From the ancient Canaanite port of Yapu to the Hellenistic city of Joppe, Jaffa was always the main bridge between the Mediterranean and Jerusalem, of which it was the official port. At its peak, the greatest Arab voices and musicians – from Oum Kalthoum to Mohammed Abdel Wahab – echoed inside the city that once was a brilliant cultural, political and economic center at the heart of the Arab world. Its name, since the 19 th century, pushed back the borders with its orange exports – its orange groves stretched out into the Palestinian coastal plain back then. Alas, dark schemes were already looming over Jaffa (Yaffa).

Places to see: Al Mahmoudiyeh mosque • Ottoman seraglio • house of Simon the Tanner • port of Jaffa • Andromeda's Rock • Clock Tower square • St. Peter's Church • es-Salahi souk (market) • Ajami quarter • Al Manshiyya • Hassan Beik mosque