in 1909, when a group of 66 Jewish families moved from the biblical Arab town of Jaffa to a selected desert spot, known as 'Jebali's Vineyard', where the construction of Tel Aviv began. Since then, the city has sprung up beside the Mediterranean at a dizzying speed and its first-generation residents are as old as the city itself. Younger generations compare their hometown grandly to New York: the lively avenues, big squares and buzzing nightlife are all attributes that justify this self-proclaimed comparison. However, with peak temperatures of 34°C (94°F) in the summer and 20°C (68°F) in the winter, there is no getting away from its geographical positioning in the Middle East. The initial impression of many visitors upon arrival is that Tel Aviv is brash and soulless - a rare point on which ultra-orthodox Jews and fundamentalist Muslims would agree - after all, Tel Aviv is the yin to Jerusalem's yang. Those who are willing to explore further on entering the city are impressed by the absorbing array of distinct neighbourhoods merging together; the meeting between old and new; the Gothic museums juxtaposed against the crumbling modern buildings that line the dusty roads; the young Israeli soldiers parading the streets where old men sit in cafés; the smell of fresh fruit-stands in the corners where buses roar past. With just under two million inhabitants, it is the rhythm of life that makes Tel Aviv seem vastly bigger than it really is. For round-the-clock entertainment and sheer vigour, there is nowhere in Israel like it: the city offers an abundance of bars, restaurants and nightlife within walking distance from one another. The seafront promenade from Tel Aviv has been recently extended all the way to the old quarter of Jaffa. With a plethora of galleries, antique shops and restaurants, the biblical town of Jaffa is now a popular destination for evening strollers. Only small sections of Old Jaffa remain today, although they have been tastefully restored and provide a pleasant and peaceful contrast to the modern environs of nearby Tel Aviv. Many of the buildings in Old Jaffa today were built after Napolean besieged the town in 1799. In former centuries, Jaffa was conquered by the Arabs and then by the Crusaders, with the port becoming a major landing place for pilgrims en route to Jerusalem. Today, it is the oldest operating port in the world and has become a tourist destination to all visitors interested in its biblical significance. In the midst of the summer months - especially in August, when it is sticky enough to drive the locals out - visitors can make good use of the superb beaches lining the coast. However, on these occasions, if the metropolis' heat becomes too intense, Tel Aviv still makes an incredibly comfortable base from which to make day trips and explore the neighbouring towns of Jerusalem, Caeserea and the Dead Sea, all less than one hour's drive from the city. |
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