Haifa is the third largest city and chief port of Israel. It is also an important economic and educational center. Haifa is often compared to the American city of San Francisco for its scenic beauty. The city is located in the northwestern part of Israel along the Bay of Haifa, on the slopes of Mount Carmel. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea.

Places of interest

The world headquarters of the Baha?i faith are located in Haifa. The Baha?i temple is made of white marble with a gold dome. It is surrounded by majestic Persian gardens that contain the tomb of Abd al-Baha, son of the founder of the Baha?i faith. The Haifa Museum, the Maritime Museum, the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, and the Mane Katz Museum are some of the important places of interest. A museum devoted to folk-music instruments of Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America is also well known. Elijah's cave and the Carmelite monastery of Stella Maris are major attractions. Haifa University and the Technion, or Israel Institute of Technology, attract students from other cities in Israel as well as other countries.

Economy

Haifa is a well-developed city with several important industries. Principal among them are steel founding, food processing, and boatbuilding. Chemicals, textiles, and cement are also manufactured in the city. Haifa has petroleum refineries and a steam-driven power plant, the first of its kind in Israel.

History

Haifa was first mentioned in the Talmud. The Talmud is a compilation of ancient teachings considered sacred by Jews from the time it was compiled (about the 1st-4th century AD) to modern times. The town was earlier called Sykaminos. In 1100 the Crusaders conquered the city and called it Caiphas. It was taken by Napoleon in 1799. In 1839 an Egyptian general captured Haifa, but he was forced by the European powers, led by Britain, to surrender it to Turkey in 1840. In 1918 British forces occupied the town. In 1922 Haifa became part of what was Palestine at the time. Because Haifa was such an important port, it was fought over. The Arabs and the Jewish fighters of the Haganah, or underground defense organization, fought for control of the city in 1948. On April 22, 1948, the Arabs surrendered, and the city became part of the newly declared state of Israel the following month. Population (1999 estimate), 265,700.