|
|
Haifa Port is the largest and most important port in Israel. It lies at the southern end of the curved Haifa Bay, at the foot of Mount Carmel.
The Port was built in the years 1929-1931, replacing two meager breakwaters built in Turkish times. The area between the old breakwaters was filled with earth and rock, adding on a strip of land the length of the shore, of 350 hectares in area. The buildings of the new port were constructed on this new piece of land, which included the Railroad Station and Independence Road - the commercial heart of downtown Haifa.
Haifa Port was for many years the major port of entry for immigration, import and export. It is of considerable strategic importance and was a decisive factor in the rapid development and growth of the city of Haifa.
The State of Israel has constructed an auxiliary port on the Haifa shore, at the mouth of the Kishon river of biblical fame. The Kishon port was built during the years 1951-1953.
In 1969, modernization work was carried out in the eastern zone of the port in order to clear various hindrances and to install additional modern equipment.
Ashdod Port is located on the southern Mediterranean coast of Israel. Construction commenced in 1961, and four years later the first ship anchored there. Since then, the port has been extended and has become an important factor in the development of the young city of Ashdod, which rises on the sand-dunes to the south. Ashdod Port handles agricultural and industrial exports from the southern part of the country as well as goods imported from many parts of the world.
In accordance with the master plan for the port, a number of projects for the development of warehouses, buildings and installations were carried out.
To the south of Ashdod Port are the ruins of an ancient port, once known as Ashdod al Yam (Azotus Paraiius). This ancient port served the old city of Ashdod, located some 4 kilometers inland. The city was important in the biblical period, being located astride the Via Maris along which ran the main trade route from Egypt. Ashdod is mentioned in the Bible and in ancient Assyrian documents. Scientific excavations have been carried out at the site of the biblical city, uncovering much of its ancient remains.
Eilat Port, which began operating at the end of 1956, is Israel's southern port. It is constructed on the north shore of the Gulf of Eilat - the eastern arm of the Red Sea - and lies between the mountains of Sinai on the west and the mountains of' Edom on the east. The port is an important factor in the economic life of the city of Eilat and is of considerable value for the development of maritime routes between Israel and the far-off lands in Africa, Asia and the Far East.
Eilat Port is located near the ancient port of Etzion-Geber. In the period of the Hebrew Monarchy, this port served Israelite trade with distant lands.
