History of Haifa in Israel

The state of Israel is located in Western Asia and is surrounded by Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Jordan .Israel is rich in history, religion, culture and tradition. It has many historical cities like Jerusalem, Nazareth, Acre, Haifa etc. In the Haifa Travel Guide in Israel you will come across a brief history of this city. The History of Haifa in Israel goes back thousands of years to Biblical times and beyond.

Haifa is situated in the north of Israel and is also the country's third largest city. It had been ruled once by many world powers like Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Crusaders, Ottoman, French, British and others. The name Haifa does not have any solid historical origin. In Hebrew it's known as Hefa. Some believe the name has come from the Hebrew word 'hof' meaning beach or 'hof yafe' meaning beautiful beach or even 'hafo' meaning to hide or cover.

In the Middle Ages, the Christian pilgrims and the Crusaders called the town Caiphas or Caifa. The name Haifa is first mentioned in the Talmud around 1st-4th century AD. The Christian theologian and biblical topographer, Eusebius referred to it as Sykaminos. Until the 7th century it was ruled by the Byzantine Empire and then it was invaded by the Persians and Arabs. The History of Haifa in Israel was influenced by the Crusaders in the Middle Ages. The Crusaders conquered the city again in 1100 from the Jewish and Muslim inhabitants. The Crusaders made it a part of the Principality of Galilee which stayed until the capture of Muslim Mameluks in 1265.

Daher El-Omar who was the Bedouin ruler of Acre and Galilee destroyed and rebuilt the city surrounding it with a wall in 1761.This is also considered as the beginning of the modern city. Haifa remained under Ottoman rule until 1918.But there were 2 brief interruptions when in 1799 it was conquered by Napoleon Bonaparte. But he withdrew again the same year and again between 1831 and 1840 it was governed by the Egyptian viceroy Mehemet Ali. Afterwards Haifa slowly became an important city of trade and commerce. Therefore the History of Haifa in Israel has always been influenced by conquests.

In 1868 members of the Temple Society formed a modern neighborhood near the city which is now known as the 'German Colony'. The Temple Society was a German religious sect and they played an important part in modernizing the city .Haifa started emerging as an industrial port city at the beginning of the 20th century. By 1945 the city's Jewish population increased rapidly due to immigration from Europe. The UN Partition Plan of 1947 designated Haifa as part of Jewish territory and so when Palestine was divided it became a part of the independent state of Israel.

For elaborate information on History of Haifa in Israel, please click on the links listed below—

  -  Location of Haifa in Israel
  -  Haifa Weather in Israel
  -   Haifa Overview
  -  Haifa Tourism