The walls of Old Jaffa can no longer be seen today. The old and the new are mixed in Jaffa, and to see the splendor of the Ottoman city we will have to search with the eye and use the imagination. The Clock Square was the urban center of the Ottoman city – here sat the municipality, the Saraya, here was the police, here is the clock tower erected there in 1904, and here our tour begins.

From the clock tower we will continue towards the port of Jaffa – the port of Jerusalem, the main gateway to Israel for many periods. The ancient port has been located in Jaffa for about 5,000 years and is used by those who come from overseas. We will hear the sad story of Andromida with the happy ending, and we will talk about the cultures that have passed here during the periods. We will also not forget Napoleon who came to Jaffa from Egypt on his way to Acre, and many pilgrims who set foot here.

From the port of Jaffa we will continue towards the Church of St. Peter, to which the Catholic tradition attributes the story of Peter’s dream, a founding story in Christianity. We will see the various Christian communities living in Jaffa, and the beautiful structure facing west towards the sea, as opposed to churches around the world facing east.

From St. Peter’s Church we will continue through the Pisga garden, passing near the excavation area where the oldest finds of Jaffa were exposed – the gate from the Bronze Age. We will continue to the whale statue and tell the story of the prophet, the whale and how it relates to Jaffa, and we will pass through the magical alleys of the old city.

For a sweet end to the tour, we will go to the flea market, where we can experience the unique culture of Jaffa today. Those interested can continue on another tour – a culinary tour of Jaffa, for this tour see the tour page of a culinary tour at the flea market.