STOP 2 | HAIFA - A City of Coexistence and Beauty
- Regina Liu
- Sep 6
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 16
HIGHLIGHTS
Haifa is beautifully situated between the Mediterranean Sea and Mount Carmel. The mountain is significant in the Old Testament as the site of the prophet Elijah's dramatic confrontation with the prophets of Baal, as recounted in [1 Kings 18:20-40]. A monastery garden, the Mukhraka, stands atop the mountain in his memory.
The Shrine of the Báb and the Baháʼí Gardens in Haifa are a central component of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee. The breathtakingly precise gardens, often poetically compared to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, are built into the natural slope of Mount Carmel and are a masterpiece of landscape design.
While news media often portrays Israel through a lens of conflict, Haifa offers a different narrative. The city is a notable example of relatively peaceful coexistence among its diverse Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, and Baháʼí communities. This is due in part to its mixed demographic makeup and its identity as a major industrial and academic centre.
PRAGMATIC SCHEDULE TRADE-OFFS
Although the city of Carmel and Haifa itself are part of the same administrative district, the specific site of the Mukhraka on Mount Carmel was, regrettably, too far for our condensed itinerary. It remains firmly on the list for a future, more comprehensive visit.
We entered Haifa and drove along the scenic Yefe Nof Street, alighting near the entrance to the Baháʼí Gardens. We first visited the promenade opposite the gardens before crossing to the gardens themselves. As mentioned previously, we opted not to wait for the fixed tour time to enter the Shrine of the Báb. This decision help freeing up some crucial time, allowing us to include Tel Megiddo, and also to briefly explore The German Colony at the foot of the gardens, where we enjoyed a simple local lunch and found an ATM (a necessity, as even small eateries often required cash, making me long for the cashless convenience of China!).
If time had allowed, I would have also visited:
The summit of Mount Carmel: For the Mukhraka monastery, the Druze village of Daliyat al-Karmel (a key part of the region's religious mosaic), and the stunning panoramic views over the Jezreel Valley—a truly biblical "land of milk and honey."
Haifa's unique public transport: The city is home to Israel's only subway system, a fascinating cable-car network, and a funicular, all with engineering that is so distinct from subways in most of the other cities.
This picture is edited based on pictures from websites A thorough exploration of The German Colony: To properly appreciate its history and architecture and to sample more of its restaurants.
SITE VISITS
The pragmatic trade-offs in our schedule allowed us to focus on a selection of truly superb sites.
Louis Promenade:
This scenic walkway was donated by parents in memory of their 19-year-old son, Louis, who died in a car accident. Situated on the slopes of Mount Carmel (the very mountain that sourced the Roman aqueduct for Caesarea), it offers spectacular views from above the Baháʼí Gardens. On a clear day, like the one I was fortunate to have, you can see across the bay all the way to the city of Acre (Akko).
Shrine of the Báb and Baháʼí Gardens:
This is the second holiest site for the Baháʼí Faith and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before this trip, I was unfamiliar with this relatively young religion (founded circa the mid-19th century) and was surprised to learn it has a presence in Shanghai, where it is sometimes known as the "Great Unity" faith. Its core principles include the unity of God, the unity of major religions, and the unity of humanity.Our guide explained that the faith originated in Persia (Iran). The Shrine of the Báb was designed in the 1950s by a Canadian Baháʼí architect. Due to post-WWII material shortages in Israel, the stone was largely carved in Italy before being shipped to Haifa. The magnificent gardens were designed by an Iranian architect at the end of the 20th century, with Israeli engineers handling the complex structural work, and opened in 2001. All construction was funded by donations from Baháʼís worldwide. Entry is free but requires advance booking and includes a security check.
The German Colony:
Standing at the southern end of Ben Gurion Boulevard, one can look up towards the Baháʼí Gardens or walk down into this historic neighbourhood. The area's distinctive red-roofed buildings are visible from the Baháʼí Gardens terraces above. The colony, full of ongoing restoration projects and historical markers, was founded in 1869 by the Temple Society (Tempelgesellschaft), a German Protestant sect. They brought advanced planning, engineering, and manufacturing techniques to the region, establishing several colonies with the aim of creating model communities in the Holy Land. Though they contributed significantly to the region's modernisation, members of the society were expelled by the British Mandate authorities during WWII due to their German nationality, despite their personal opposition to the Nazi regime.
Lunch:
The area near the port, known as the Lower Town, is a predominantly Arab neighbourhood. Our driver, an Arab Christian, recommended a small shawarma eatery he frequented.I first tasted this "shaved meat" dish on a business trip to Germany years ago and was told it was Greek, so I had always classified it as such. However, seeing its ubiquity here and hearing our driver's insistence on its local authenticity, I have re-categorised it in my mind as a quintessential Levantine street food. I opted for a beef shawarma in pita bread, accompanied by an ice-cold Coca-Cola (all for less than 10 Shekels). The inevitable mess of tahini sauce around my mouth, wiped away with paper napkins, was a most uncharacteristic—but thoroughly enjoyable—dining experience for someone of my typically reserved nature!
STOP 3 | ACRE - A Crusader Kingdom Beneath a Living Arab City
