The Baha'i Temple is a must for any Haifa visitor
Photo: Nimrod Kalderon
Haifa brings out the charm
In this northern city, Jews and Arabs live together in same neighborhoods
HAIFA - It is a known fact that the city of Haifa, which is situated in the slopes of the beautiful Carmel Mountain range in the north, has been blessed with an abundance of charm and heartwarming spots. I guess this is some sort of compensation for the intolerable air pollution the city's residents continually suffer from.
My son and I took the train from Tel Aviv to Haifa's Carmel Beach, where we were greeted by a tour guide from the Tourism for Haifa Organization who chose to interest us in the many mountain viewpoints that are dispersed all across the city.
After an extensive tour of the breathtaking viewpoints, we ended up in the Kababir neighborhood in the Carmel's center. The neighborhood's residents are Muslims who belong to the moderate Achmedite sect. A small portion of the sect settled in Haifa (some 100 families), and the rest (more than 1 million) live in Great Britain.
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While in Kababir, you must visit the sect's unique Mahmoud Mosque, which is adorned with two glorious towers. The Achmedites are very hospitable, and they would even be willing to have you over as a guest in their homes (you must make arrangements in advance).
The tour guide offered us an explanation regarding the changes the city is going through. Apparently, the Arab residents of the "lower-city" area neighborhoods are leaving for the more affluent Hadar and Denya neighborhoods. Several mixed Arab-Jewish streets still remain, but the trend is to move upward along the Carmel to the more upscale areas.
East meets West
The gold-domed Baha'i Temple, which is the Baha'i religion's world center, is surrounded by 19 exquisite gardened terraces, fountains and promenades that run from the top of Mt. Carmel down to its foothills.
The gardens are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The shrine is open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. daily. Entrance is free, but visitors must dress modestly. Tel: 972-4-831-3131.
After our uplifting visit to the Baha'i Temple, we made our way down the mountain to the old German Templar colony, which is located just below the Baha'i Temple.
This neighborhood was home to the Templar Society members who arrived in Haifa in the late 19th century to build the first planned agricultural community in the Holy Land. They were eventually banished by the British during World War II.
In the neighborhood's Ben-Gurion Boulevard we saw several beautifully renovated Templar homes, and drank coffee at one of the many cafés and restaurants along the boulevard.
Some of the restaurants here are jointly owned by Arabs and Jews, and the menus offer a blend of Eastern and Western delicacies. The exceptional Duzan Restaurant, owned by Fadi, has idealized this East-West combination, as Fadi's mother prepares the first courses based on Middle Eastern recipes, while the main courses are prepared in accordance with the latest trends in French cuisine.
The owners of Hashmura restaurant decided to preserve the Templar wine cellar, and patrons may view the cellar through a transparent glass floor in the restaurant's entrance.
Ben-Gurion Boulevard is filled with Arabs and Jews on weekend nights, and families stroll down the boulevard on Saturdays.
Here, in Haifa, it is happening; Jews and Arabs are living in the same neighborhoods and are even doing business together.
