Mini Israel, Israel

The first settlement on the site of modern Jaffa appeared before the 18th century BC. According to the archaeological excavations, during the invasion of the Hyksos to Egypt, there were already fortifications in this area. Written sources mentioned Jaffa already in the 15th century BC. The city was developing actively during the Roman Empire period. However, the settlement was completely destroyed during the Jewish-Roman war. Soon after that Titus Flavius Vespasianus became an emperor and the city returned to life, changing its name to Flavia Ioppa. Arabs captured the city in the 7th century. Starting from that period, Jaffa was losing its importance.

At the beginning of the 12th century, the Crusaders came to the Israeli land. They expelled Arabs and Judaists and made the city the capital of the Principality of Jaffa. After this event, numerous new buildings appeared in the settlement. However, Jaffa was to face many challenges in the future. It was conquered, destroyed, and rebuilt a number of times. The city suffered one of the most serious damages in the 13th century. After this event, Jaffa lost its importance as a major port city. Much damage was inflicted on the city during Napoleon’s military campaign at the end of the 18th century. In 1950, Jaffa joined Tel-Aviv but it didn’t lose its unique charm.
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