Haifa's Architectural Jewels (Self Guided), Haifa

Established in the early 1900s through the German-Jewish Ezrah fund, the Technion school of engineering and sciences was one of only two higher education institutions in what was then known as Ottoman Palestine. (The other was Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Art and Design.) Although the cornerstone for Technion was laid in 1912, courses did not begin until 1924 after much debate about which language to use in the lecture halls. Having first considered German, Technion eventually adopted modern Hebrew as the college language in the wake of the first World War.

Located in Haifa’s Hadar neighborhood, the City Hall is a historic monument that dates back to the 1950s. It was erected at a significant time for the city when a number of important buildings were constructed and new neighborhoods were created.

Migdal ha Neviim - also known as Prophet's Tower - is named after the street it is located on in the Hadar neighborhood. It was one of the first ever glass buildings in Haifa. Inside you’ll find many shops and even an underground Arab theatre.

The Sail Tower, officially District Government Center - Building B is a skyscraper and government building in Haifa, Israel. It is part of Haifa's District Government Center (responsible for the Haifa District), named after Yitzhak Rabin. Its construction began in 1999 and was completed on February 28, 2002. It has 29 floors and stands at 137 m (405 ft). As such, it was the tallest skyscraper in Haifa until 2003, surpassed by the IEC Tower. Counting antennas, it is still the tallest building in Haifa. Without the antennas, the sails of the Sail Tower reach 113 m, and its main roof is at 95 m.

The District Government Center in Haifa was planned to combine new and old elements. In contrast with the modern Sail Tower, the promenade leading up to it was designed in an older Middle Eastern style, including mosaic on the floors depicting the history of Haifa. One of the maps depicted dates back to 1773.

The Templars' Community Building is one of Haifa’s best preserved old buildings. Built in 1869, it was the first building constructed by the Templars in the territory of Palestine. Today it’s home to the Haifa City Museum, where you can find out the history of both the building and the entire city.

The German Colony is a vivid example of the Templar’s existence in Palestine. This particular building was erected in 1872, as the plaque on the wall proudly displays. Wonderfully restored, this beautiful building now houses a popular restaurant.