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We've compiled the best of the best in Jaffa - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
From Kedumim Square, a number of large boulders can be seen out at sea not far from shore. Greek mythology says one of these (pick your own, everyone does) is where the people of Jaffa tied the virgin Andromeda in sacrifice to a sea monster to appease Poseidon, god of the sea. But the hero Perseus, riding the winged horse Pegasus, soared down from the sky to behead the monster, rescue Andromeda, and promptly marry her.
Completed in 1906, in time to mark the 30th anniversary of the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, this eye-catching limestone spire marks the entrance of Jaffa. The stained-glass windows from 1965 depict events in Jaffa's history. The centuries-old buildings around the square have been carefully restored, preserving their ornate facades. Since Jaffa was a major port in Turkish times, it's not surprising to find the Turkish Cultural Center here.
Although the white bricks of St. Anthony's (also known as San Antonio's) look new, this church actually dates from 1932, when it was built to accommodate the growing needs of Jaffa's Roman Catholic community. The church is named for St. Anthony of Padua, friend and disciple of St. Francis of Assisi.
Jaffa is famous as a meeting point of East and West, and as soon as you step into this century-old Franciscan church you'll find yourself steeped in a European atmosphere. St. Peter's was built over the ruins of a citadel dating from the Seventh Crusade, led by King Louis IX of France in the mid-13th century. A monument to Louis stands at the entrance to the friary. Napoléon is rumored to have stayed here during his Jaffa campaign of 1799. To enter, ring the bell on the right side of the door; you will probably be greeted by one of the custodians, most of whom speak Spanish and some English.
Think of Yefet as a sort of thread between eras: beneath it is the old market area, while all around you stand schools and churches of the 19th and 20th centuries. Several deserve mention. At No. 21 is the Tabitha School, established by the Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1863. Behind the school is a small cemetery where some fairly prominent figures are buried, including Dr. Thomas Hodgkin, the first to define Hodgkin's disease. No. 23 was once a French Catholic school, and it still carries the sign "Collège des Frères." At No. 25, the fortresslike Urim School was set up as a girls' school in 1882.
