Tel Aviv or Tel Aviv-Yafo is Israel's second largest city (after Jerusalem), with a population of approximately 1.1 million people. Tel Aviv is more spread out than the smaller cities, but it's easier and faster to travel by foot. Tel Aviv is also known as, "The White City", because of the the bright colors of the building style: white, off-white, light yellow. This unique Bauhaus building style of Tel Aviv has earned Tel Aviv the name, "White City." In July 2003, Tel Aviv-Yafo was declared a cultural UNESCO World Heritage site. Tel Aviv is the Israels' business and cultural center. The Diamond Exchange and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, are two major economic institutions in the city. The Habima National Theater is excellent and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is worth hearing. Tel Aviv also has several impressive museums and an excellent university. The Azrieli Tower is the city’s tallest building, 614 feet tall. Tel Avivs' streets are filled with shops, galleries, and restaurants. Off Rehov HaCarmel, you'll even find an open-air market. The Museum of the Diaspora, on the campus of Tel Aviv University contains exhibits on the history of the Jewish people covering more than 2,500 years. On the first anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, a memorial to his memory, created by the sculptress Yael Ben-Artzi, was dedicated. The memorial is made up of 16 basalt rocks from the Golan Heights, which are sunken into the ground, signifying Rabin’s roots and his links to the land. The stones are placed at different heights, so that they appear to be the result of an earthquake. This pattern compars his murder to a brutal political and social earthquake. Tel Aviv has with the mild weather and a lay back, easy going spirit. Yet with that spirit, Tel Aviv is also one of the liveliest cities you will come across. You can enjoy a very rich night life scene. Whether you are into clubbing, restaurants, coffee shops, or smoke-filled bars. Tel Aviv is highly recommended. Jerusalem is Israel's capital city, where most of its' government departments are located, while, Tel Aviv and its satellite cities form the economic and cultural center of Israel. There has even been some discussion to make Tel Aviv the capital city. The ancient city of Jaffa enters into the discussion of the founding of Tel Aviv. Jaffa has been a fortified port city overlooking the Mediterranean Sea for over 4,000 years. It is one of the world's most ancient towns. It was the target of conquerors throughout the ages because of its strategic locations between Asia, Africa and Europe. Here are some interesting events which occured in Jaffa: Jonah left from Jaffa on his voyage before being swollowed by the whale. Saint Peter miraculously restored life to Tabitha in Jaffa. Jaffa contains the house of Simon the Tanner, where Peter realized the gospel message had to be extended beyond Judaism. Over the 19th century Jaffa’s population grew from about 2,500 in (1806) to about 17,000 in (1886). The old city walls could no longer hold the population, and they were destroyed in the 1870s. New, spacious neighborhoods started to grow. Today, Jaffa is a popular tourist destination because of its beautifully restored old quarter filled with galleries, shops and restaurants. The easiest spot to locate in Jaffa is Hagana Square, where the clock tower stands. It was built in 1906 by the Turkish Sultan, Abdul Hamid II, to commemorate his 30th anniversary as ruler. The Visitors' Center in Kedumim Square has exhibits of archaeological remains and the history of Jaffa. Near the minaret towering over the Mahmoudiya Mosque, you'll find a Middle Eastern buffet, cafes, and kiosks selling all of the region's delicacies. Then, Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 by Jewish immigrants, as an alternative to the expensive housing in the historic port city of Jaffa . Tel Aviv's growth eventually overtook its Arab - majority neighbor, and the two towns were united into the municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo in 1950, two years after the founding of the State of Israel. While in Tel Aviv I stayed at the Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers, overlooking the Promenade and the Mediterranean Sea, located approximately one mile from Old Jaffa City and 12 miles from the Tel Aviv Airport. The hotel has been remodeled since my visit.
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| View From The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers | View From The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers |
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| View From The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers | View From The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers |
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| Audrey At The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers | View From The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers |
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| View From The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers | View From The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers |
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| View From The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers | Tel Aviv City Streets |
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| View Inside The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers | View Inside The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel and Towers |
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| Tel Aviv City Streets | Tel Aviv City Streets |
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| Jaffa City Street | Jaffa Hill’s Abrasha Park Statue Of Faith |
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| Yitzhak Rabin, Memorial | Yitzhak Rabin, Memorial |
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| Yitzhak Rabin, Memorial | Yitzhak Rabin, Memorial |
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| Yitzhak Rabin, Memorial | Yitzhak Rabin, Memorial |
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