The oldest port in the world
- 1. The oldest port in the world
Harbors have long been of great strategic naval and economic importance, and many great
cities of the world are located on them. The port of Jaffa, on the Mediterranean is an old one,
claims to be the oldest harbour in the world. Jaffa is mentioned several times in the bible and its
history is spanning more than 3000 years.
Jaffa had been conquered more than 20 times in the history: by the Egyptians, Phoenicians,
Babylonians, Philistines, Assyrians, Maccabeans, Seleucids, Persians, Greeks, Romans,
Crusaders, Mongols, Mamluks, Ottomans, French and British. All realized the military strategic
importance of the seaside city and each conquered it in order to gain control and approach to the
holy land of Israel and especially to Jerusalem.
Many legends are related to Jaffa from Greek mythology of the beautiful Andromeda who was
chained to the rocks near Jaffa, to the story of Jonah and the whale, but the most important story
of the foundation of Jaffa by the son of Noah, the captain of the most famous arks in history.
the old city of Jaffa