Old City of Haifa
Old City of Haifa
البلدة القديمة الحيفا | |
|---|---|
Old city | |
The Old City of Haifa in 1945 | |
Plan of Haifa showing the "Old Town", Frederick Palmer, 1923 | |
| Coordinates: 32°48′57″N 35°0′8″E / 32.81583°N 35.00222°E | |
| City | Haifa |
| Established | 1761 |
| Demolished | 1948 |
The Old City of Haifa (Arabic: البلدة القديمة الحيفا) was the historic core of Haifa from 1761 until its destruction in the aftermath of the 1948 Palestine war and the Nakba.
The Old City of Haifa had at least two predecessors: the Roman and Byzantine city 2.5 km to the southeast, today known as Tell Abu Hawam, and the medieval city 2.5 km to the northwest, today known as Haifa El-Atika.
The city was founded in its modern location in 1761 by Zahir al-Umar, using stones from Haifa el-Atika. It served as the social, religious and commercial center for Haifa's Palestinian Arab community and resembled other Muslim-majority cities throughout the Ottoman Empire. After World War I Haifa became part of British Mandatory Palestine.
Following the conquest of the city by Zionist forces in April 1948 and the displacement of most of its Arab population, the Old City was largely demolished by the newly established State of Israel.