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Love The Holylandwith us!Nazarene Tours is a full-service travel and tourism business with over 30 years ofexperience. Being one of the largest privately run tour operator in the Holy Land,we have it all:Customized FIT and Groups tours.Educational and pilgrimage tours.Extensions to countries in the Middle East.Corporate incentive programs.Hotel accommodation.Multilingual staff/guides.Day-tour excursions for individuals.Our Company is known for its professionalism,integrity, and creativity. Our quality services andcommitted staff ensure that all you customerswill have a memorable stay in our country.All of us at Nazarene Tours have a sincerepassion for making every trip your ultimate.www.nazarene-tours.comIncoming Department Paul VI Street, P.O. Box 86 Nazareth 16100 IsraelTel 972-4-6470797 // Fax 972-4-6566505 // Email incoming@nazarene-tours.comFacebook Nazarene Tours Incoming2

News Feature Cuisine Places Shopping IndexItalianscholarsplanmakeoverof city’shistoriccoreA team of Italian experts are conductinga year-long study of the areaaround Nazareth’s traditional watersource as part of a plan to remake thecity’s historic core.The scholars, from the VenetianInstitute of Restoration, began theirresearch at the beginning of 2012and are expected to deliver theirfindings early next year.The focus of their study is theGreek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation,which sits over Nazareth’straditional spring – the sitewhere the Orthodox believe the angelGabriel told Mary she was carryingthe son of God – and the city’snearby public fountain, Mary’s Well.The goal is twofold: to restore thechurch and discover what remainslie under it and the environs; and torethink the way the area is currentlyplanned to improve access to its sitesfor both local residents and tourists.Traditionally, the OrthodoxChurch has been overshadowed bythe much larger Roman Catholic Basilicaof the Annunciation; and eventhose who do visit the church oftenspend only a few minutes inside,missing many of its treasures.According to local officials, thearea could become part of a touristiccomplex that would take advantageof the large open plaza in front of thechurch. In the past few years, coffeeshops and restaurants have sprungup around the plaza, making it anincreasingly popular spot with bothtourists and local residents.One proposal under considerationis creating a passageway behind thechurch to reach the spring’s source,as it leaves the hillside. The maintechnical difficulty is that sourcenow lies under a busy main road.Other plans include creating an informationcentre; removing the wallOne plan underconsideration iscreating apassagewaybehind the churchto reach thespring’s source3in front of the Orthodox church thatobscures the view from the plaza;creating a museum to display thelarge number of Orthodox religiousicons currently in storage; and restoringan ancient tunnel that ledfrom the al-Kilay cave to the church.After the original Orthodoxchurch was built over the spring, inthe Byzantine period, the water waschanneled to Mary’s Well. The ancientaqueducts, now 2 meters belowground, are barely visible today, butone possibility is lowering the groundlevel and flowing water through thechannels from the church to Mary’sWell, with the water illuminated atnight.The Italian team will help to evaluatewhether such proposals can berealised and come up with practicaloptions for implementing them in away that will not to harm the area’sarcheological treasures.Nazareth originally establishedrelations with the Venice institute inthe late 1990s as part of the Nazareth2000 project, a program to renovatethe city’s holy sites in time for thePope’s visit for the millennium celebrations.

Grand mansionsthat hide a secretMurals reveala bygone eraVisitors to Nazareth know of itsfamous churches, but few will beaware that hidden away in the OldCity are beautiful buildings of a ratherdifferent character.Nazareth contains one of the largestand most significant collectionsin the Holy Land of 19th centurymansions decorated with paintedwalls and ceilings.These homes, once the residencesof Palestine’s wealthiest landowners,offer a fascinating glimpse intolife in the region in earlier centuries.According to local historian SharifSharif Safadi, the craze amongNazarenes for elaborately decoratingtheir homes followed a trend set earlierby the rulers of the Ottomanempire in Istanbul.They began embellishing theirhomes with wall and ceiling muralsfrom the mid-18th century. The Ottomanelite were consciously imitatingthe practice of aristocrats in Europe,which came to be seen as the placeof success and innovation as the Ottomanempire slipped into a periodof steady decline.Ottoman ambassadors to Europe,impressed by the technological advancesthere, returned also with ataste for Western culture.Originally European artists wereasked to decorate the interiors ofthese homes. But as the fashionspread across the empire, MiddleEast painters adopted the same style,with the best studying in Europe.The important Palestinian cities ofthe Galilee, such as Nazareth, Haifa,Acre and Tiberias, as well as the port4 4of Jaffa further south, were heavilyinfluenced by the styles that hadalready been adopted in Beirut, inLebanon. Meanwhile, the West Bankcities of Nablus, Jerusalem, Bethlehemand Hebron looked to Damascusfor inspiration.Although there were decoratedmansions in all these Palestiniancities, Nazareth boasts some of themost significant because it survivedrelatively unscathed the 1948 warthat established Israel, says Safadi.An expert on decorated homesthroughout the Holy Land, Safadipoints out that in other cities in whatis now Israel families either fled thefighting or were forced out by war.The newcomers, usually low-incomefamilies who rented the propertiesfrom the state, had little idea ofthe paintings’ importance and rarelymade efforts to conserve them.“Nazareth was a different story,”

News Feature Cuisine Places Shopping Indexhe says. “Most of the homes continuedto belong to the city’s elite familiesand they were proud of them.They were proof of their families’status and that is why they are in bettershape here than elsewhere.”Safadi says that, of about 85 suchhomes in Nazareth, just over 60 havesurvived. A few were destroyed byfire or the murals painted over. Nonetheless,many of those that survivedare in need of urgent preservation.In part, this is because there arefew planning restrictions to protectthem: under Israel’s antiquities law,a protected building must date to before1700.But also, unlike the West Bank,where international organisationssuch as the United Nations are helpingto restore such buildings to theirformer glory, there are no heritageassociations in Israel with the expertiseor resources to help cities likeNazareth.There are nonetheless grounds foroptimism. Safadi says in recent yearsthe city has woken up not only to thehistoric importance of the buildingsbut also to their tourism potential.There are now three houses that areopen to the public by appointment,and visits are increasingly part of theitineraries of tourist groups.Among the murals in Nazarethare unique depictions of locallandscapes, as well as more familiarpaintings of flora and fauna. Ina tribute to the area’s rapid developmentin the 19th century, paintingsoften show the new seaports and citiesthat were emerging in Palestineas well as examples of Western technologicalprogress, such as trains,telegraph poles and steam ships.In an era before photography wascommonly available, some homeownersalso use the paintings toshow the family on holiday, with theartists apparently drawing on postcardsthe family brought back fromtheir travels.In these various ways, Nazareth’selite were only too happy to use theinteriors of their homes to demonstratethe extent of their wealth, theirabundant leisure time and their connectionto the modern world.Unusually, however, in a citywhere the population was mixed religiously,Nazareth’s notables alsotended to highlight their faith in thePhotos by : Issa Freig.5 5Courtesy of Dr. Sharif Sharif Safadymurals. In particular, says Safadi,Nazareth is the only place whereChristian families used religious motifsin the paintings, such as cherubsand angels, and inscriptions from theNew Testament.Those who wish to see a decoratedmansion should contact the NazarethCultural and Tourism Associationon 04 610 6611.

1. The Basilica of the AnnunciationThe impressive modern church builtover the grotto where the ArchangelGabriel is believed to have visitedMary to tell her she was carrying theson of God. Artworks from Christiancommunities around the globe areexhibited on the walls. Also worthvisiting in the grounds is St Joseph’sChurch, which is said to includeevidence of Joseph’s carpentry workshop.4. The Market and Old CityThe bustling alleys of the market(“souk” in Arabic) next to theBasilica offer a rare chance to see aworking Oriental bazaar in Israel. Wanderdeeper and you will find yourselfinside the Old City, offering a uniqueglimpse of the grand lifestyles of Nazareth’swealthy landowners of centuriesgone by.2. The Greek Orthodox Church ofthe Annunciation and Mary’s WellAt the site where, according to Easterntradition, Mary was visited by theArchangel Gabriel as she drew waterfrom Nazareth’s well, is a beautiful 18thcentury church. An atmospheric passagewayinside, the only surviving partof a 12th century Crusader church,leads to the spring. In the plaza outsidecan be found a public well to which thespring water has been redirected sincethe original church was built.TOP 10PLACESTOVISIT3. The Mount of PrecipiceThe hill, known as Jebel Kufzi in Arabic,just outside Nazareth’s city limits,is where, according to tradition, Jesusmiraculously survived being thrown bythe local townspeople into the JezreelValley below. This was where the Popeheld his largest mass during his 2009visit to the Holy Land. The best timefor enjoying the spectacular views isjust before sunset. Can be visited by caror a return taxi.6. The Ancient BathhouseElias and Martina Shama’s small souvenirshop, Cactus, next to Mary’s Well,hides a big secret. Excavations undertheir shop have unearthed a largeancient bathhouse that experts believedates back to the time of Jesus. Aguided tour is available during whichthe owners will tell you their amazingstory.5. Nazareth Village“The Nazareth Jesus Knew” is theslogan of this fascinating attraction,which recreates very precisely theway Nazarenes would have lived 2,000years ago. Local people breathe lifeinto the village by herding sheep, doingcarpentry and weaving rugs in thetraditional way.6

News Feature Cuisine Places Shopping Index7. International Centre Maryof NazarethThe international centre offers visitorsa unique audio-visual journey intoMary’s life, presented in many languages.The centre includes an outdoorviewing platform to see the recentexcavation revealing the remains of anearly Roman home, dated to the timeof Jesus and just a short distance fromthe Basilica.8. The White MosqueNazareth’s oldest mosque, built in thelate 18th century, is distinctive forits white, pencil-shaped minaret thatdominates today’s fruit market andguards the entrance to the Old City.Entry to the mosque is possible withpermission from the imam.9. The Grand PalacesPhoto by: Issa Freig - JerusalemMany of the grand old mansions ofthe Old City were once home tosome of the wealthiest landownersin Palestine. These buildings are notonly splendid architecturally but theyalso include wonderful decorationsinside, especially the ceilings, whichwere painted by some of the finest19th century artists. For guided tours,contact the Nazareth Cultural andTourism Association on 04 610 6611.Best of the restSynagogue ChurchThis church, located in the heart of the Old City market and with a floorset nearly two meters below ground level, is believed to be where Jesuspreached his famous Sabbath sermon, declaring he was the Messiah. Nazareneswere so outraged they dragged him to the Mount of Precipice tothrow him to his death.El-Babour MillThis ancient mill, on the Pilgrim’s Route between Mary’s Well and the Basilica,today serves as a traditional herb and spice shop run by the Kanazebrothers, and is full of rustic charm. Its name derives from the steampoweredmachinery once used by the mill: in Arabic there is no “v” or “p”,so “vapour” was pronounced as “babour” by Nazarenes.Salesian ChurchOne of the most impressive of all the churches in Nazareth, the Salesianwas designed in the Gothic Revival style by French architect Lucien Gauthiers.Located on a high ridge on the city’s western flank, the church isvisible from almost anywhere in Nazareth and makes an excellent startingpointfor a walk down to the Old City market and city center.El-Sebat Folklore HouseA visit to El-Sebat means you don’t just have to imagine a bygone wayof life – it exhibits the items stocked in a typical Nazareth home fromthe 19th century. Located next to the Sisters of Nazareth Convent, themuseum is housed in an ancient building that served in former times as akhan (inn) and grain market.Musmar Ceramics FactoryThe founder of Musmar, Hana Said Musmar, learnt pottery and ceramics inGermany and established the factory in Nazareth in the 1940s. His skillshave been passed down through the family and today his grandchildren,Bassam and Hana, run a visitors’ center where they hold regular workshopsfor children and adults.10. Underground NazarethMuch of Nazareth’s history today liesunderground, but two fascinating sitesare open to visitors. The first is theal-Kilay cave in the compound of theGreek Orthodox bishopric close toMary’s Well Square. The cave tells thehistory of Nazareth’s early Christiansand includes possibly the world’s veryfirst church. The second site is foundat the picturesque Sisters of Nazarethconvent, close to the Basilica. A tourby the sisters, revealing a subterraneanworld of catacombs, cisterns, mosaics,streets, cave-homes and the altarof an ancient church, can be arrangedthrough the Nazareth Cultural andTourism Association on 04 610 6611.7

News Feature Cuisine Places Shopping IndexIt’s as simple asArgilleh, Bags, CeramicsNazareth is both the capital city ofthe Arab minority in Israel and oneof the holiest sites in Christianity. Asa consequence, it offers a wide rangeof cultural and religious artefactsthat visitors can buy as souvenirs oftheir stay in the Holy Land.Here is a brief guide to some ofthe best gifts you can find in the city:Several shops around the Mary’sWell area specialise in items decoratedwith beautiful Palestinian embroidery,particularly dresses, bags,cushion covers, scarves, boxes andpottery. The embroidery’s traditionalgeometric patterns represent objectsfamiliar to rural Palestinian womenfrom their everyday surroundings,such as flowers, trees, birds and animals.Try shops such as Cactus andShababik.There are several jewellery shopson the main street, Paulus VI, andin the Old City, including some thatsell unusual items made from Romanglass.Nazareth has many shops offeringreligious artefacts and icons, oftenmade from local olive wood. Someof the most popular are statues of theHoly Family hand-carved from olivewood.Hand-painted Palestinian ceramicsmake a memorable gift. Shopstypically sell plates, bowls and mugs.Don’t just try Nazareth’s famousbaklawa while you are here – takesome home too. The nut and honeysoakedpastries last weeks outsidethe fridge and so make a perfectsouvenir. Another dessert that travelswell is halva, or halawe as it iscalled in Nazareth.Nazareth has the only factory stillmaking copper and brassware inthe Holy Land. The Matar brothersproduce beautiful traditional Orientalcoffee pots and trays, which canbe bought in souvenir shops on themain street or from their showroomopposite the Tabar Hotel.The hookah water pipe – orargilleh as it is called in Nazareth10– has become a craze among youngpeople across the Middle East. Versionsfrom the cheap to the luxuriouscan be found in the Old City and inspecialist shops on the high street.There are several good brands ofArak, the Middle East’s alcoholicbeverage made from anise, but Nazarethproduces one of the very best.Kawar has three labels – green, redand black – available in most largefood stores.Other items can be found bybrowsing through the Old City’s colourfulmarket, or souq, open fromearly in the morning until about 2pmMonday to Saturday.

News Feature Cuisine Places Shopping IndexCan I have Kanafeh?Nazareth is famous for its traditional Palestinian cuisine,especially its desserts. Try two delicious sweets:baklawa, small nut-filled pastries dipped in honey;and kanafeh, a pastry covered with white cheese andsyrup.Baklawa can be bought to take away in trays, butkanafeh is best served hot, straight from the oven. Twofamous cafes on the main street, Paul VI, are Mahroumand Muktar.Nazareth’s many roadside diners are widely regardedas making the best felafel, deep-fried balls of chickpeawith salad in a sandwich, in the country. It can beserved to take away or as a sit-down meal.Meat-eaters may prefer a shwarma sandwich,packed with slices of lamb meat grilled on a skewer.Several restaurants also specialise in hummus, a chickpeaspread served in a bowl and eaten with bread, andfoul, a similar spread but made with fava or broad beans.For the more adventurous, the city has several out-Tastiest treats in Nazarethstanding restaurants serving exciting fusion cuisine,blending the best of Arabic and Western cooking, andlocated in recently renovated historic buildings close tothe Old City. Many are located on or near the Pilgrim’sRoute between Mary’s Well and the Basilica of theAnnunciation.If you like the food, tell your waiter “zaki!”, or “tasty!”in Arabic.11

Hussam Ghneim Majd Dahamshi Souhaib MaweidTALK OF THETOWNThe first-ever TEDx conferencein Nazareth was staged in May tocelebrate “ideas worth spreading”.TEDx is a local franchise of thefamous TED conferences, wherespeakers bring to life issues oftechnology, entertainment anddesign – many of the presentationsare filmed and available onthe internet.Nazareth’s TEDx conference,held in English, included talks fromImad Younis, whose Nazarethcompany produces specialisedneuro-surgical equipment forhospitals around the world; HannaShammas, a local comedianon the art of being funny; and AbbasAbbas, who has pioneerednew approaches to disability.SPLAT!PAINTBALL IS A BIG HITiNazareth has its first paintballgame park – one of only a handfulin the whole of Israel.The paintball park is locatedin beautiful woodland at theGardenia Hotel, a few minutesfrom the city centre.The park includes separateadult and children’s zones,the latter featuring inflatableobjects to hide behind. In addition,younger children can playa version using laser guns.For details, contact 04 857 3836 or speak to Hani on 050 954 2058.13For more detailsNazareth Culture & Tourism AssociationKhan Al Basha Building - +972 4-6106611Chairman: Waleed AfifiGeneral Manager: Tareq ShehadeEditor: Jonathan CookGraphic Design: MaryAnn DurrProduced by: Nazareth Culture& Tourism AssociationKhan Al Basha Building +972 4-6106611

News Feature Cuisine Places Shopping IndexINDEXw w w. n a z a r e t h i n f o . o r gINFORMATION & TOURSPilgrim House Abuna FarajSaint LordVilla Nazareth04 - 602013604 - 655085004 - 6000569Jaraisy Bakery04 - 6011758CAFÉ SHOPS & SWEETSNazareth Cultural & Tourism AssociationInformation Center - Tourism MinistryNazareth MunicipalityCHURCHESAnnunciation ChurchBaptist ChurchCarmelite Sisters ConventCoptic ChurchEpiscopal ChurchGreek Catholic ChurchGreek Orthodox ChurchLatin PatriarchMaronite ChurchMensa ChristiOrthodox PatriarchEl Qilay Church & CavesSalesian ChurchHOTELSEl Tabar (Grandnew)Galilee HotelGardenia HotelGolden CrownGolden Crown Old CityNotre DamePlaza HotelRimonimSaint GabrielleSaint MargaretGUEST HOUSESAbu Saeed HostelAl-MutranAl-RidaAram’s HouseCasa De MariaCasanova -Catholic Pilgrim’s HospiceFauzi Azar InnNazareth SistersRosary SistersSaint Joseph SchoolSaint Joseph Sisters04 - 610661104 - 657055504 - 645920004 - 657250104 - 655403004 - 657355304 - 656555404 - 655456804 - 656848804 - 657643704 - 655407504 - 655425604 - 610661104 - 6021533052 - 3242119052 - 211932404 - 608540004 - 6571311073 - 211520004 - 650800004 - 651100004 - 601343404 - 602820004 - 650000004 - 657213304 - 657350704 - 646279904 - 645794704 - 608440404 - 657004604 - 659970004 - 645666004 - 602046904 - 655430404 - 655443504 - 655424104 - 6572501RESTAURANTSAl SayadAl-AmalAl-IwanAl-JenenaAl-KanoonAl-MeijanaAl-RidaAl-SharkAl-TabounAndarinAnnaiBaribaBayatBeirutBent Al-ShamCafé CaféCastelloDandanaDianaGrand Mother’s HouseGregHoly LandKastanaKing Of FishesLa FontanaMishwarNazarethNostalgiaOlgaSabah w MassaSaint GeorgeSudfehTishreenYMCAAbo GhanimAfif SayeghAl-SheikhAl-Zaa’eemBonjourChickersEl-Taboun BakeryHumos EmadFAST FOOD1404 - 646923104 - 656147504 - 608037404 - 655402204 - 655333404 - 602106704 - 608440404 - 656401204 - 657885204 - 6013137077 - 789006404 - 655595904 - 6555146077 - 403230004 - 655115504 - 657180204 - 6450188077 - 7997729077 - 515616804 - 870573104 - 645295404 - 657541504 - 657785404 - 645642504 - 646043504 - 655558604 - 608120304 - 646426404 - 656775504 - 655521004 - 645753904 - 656661104 - 608466604 - 608148304 - 646723704 - 655588204 - 6567664052 - 392896304 - 657826704 - 601457204 - 656005604 - 6456110Abu Diab MahroumAbu RajaAbu SalimAhmad MahroumAl-MokhtarAl-SadakaChocolatteDianaDiwan Al-SarayaHeweidiMassadMazzawiSami HassanATTRACTIONS“Al-Mihbaj” OrganizationAl-Arz TahinaCactus - AncientBath HouseKhan Al BashaMarie Of NazarethCenterMusmar PotteryNazareth HalvaFactoryNazareth SoapNazareth VillagePainted Ceilings -Imm Minwer’s HouseShababikThe Gallilee Mill(Babour)The House Of Culture& ArtTurkish Bath ZamanPaintballTRANSPORTATIONDiana TaxisAbu El-A’sall TaxisUnited Nazareth BusesHOSPITALSNazareth Hospital E.M.M.SFrensh HospitalHoly Family Hospital04 - 656021404 - 6565502057 - 553010304 - 655423904 - 655602704 - 646309604 - 646591804 - 655661404 - 657869704 - 655488504 - 657950404 - 645236904 - 6554829050 - 932187404 - 655300204 - 657853904 - 610661104 - 646126604 - 657599604 - 6553233050 - 900611004 - 645604204 - 645543404 - 608074704 - 645559604 - 6576322052 - 6983236050 - 954205804 - 655555404 - 65547451-599-559-55904 - 602888804 - 650900004 - 6508900

News Feature Cuisine Places Shopping IndexExpertshighlight newresearchon NazarethNazareth has held its second internationalconference on the city’sarchaeology, history and culturalheritage. The conference includedpresentations from 23 experts, whocontributed original research on arange of topics related to Nazareth.The sponsors of the event wereNazareth Cultural and Tourism Association,Nazareth municipality,Nazareth Academic Institute, HaifaUniversity’s Middle East Department,and the Nazareth Fund.This year’s four-day event, from 2-5July at the al-Ayn Hotel, was muchlarger than its predecessor, held inNovember 2010, and featured papersfrom scholars from many differentcountries. More than 400 peopleattended the conference.Among the most surprisingpresentations, according to municipalofficial Sharif Sharif Safadi, wasinnovative research on Nazareneswhose important roles abroad hadbeen little studied before. They includedSayyid Wajeeh, who becamean Islamic leader in Istanbul andthe Philippines, and Ameen Farah,an early Palestinian immigrant tothe United States who founded animmigrant association in Michigan.Other topics included the role of theCrusaders and Mamluks in Nazareth;efforts to preserve the city’sarchitectural treasures; travelers’historic accounts of visiting the city;Nazareth’s role in Palestinian history;and studies of long-neglectedbuildings.Leading historian Ilan Pappe con-15Photos by Samir Jamama’acluded the conference with an importantre-assessment of the eventsof 1948 that left Nazareth the onlyPalestinian urban space inside thenewly created state of Israel.Other conference highlightsincluded the opening ceremony,which was held in the Saraya building,once the palace of Ottomanruler Daher al-Omar and now due tobecome Nazareth’s main museum;and a tour of the city’s most significanthistoric sites, including theOld City, underground Nazareth, thecity’s main churches and mosque,and mansions that feature paintedceilings and walls.Attendees were each given a recentlypublished book collecting togetherthe papers contributed by scholarsto the first conference.The conference is now a fixture inNazareth’s calendar and is expectedto be held every other year.

Out and about from NazarethGiven its central location, Nazareth isa great base for exploring the Galileeby car or bus. All of the region’s jor sites can easily be visited on a daymatrip,including the modern coastal cityof Haifa; the Crusader port of Acre; theRoman ruins of Beit Shean; the Seaof Galilee and its holy places, such asTabgha and Capernaum; and the GolanHeights.But there are also several fascinatingoutings to enjoy just a short hop fromNazareth. They include:Kana of the GalileeA few kilometers north of Nazareth isKfar Kana, an Arab town believed tobe the Cana of the Bible. This is whereJesus is supposed to have performed hisfirst miracle, turning water into wineat a wedding. In the town center, closeto the main road, is the 19th-centuryFranciscan Church of the WeddingFeast. Parts of earlier Crusader and Byzantinechurches are visible in the crypt.Mount TaborThe distinctively shaped MountTabor, rising like a large dome fromthe flat bottom of the Jezreel Valley, isbelieved to be the site of the Transfiguration,the moment when Jesus’ face andclothes “became brilliant white” as heprayed with some of the disciples. Twochurches on the summit commemoratethe event.The Gospel TrailThe Gospel Trail is a hiking path beginningat the Mount of Precipice,immediately south of Nazareth. Thedescent from the mount offers magnificentviews over the Jezreel Valley andtowards Mount Tabor.SephorisSephoris, located three kilometersnorth-west of Nazareth, was animportant Roman city at the time ofJesus, and is reputed to be the home of16the Virgin Mary. Today it is an impressivearcheological park that includesseveral unmissable sites. Close to theentrance is an ancient reservoir, a longcathedral-like channel carved deepinto the rock. There are also severalwell-preserved Roman mosaic floors,intricately decorated, as well as therecreation of a typical Roman villa.And visible throughout the park is aCrusader watch-tower that now servesas a museum and viewing point.The Bahai GardensThe spectacular gardens, a series ofgeometrically planned and immacutelymanicured terraces, stretch down ahillside close to Haifa’s main port. Thegardens surround the Shrine of theBab, the resting place of the founder ofBahaism, a religion established inIran in the 19 th century that now hasfollowers around the world.