10 Amazing Facts ABout Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv has an interesting story to tell. While it is a fairly new city, established in just 1909, the history behind how it came to be and its current state of affairs is one that is most intriguing. Located along the Mediterranean coast, Tel Aviv follows only Jerusalem in population. It is situated on the outskirts of Jaffa, an ancient port city. However, to see the city today, one would not guess that there is much historical connotation to the area. Here are some interesting facts about this unique city.
1) Tel Aviv is the name given to the city in 1909 at its founding. The name dates back to the book of Ezekiel where Tel-abib is mentioned. Abib or aviv means spring in Hebrew, which is the symbol of newness or renewal. A tel in the Hebrew language is a site where there are numerous civilizations built upon each other, layer by layer, over thousands of years.
2) Sixty-six Jewish families used seashells for a type of lottery, to barter off the land, in April of 1909. On gray shells were written the various plots while the names of the families were written on the white shells. All plots were located along the northern section of Jaffa and each family was assigned their own portion. These families worked together and by the end of the first year, they each had their own home with a water system in place and streets throughout the area.
3) The people who built up the city wanted to build a garden suburb on the perimeter of Jaffa. Their motto was to build a “Hebrew urban center in a healthy environment, planned according to the rules of aesthetics and modern hygiene.” The first mayor was Ahuzat Bayit and his goal was for Tel Aviv to be able to co-exist peacefully with the Arabs.
4) Due to the Jaffa Riots in 1921, many Jews left Jaffa and fled to Tel Aviv. This increased the population from 2,000 in 1920 to 34,000 by 1925. Jaffa slowly began to decline as Tel Aviv increased in business and finance. In 1948, the government attempted to separate the two cities in order to end disputes. Intead, the two cities were unified under the name Tel Aviv-Yafo, to preserve the historical name of Jaffa.
5) Because the two cities are together, it would appear that they would be similar. However, one must remember that Jaffa is a very old, historical city with roots dating back to Bible times. Tel Aviv, however, is a very modern city with modern ideas. Tel Aviv’s goal has always been to practice tolerance in hopes of maintaining peace with their enemies.
6) Tel Aviv’s main highway is the Ayalon Highway which leads right into the city. Along this highway, there are four train stations in the city. There is a bus station in the southern part of the city. The Ben Gurion International Airport is located nine miles southeast of Tel Aviv. Those taking a Christian tour to Israel will most likely come in at the Ben Gurion and then travel to Tel Aviv before beginning their tour in Israel.
7) Tel Aviv has been compared to Sydney and San Francisco because of its acceptance of all people. One magazine called it the “gay capital of the Middle East” because the city is so liberal minded. The city has experienced some violence in the city, including 2 murders, due to the LGBT community and events.
For those going on one of the many Israel tours, it will be the older sections of Tel Aviv, specifically Jaffa that will be visited. Also, most of these tours go through sections of Israel that are devoted to sites from the Bible or that are related to the Christian point of view.
9) Old Jaffa is one of the most active tourist areas because it is in the oldest section of Tel Aviv-Yafo and highlights much of the older feel of historical Israel. Tourists are especially attracted to the churches, synagogues and shops in this area of the city.
10) The modern city of Tel Aviv is known for its beautiful sky scrapers, huge shopping malls and astounding sculptures. In 2009, Tel Aviv celebrated its centennial and well known architects and developers such as Donald Trump, Richard Meier and I.M. Pei visited the city to help create landmarks that would symbolize the culture of the city.
You will catch a glimpse of the modern Israel by visiting Tel Aviv. In fact, the contrast between Tel Aviv and the older, biblical cities of the area is amazing. A combination of the old and new will be seen here, giving one a complete picture of life in Israel today.
Ben’s Gay by daleblackburn
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