Dizengoff Square

Dizengoff Square is the center of Tel Aviv. He was named after Zina Dizengoff, the wife of the first mayor of Tel Aviv. The British administration planned Tel Aviv as a garden city by the sea. The development plan of Tel Aviv was designed in 1929 by botanist and sociologist Sir Patrick Geddes. The main roads run in east-west or north-south direction, however, they are not straight as in New York, but are slightly curved and meet at different angles to each other. As a result, Tel Aviv does not look like a rational plan city. But the center, the Dizengoff Square shows Tel Aviv was created on the drawing board. As in the case of Ebenezer Howard, the inventor of the garden city, the center of Tel Aviv is a green space with a uniform design.

The young architect Genia Awerbuch won the architectural competition in 1934. According to this, all the houses in the square received the same façade of white, horizontal bands, even if they were built by other architects. In the 1970s, the square was redesigned, the pedestrians were a level above the road, so that traffic could flow faster. However, this measure destroyed the elegance of the Bauhaus architecture, so the city decided to rebuild the square as originally planned. Now as the works are completed the fountain "Water and Fire" by Jaakov Agam is back on the square, which became the landmark of Tel Aviv.

Bauhaus Architecture in Tel Aviv

 

Kikar Dizengoff

 

Rothschild Boulevard

The most beautiful street of Tel Aviv is the Rothschild Boulevard. The boulevard with a narrow strip of parkland in the middle is named after the Rothschild family. The Jewish banking house in Frankfurt am Main had developed into the largest money house in Europe through branches in London, Naples, Paris and Vienna. They supported the Zionist movement with money, thereby facilitating the purchase of land for Tel Aviv. The first houses of Tel Aviv were built at the crossroads Herzl / Sderot Rothschild. The Rothschild Boulevard is today one of the best addresses in Israel. Bauhaus architecture and skyscrapers line the street. On the green strip in the middle of the boulevard there are kiosks and cafes. Electric bicycles whiz by on the cycle path, pedaling yourself does not strike the Israelis, it's just too hot for that.  

 

Sderod Rothschild

 

Yitzhak Rabin Square

When Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated on this square, he still bore the name "Square of the Kings of Israel." The year before, Rabin had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Shimon Peres and Yassir Arafat. Israel withdrew its troops from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank of Jordan, and Arafat assured Israel that the Palestinians would not run out of violence. When Rabin was murdered he had just finished his speech: "Yes to peace, no to violence". Yitzhak Rabin was shot dead by a fundamentalist Jew on 4 November 1995. On the square stands the "Holocaust and Revival" monument by Igael Tumarkin (née Peter Hellberg). The inverted pyramid stands on a triangle. From above, the sculpture looks like a Star of David. Yitzhak Rabin was buried at the Israeli National Cemetery Herzlberg in Jerusalem.

 

Kikar Yitzhak Rabin

 

Beaches of Tel Aviv

Along the approximately 4 km long stretch of coast between Namal in the north and Jaffa in the south there are 8 beaches. In the north is "Sheraton Beach", the beach named after a hotel is very crowded at the weekend, because further north is the harbor and a military area and therefore no other beaches. In addition, the southern part of the beach is separated by a wooden wall for Orthodox Jews. It follows the "Hilton Beach", which is considered the beach of homosexuals and dogs are allowed. At the "Tel Aviv Marina" there is a public swimming pool. At the "Gordon Beach" beach volleyball is played in the evenings by floodlights, when it is not so hot anymore. The most famous beach of Tel Aviv is "Frishman Beach". Due to the proximity to the center there are many restaurants and bars. Here you will also meet most tourists. Further south, it gets a bit quieter, until it gets fuller again just before Jaffa. The beach promenade has been redone in the center, south of Allenby St. was still working in 2018.

 

Frishman Beach

 

Independence Hall

The inconspicuous house on Rothschild Boulevard is the most historic building of Tel Aviv. The city was founded in 1909 by 66 families. The plots were distributed by lot. Rothschild Boulevard 16 went to the Dizengoff family. Meir Dizengoff became the first mayor of Tel Aviv. In 1930, he donated the house of his city to set up a Tel Aviv Museum. The house was rebuilt and enlarged. The large windows on the street were replaced by narrow window slots. On May 14, 1948, the independence of Israel was declared here because the following day the mandate for Palestine expired from Great Britain. The Rothschild Boulevard was full of people cheering, finally the Jews had their own state again. Later Prime Minister Golda Meir said, "6 million Jews have died, independence came too late, I can only cry, cry, cry." The USA recognized Israel the very next day. After independence, Egypt, Jordan (then Transjordan), Syria, Lebanon and Iraq declared war on the new state of Israel. Already on 15 May at 0 o'clock soldiers of these countries crossed the border. Golda Meir sums up the conflict: "The Arabs want us to die, but we want to live, there can be no compromise." The First Arab-Israeli War ended in 1949 with the victory of Israel. The museum in "Independence Hall" commemorates the founding of Israel. In front of the "Independence Hall" stands a monument of Meir Dizengoff on a mare. Mayor Meir on a mare.

 

Rothschild Blvd. 16

 

Great Synagoge of Tel Aviv

The Great Synagogue of Tel Aviv was built in 1926. At that time the synagogue still looked quite traditional, a box with a dome. The 1914 architectural competition won the German architect Richard Michael. This had but because of the 1st World War back to Germany. His compatriot Alexander Baerwald took over the further planning. After financial problems, the synagogue was finally built by architect Yehuda Magidovitch, who later built the famous Cinema Hotel on Dizengoff Square. The unusual form of the main synagogue was not created until 1969 by the concrete arches of Aryeh Elhanani, which were placed in front of the old facade.

 

Allenby Street 110

 

Hassan Bek Mosque

The Hassan Bek mosque was built in 1916 by the Ottomans. The newly formed Tel Aviv continued to expand and the Turkish governor Hassan Bek had the mosque built between Jaffa and Tel Aviv to mark the area. The Christian owner of the property was expropriated. After Israel's independence, Arab snipers use the minaret to shoot Jews in Tel Aviv. When the Irgun took over the mosque, the fighters wanted to blow up the mosque but their commander prevented the destruction. In 1979, the empty mosque was to be turned into a mall. The Muslims from Jaffa resisted the shopping plans and took over the building itself. After the handover, the minaret collapsed and was rebuilt twice as financially from Saudi Arabia and Jordan. In 2001, 21 Israeli youths were killed in a bomb by the Disco Dolphinarium. Since the club was right next to the mosque, many Israelis suspected that the assassin came from the mosque. The mosque was besieged by angry citizens. In 2005, a pig's head in a Palestinian cloth was thrown into the courtyard of Hassan Bek Mosque on the Prophet Muhammad. On top of that, a Muslim stabbed a Jewish student in Jerusalem.

 

HaYarkon St/Yosef Levi St

 

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HaCarmel Market

The Shuk HaCarmel is a 500-meter-long street with open stalls. From souvenirs to clothing and food to street food, everything is possible. Most stores are open from 8am to 6pm. Saturday is the "HaCarmel" closed. On Fridays, he opens at 4 pm. It is also worth taking a look at the small streets around the market. There are other shops and takeaways. It becomes particularly interesting, if on Tuesdays and Fridays artisans and street artists enchant the area. 

 

HaCarmel Street

 

Azrieli Center

The Azrieli Center is a complex of three skyscrapers and a large shopping center. It was named after its investor, who opened the center in 1999. The tallest of the three towers is 187 meters high. There is an observation deck at the Azrieli Center Circular Tower and the entrance is on the top floor of the shopping center, by the large hall with the glass dome. The entrance is cheap, but the viewing platform is not very nice and the windows were not clean. But you can see all Tel Aviv, the sea and the mountains east of the city. In the evening Tel Aviv is in the back light, but there is a restaurant overlooking the sea.

 

Derech Menachem Begin 132

 

Sarona

The settlement "Sarona" was built in 1871 by German Templars, who were expelled by the British during the First World War. Later, the Israeli government used the settlement. The small houses are located in a spacious park and are now used as high-priced shops or as restaurants. "Sarona" is a mix of park and shopping village.

 

Aluf Kalman Magen St 3

 

Namal Tel Aviv

The former harbor area has become an interesting place with many restaurants and cafes. Many shops have moved into the old warehouses. "Namal Tel Aviv" has become one of the most popular meeting place on the coast. For restaurants check out » Restaurants in Tel Aviv

 

Nemal Tel Aviv St 12

 

Skyline of Tel Aviv

The founding fathers of Tel Aviv wanted to turn the city into the New York of the Middle East. High-rise buildings were desired differently than in other cities. Tel Aviv should become the modern lighthouse of the region. About 100 years after its founding, Tel Aviv has already built a considerable skyline. The best view of the high-rise backdrop is from Jaffa. For more pictures of the skyline and Tel Aviv check out the » Picture Gallery of Tel Aviv

 

Mifrats Shlomo Promenade, Tel Aviv-Yafo

 

Map sights of Tel Aviv

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Travel Guide Tel Aviv

Welcome to Tel Aviv-Jaffa

Tel Aviv-Jaffa has approximately 450,000 inhabitants and is the second largest city of Israel. Jerusalem in the biggest city of Israel. The Tel Aviv region has around 3.8 million inhabitants and is significantly bigger than the Jerusalem region with 1.3 million inhabitants.

 

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