Jaffa - Ajami

Today, we toured Ajami Neighborhood located in the less familiar part of Jaffa. The neighborhood is located south of Old Jaffa and Jaffa Flea Market, and during the tour, we discovered a neighborhood that transformed in recent years and has turned from a place of poor residence into a much wanted neighborhood. Ajami and Yefet Street became centers of churches and institutions of different forms of Christianity in the late 19th century, and we have come to know who are the Copts, Maronites and the Greek Orthodox. Today, the neighborhood is a mix of new vs. old, religious, secular, Arab, Jewish, Christian and Muslim; past, present and future. During the tour, we realized the local complexity of the coexistence which is full of contrasts. The assembly of the neighborhood residents is much like pieces of a puzzle. During the tour In Ajami, we went through the magical alleys and the narrow streets that are built in crisscross. We saw the radical changes between the crumbling old buildings and the new and restored luxury houses, some of which include landscaped courtyards and spectacular views of the sea. And of course, we didn't forget to stop at the observation points to the Mediterranean Sea, to the port of Old Jaffa, and to the Slope Garden which was built on the old landfill of Ajami.