Jaffa

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Jaffa

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The port of Jaffa, Israel Jaffa is an old coastal town that has always been a strategic place due to its location. The historical centre is dominated by medieval Ottoman architecture. O. Lechat / EASYVOYAGE

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Although it is a part and parcel of Tel-Aviv and its suburbs, Jaffa is light years away from its modern neighbours. This multi-millennium port has attracted conquerors from all horizons over the centuries: Egyptians, Philistines, Hebrews, Greeks, Crusaders, Arabs, Richard the Lionhearted, Ottomans, and Bonaparte, who took over the city in 1799. During the 1948 war, the Arab population of Jaffa had to escape when it was surrounded by Jewish forces. The old town, which has kept its medieval atmosphere with its meandering alleys and Ottoman houses, is today a place of artists. If possible, try to visit the Hapishpeshim souk (open every day); the very picturesque flea market; and the Fransiscan Saint Peter Church (on the Jaffa-Kikar Kedumin main Square) which is a religious complex built in the 17th century on the site of the Crusaders' fortress. There you will find Bonaparte's room. Finally, on the square of Old Jaffa, the Visitor's Centre recounts the history of the city.