HAIFA

Haifa - Israeli commercial port. Located on the southern coast of Haifa Bay in the northern part of Palestine, northeast of the port city. It is 74 nautical miles north of Beirut Port, 147 nautical miles northwest of Lemesos Port, 67 nautical miles south of Ashdod Port, and 163 nautical miles north of Said Port. The port is composed of new and old port areas. The old harbor area is located at the southeast corner of the eastern bay, which is the Jixiao River harbor area. It is recessed inland and protected by a short breakwater on the outside, with a small river flowing out to sea from within. There are internal ports (i.e. Jishao Harbor Pool). The east bank of the outer harbor is the free port area, and the west bank is the roll on/roll off ship terminal. The water depth along the edge is 8.5 meters, and the total length of the cargo and chemical terminal line is 985 meters. Xingang District is advancing towards the northwest coast, located on the southwest coast of the bay. It is protected by a breakwater that extends eastward from the western shore. The harbor is mainly a coastal wharf, with only two protruding breakwaters extending northward in the middle. There is also a short breakwater extending northward to the east, which combines with the west breakwater to form the western harbor area. The Xigang District has a waterfront dock with a total length of 1520 meters, of which 1240 meters are at a water depth of 8.6-11.00 meters along the edge, used for containers (with two berths), general cargo, grains, passengers, etc. The oil pier line in the eastern part of Xigang District is 350 meters long, with a water depth of 10 meters (there are also three offshore oil berths in the harbor, with a water depth of 15.8-17.7 meters); There are two berths on the cargo embankment, with a length of 205 and 107 meters respectively, and a water depth of 6.8 meters. The Zhonggang area, newly built in the mid-1980s between Xigang District and the old eastern port, has three berths for containers and roll on/roll off ships. The total length of the dock line is 600 meters, including a container terminal of 420 meters and a water depth of 12-13 meters. There are two 35 ton loading and unloading bridges on the dock, with plans to add two more. The dock covers an area of 30 hectares and is Israel's first throughput port. Haifa is the third largest city in Israel, located only 44 kilometers north of Lebanon and known as the "Gateway to the North". It is situated on the cape of Haifa Bay, the widest bay in Palestine, and is a rare natural deep-water port with calm waters all year round. It is also the most important and busiest port in Israel and one of the largest container terminals in the Mediterranean. Almost all of Israel's foreign trade is conducted by sea, with Haifa Port accounting for 60% of its total cargo volume. Haifa is still an industrial hub and an international trade and commercial center, with major industries including petrochemicals, computers, and machinery manufacturing. The headquarters of Israel Electric Corporation and many large high-tech companies are located here. The land transportation in Haifa is very convenient. The transportation arteries 2 and 4, which run through the north and south of Israel, pass through the city. The headquarters of Israel's national railway is also located in Haifa, and three railway lines closely connect it with Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and the central Negev region. Haifa is still the headquarters of the Israeli Navy, and the US Mediterranean Fleet has chosen Haifa as a base for logistics services such as cargo supply and ship maintenance. Like many other cities, Haifa, a powerful modern industrial city, is deeply rooted in the past. In the 14th century BC, there was a port town near Haifa. The first written record of it can be found in the Talmud, a Jewish code of wisdom from the 3rd century AD. The code tells us that the purple pigment used to dye Jewish prayer headbands was derived from seashells caught in the surrounding areas of Haifa. The name Haifa may have originated from the Hebrew word "Hof Yafe", meaning "beautiful coast". At that time, there were many fishermen and glass blowers living in the bustling small town. In the 7th century AD, the small town was destroyed by the Arabs. In the 11th century AD, Haifa became a trading center, renowned for its shipbuilding industry and Talmud Academy. In 1099, the European Crusaders launched a six-month siege of Haifa, resulting in the brutal slaughter of a large number of Jewish and Arab residents. During the rule of the Mamluks and Ottoman Empire, Haifa became an insignificant fishing village. In 1740, Bedouin chieftain Dahl Amir established a new settlement in the current old city area and built a port to export wheat to Egypt, leading to an economic boom in Haifa. In modern times, with the application of steamships, the superiority of Haifa's wide and deep harbor gradually emerged, replacing the important position of the northern port of Acre. Before World War I, the railway connecting Haifa with Egypt and Damascus was put into operation, injecting tremendous vitality into the development of the city. In 1933, the modern deep-water dock in Haifa was completed. In 1934, the oil pipeline connecting Iraq was completed. As early as 1902, Herzl, the founder of Zionism, foresaw Haifa as the "city of the future" in his book "The Old New Land" and encouraged Jews to develop here. In 1920, the Workers' General Union, which had a significant impact on the future Israeli national economy, was established in Haifa. After the establishment of Israel, Haifa became an important port for European Jewish immigrants to enter Palestine, with a rapid population growth from 15000 on the eve of the founding to 250000 now, and the economy also took off. Haifa is a true mountain city, except for the narrow harbor and old town on the Mediterranean coast, the entire city is like a giant, nestled on the lush north slope of Mount Carmel. The main shopping and commercial centers of Haifa are concentrated on the mountainside, while the beautiful and peaceful university campus, luxury residential area, restaurants, and Mount Carmel Nature Reserve are located on the mountaintop. Some people say that Haifa's style is similar to San Francisco in the United States and Cape Town in South Africa, making it a diverse city. Despite experiencing countless wars and riots over the centuries, Haifa today may be the most open-minded and inclusive city in Israel. Arabs and Jews, Christians and Baha'is, traditionalists and secularists coexist harmoniously here. Haifa is even more open and bold than Tel Aviv, which likes to chase trendy fashion. It is the only place in Israel where public buses still operate as usual on the Sabbath. The endless sunshine, soft white sandy beaches, clean and stretching streets, colorful gardens, cool and fragrant mountain winds, and lush pine forests all add infinite poetic and picturesque charm to this seaside mountain city. The numerous museums and universities scattered in every corner of the city also give Haifa a strong cultural and high-tech atmosphere.