The trip to Haifa will be remembered for a long time. You can come here again and again, discovering all the new facets of this multifaceted city. Haifa will surprise you with its sights, from the incredible Bahai Gardens to the mysterious biblical caves. In the northern capital of Israel, in addition to traditional historical and cultural monuments, you can see palm trees planted by Einstein himself, meet with Bengal tigers and ride on the subway, which is included in the Guinness Book of Records.
The trip to Haifa will be remembered for a long time. You can come here again and again, discovering all the new facets of this multifaceted city. Haifa will surprise you with its sights, from the incredible Bahai Gardens to the mysterious biblical caves. In the northern capital of Israel, in addition to traditional historical and cultural monuments, you can see palm trees planted by Einstein himself, meet with Bengal tigers and ride on the subway, which is included in the Guinness Book of Records.
Religious sites in Haifa
Historically, Haifa was inhabited by different peoples in the past. Therefore, the city is distinguished by tolerance, both national and religious. Today, Jews, Arabs, Druze, Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians and representatives of other nationalities live peacefully here. Equally diverse is the confessional composition of the population. Along with the Jews in Haifa, Muslims, Orthodox, Maronites, Ahmadis, Baha'is, Orthodox and Greek Catholics live. Considering all this, it is not surprising that in Haifa, there are so many cult places of interest in Israel of different faiths. The most popular among them:
- The monastery "Stella Maris" was built by Carmelite monks in the second half of the 18th century, the cathedral is open for tourists every day (break from 12:00 to 15:00), with the basilica there is a small museum composition and an observation deck (before the monastery it is possible to reach the public city transport (buses No. 32 or 99), on foot or by cable car);
- the Cathedral of the Holy Prophet Elijah - is located in the Lower City area (Ein Dor St. 23), erected at the beginning of the 20th century, the exterior architecture is rather modest, but impressive rich interior decoration;
- The World House of Justice - a beautiful monumental building made of white marble, built in 1983, is the highest organ of the Bahai community (inside there are special reception rooms for pilgrims and high officials, the secretariat, a library with collections of Bahai literature, scientific and educational centers);
- the cave of Elijah the Prophet , according to the legend, the most revered prophet in the Orthodox and Catholic churches lived here, this place became a sort of the Wall of the Wailing: people of different faith come here to pray or leave a message to God; in the cave there are separate zones for men and women, a room for privacy, in the courtyard - a special place for lighting candles, as well as the chair of the Prophet Elijah, who "expects" the return of their owner;
- the Baha'ev temple (Baba) - even if you are not an adherent of the Baha'i faith, be sure to visit this one of the most beautiful buildings in the city - a delightful nine-cornered cathedral 40 meters high with a sparkling golden dome (inside are the remains of the great Baha'i mentor, Baha'u'llah);
- Ahmadist Mosque "Mahmud" is located in a residential area of Kababir, it resembles an Indian Muslim temple (the entrance is inward only by prior arrangement and accompanied by a guide).
This is only part of the cult places in Haifa, where often come believers of different faiths and tourists. In fact, there are many more. There are other Christian churches, Jewish synagogues, Islamic mosques, as well as centers of other religious minorities.
Natural Attractions of Haifa
The main "business card" of Haifa is undoubtedly the stunning beauty of the Bahai Gardens . In 2008, they were awarded the title of "The 8th wonder of the world." To admire this incredible spectacle, which overflow with bright colors and cascade descends from the slope of Mount Carmel , tourists from all over the world come here. The gardens are conditionally divided into three levels:
- the upper (entrance from the side of the street Jaffa Nof) - an ideal place for panoramic views from a height;
- middle (entrance from the street A-Zionut) - at this level is the temple of Baha'ev, as well as the famous "hanging gardens";
- lower (entrance from the crossroads of Ben-Gurion and Agefen) - many beautiful locations, tourists often like to be photographed here, especially couples in love, besides amazing plants, there is a picturesque fountain and an artificial waterfall.
In the Bahai Gardens there are free 40-minute excursions in English, Russian and Hebrew (guides can be found on the upper tier).
In Haifa, there are other natural attractions worth seeing. It:
- Cave Tabun - is located in the foothills of Carmel, probably here lived prehistoric people;
- the national park "Carmel" - a huge reserve, located on 21 thousand acres of land, there are specially equipped recreation areas, tourist routes are laid;
- sculptural park Ursula Malbin - 29 elegant sculptures that are in a picturesque city park, they were made by 82-year-old Israeli woman and presented to the city municipality, this is the only sculptural park in the world created by a master woman (entrance and photo with monuments are free);
- park "Geht" - an excellent place for rest with the whole family, there are sports and children's playgrounds, beautiful flower beds and alleys, various events are often held;
- Reserve "High Bar" - created for the reintroduction of rare species of animals, located near the University of Haifa, on the mountainside (open to visitors from 08:00 to 17:00, adult ticket price is 22 shekels, children's ticket is 10 shekels);
- Haifa Zoo - there are about 350 species of animals here, and there is a beautiful botanical garden in the territory and a contact mini zoo where you can touch the animals and take pictures with them (the price for admission for adults is 38 shekels, for pensioners 25 shekels, can be reached by metro or a bus).
In addition, in the surrounding area of Haifa, there are many other natural attractions (Megiddo Hill, Armageddon Valley , Rosh HaNikra Caves, Ramat HaNadiv Park ).
Museums in Haifa
That's who will not be able to get bored in Haifa, so it's for fans of all kinds of exhibitions and museum expositions. It is necessary to try very hard to have time to bypass all the museums of Haifa, which there are many:
- Haifa City Museum - the historical heritage of the city is stored (ticket costs 30 shekels, children's - 20 shekels)
- Museum of the prehistoric man named after M. Shtekelis - the most ancient exhibits found during archaeological excavations in Haifa and on the adjacent territory are presented;
- art museum - is devoted to the contemporary art of Israel and other countries, there are also paintings by world famous masters: Salvador Dali, Georges Braque, Joan Miró (entrance of 45 shekels for adults, 30 shekels for children);
- National Maritime Museum - 12 thematic halls, more than 7000 exhibits, fascinating journey through the history of shipbuilding and navigation (entrance ticket - 29 shekels);
- Museum of Illegal Immigration and Navy - the main fund is concentrated in the halls, but on the street an impressive composition of large-scale naval exhibits is presented;
- Museum of Bread - expositions tell about the history of the production of the most important product of mankind, beginning from the Stone Age (excursions should be booked in advance);
- Museum of Japanese Art "Tikotin" - presents Felix Tikotin's personal collection consisting of more than 4000 items (entrance ticket price is 35 shekels);
- Museum of oil - another digression into the history of the famous food product (the ticket costs 20 shekels);
- railway museum - is located in the Lower city, has several exhibition halls and hangars, where railroad cars and locomotives of different epochs are collected (the price of an adult ticket is 30 shekels, the children's ticket is 15 shekels);
- Museum of Mane-Katz - artistic and biographical collection of the great artist's heritage (ticket price: adult - 35 shekels, children's - 23 shekels);
- Museum named after M. Chagall - a place where temporary exhibitions of Israeli artists and various events (meetings with artists, concerts) are held.
There are also several operating museums located at the educational institutions. On the territory of Haifa University is the Archaeological Museum named after Hecht , and with the "Technicone" there is a national museum of science, space and technology . It is here that the famous palm tree, planted many years ago by the legendary scientist Albert Einstein, grows.
What else to see in Haifa?
- Skyscraper "Parus" ;
- Muslim cemetery ;
- the ruins of an ancient fortress near the urban district of Adar ;
- promenade of Louis ;
- Food Quarter ;
- German colony ;
- Haifa markets ;
- cable car to Mount Carmel ;
- shopping and entertainment center "Castra" ;
- city theater .