14 TRAVEL + INDULGENCE THE PERFECT 10
THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN, OCTOBER 20-21, 2018 theaustralian.com.au/travel
JAFFA, ISRAEL
Mix and match Art and heritage meet in Tel Aviv’s old port city CARLI PHILIPS
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One of the oldest inhabited port cities in the world, the Old City of Jaffa has welcomed immigrants, sailors, fishermen and pilgrims for the past 4000 years and been conquered by everyone from the Phoenicians, Assyrians, Persians and Babylonians to Napoleon, Alexander the Great and Louis IX of France. It’s believed the biblical story of Jonah and the whale took place here and, according to Greek mythology, Jaffa is the site of Andromeda’s Rocks. Legend has it that Poseidon, angered by Andromeda’s mother, Queen Cassiopeia, who bragged her daughter’s beauty was greater than that of the sea nymphs, sent a sea monster to ravage the coast. The only way to prevent destruction was by sacrificing the king’s daughter, chaining her to the rocks now visible off the coast. History oozes from every nook and cranny but there’s a respectful gentrification here as boutiques and ateliers shoulder generations-old hummus joints and ancient monuments. There’s an unbreakable bohemian spirit, too, rooted in a mysterious maze of labyrinthine cobblestone streets with discoveries at every turn. Tel Aviv grew from Jaffa and now the two come under the same municipality, Tel Aviv-Jaffa (also known as Yafo). Most notably, Jews and Arabs break bread together here, Hebrew and Arabic interchanged freely and peacefully.
take a seat at relaxed local hotspot Shaffa Bar, which is also an excellent choice by night. Need a breather? Charming Puaa Cafe is on the outskirts, serving up homely, all-day breakfast. Like the plates? Everything at this eatery is for sale; rol.co.il/sites/eng/puaa.
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Start at the clock tower in the town square, built for the 25th anniversary reign of Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid II as part of modern reforms to follow Western timetables. Legend has it that the 1901 structure was also erected at the encouragement of Yossef Moial, a local trader fed up with pedestrians coming to his shop to ask for the time. Just as iconic is Abulafia, an authentic family-owned Arabic bakery rooted in this spot since 1879. Try Abulafia’s salted beygale (flat pretzels), or sugary knafeh, fresh from the brick oven. With the exception of Passover and Yom Kippur (the Jewish Day of Atonement), it’s open 24 hours, a vendor arrangement that extends back to the 1960s when a local rabbi expressed disappointment to the bakery’s owner, Said Abulafia, at the number of Jews buying bread on the holy days when it was forbidden. The rabbi offered to pay the equivalent of the popular bakery’s daily earnings in exchange for closing, but at the end of the contract the official monetary arrangement became one of goodwill that, generations later, is still upheld; info.goisrael.com.
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Unlike most other churches, which face east, the Church of St Peter looks towards Rome, where Saint Peter is regarded as the first pope, and across the sea where he had his famous vision that ultimately led to Christianity’s split from Judaism. Layered with history, the present church is on the site of a 13th-century crusader fortress over which a 16th-century house of worship popular with pilgrims was built. It supposedly housed Napoleon during a visit to Jaffa but the church in its present form was completed in 1894 and still runs daily mass; visit-tel-aviv.com.
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The Flea Market is a frenzied patchwork of narrow streets packed full of trash and treasure such as Persian carpets, trendy galleries, hookah pipes and old men playing shesh besh (Turkish-style backgammon). Bargaining is expected. Eat produce on the run or
From main: old Jaffa port; clock tower built in honour of Sultan Abdul Hamid II; zodiac fountain in Kedumim Square; Statue of Faith sculpture in Gan HaPisga summit park
Jaffa is one of the few places in the Middle East where Jews, Christians and Muslims live harmoniously. Fittingly, the not-for-profit Peres Centre for Peace was founded here in 1996, dedicated to the peaceful co-existence of Arab-Israeli activities by focusing on common interests in education, medicine, business and the environment. Since December 2009, it’s been housed in the Peres Peace House in Ajami, a largely Arab neighbourhood of Jaffa; it’s a striking building designed by prominent Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas. The recently opened Taglit Centre for Israeli Innovation features four floors of interactive activities charting Israel’s entrepreneurial spirit; group or private tours can be booked; peres-center.org/en; taglitinnovation.com.
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By the Zodiac Fountain in Kedumim Square is the Old Jaffa Visitors Centre, a bunker-like archeological excavation site. As fun as it is educational, it does a good job of cramming thousands of years of history into a digestible timeline with a lively animated short film, virtual characters, big-screen video projections and suspension bridges overlooking artefacts from the Byzantine, Hellenic and Roman eras. Next door, eccentric artist Ilana Goor opens her house for tours, showcasing out-of-the-box works in iron and bronze. The internationally renowned collector and creator has designed every bolt, screw and doorhandle. Pop up to the rooftop for sculptures and sea views; ilanagoormuseum.org/en; oldjaffa.co.il/en.
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From Kedumim Square, cross to Jaffa’s summit park, Gan HaPisga, via the Wishing Bridge, where folklore has it that touching your bronzed zodiac star sign lining the bridge will ensure your wishes come true. The hilltop garden is the highest peak in Jaffa, with panoramas of the Mediterranean, and is the best spot for Jaffa’s famous golden sunsets. In summer, there’s a roster of outdoor film screenings and musical performances.
restaurant (mind the queue) renowned for its abundance of mini salad plates and fresh fish. The deaf-blind Nalaga’at Centre is also based here and, in addition to performances, operates the brilliant BlackOut restaurant where blind waiters serve you dinner in the dark. It will send your senses reeling; 2eat.co.il/eng/ hazaken-vehayam-namal; nalagaat.org.il/en.
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Jaffa’s atmospheric nightlife kicks off at about 9pm as alleys come alive with wine bars and restaurants. By day you would probably walk past Onza, but after dark it transforms into a vibrant modern Ottoman and Turkish restaurant. Waiters will join you for shots of arak and plates are made for sharing. Over in Jaffa’s Greek Market, Ramesses has been designed with a bar on one side of the street and a restaurant opposite. The dining area splits the two on a car-free lane. Always packed, it’s Mediterranean with a twist. Venues here close when the last patron leaves so there’s time to wander over to Cuckoo’s Nest, a bar inside an antiques store that also operates as an art gallery; onza.co.il; ramessesjaffa.com; facebook.com/Cnestjaffa.
BEST BEDS
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It’s taken 20 years to complete The Setai Tel Aviv (pictured), a new five-star hotel by the big palm tree at the entrance to Jaffa. The owners, the American-Israeli Nakash family, whose empire includes Jordache Jeans and The Setai in Miami Beach, worked closely with the Israeli antiquities authority to transform the former 12th-century crusader fortress, remnants of which were found four layers underground. The building also served as a 19thcentury Ottoman-era prison and later as a police station. There are 120 luxury guestrooms and Feigin Architects has designed a stone addition replete with oriental rugs, lots of marble and beautiful ironwork. Jaffa isn’t known for its luxury properties and while the hotel draws an upscale crowd, it has a casual feel. ■ thesetaihotel.co.il
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Adaptive re-use of old hangars and abandoned orange warehouses have transformed the port into a thriving mixed-use cultural and entertainment complex. It’s still actively used by fishermen who can be seen from the Old Man and the Sea, a bustling AUSE01Z10TR - V1