A short account of the Tel Aviv, given by your Israel & Jerusalem private tour guide

History

Until the late 1800’s, the only city on the central coast of the country was Jaffa, mostly populated with Arabs, but still having a small Jewish community. Only in 1906, did the idea of having a modernized independent “Hebrew city” come up. In April of 1909, 66 families started the process of building the new Tel Aviv.


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Little Tel Aviv developed very quickly by Jewish immigrants in the 1920’s and 1930’s. They brought the Bauhaus style of architecture, developed here to the “international style” for which Tel Aviv is known. The so-called “White City” has been declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Clashes between the Jews and Arab Jaffa started as early as 1921, but peaked in 1936. Tel Aviv needed to create its own port – a factor that boosted its economy even more. During the War of Independence in 1948, there was a real fight between the two cities, ending with the evacuation of almost all of Jaffa’s Arab population. In 1953 both cities were united into one.

The city today

Tel Aviv metropolitan area’s population is close to 1,500,000. It is the largest economic and financial center in the country, comprising close to 15% of Israel’s labor force. The stock exchange, diamond exchange, the largest high-tech area and the center of banking are all in the city. Tel Aviv is also the center of cultural life, media and fashion.

What are the attractions?

The important tourist attractions of Tel Aviv are its wonderful beaches, old Jaffa and port, the Tel Aviv Old Port, art galleries, restaurants, markets and nightlife. While Jaffa points to the past with its rich ancient heritage, Tel Aviv lives only in the present and the future, and is rated as one of the most vibrant cities in the world.

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