Caesarea
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| Caesarea | ||
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| Hebrew | קיסריה | |
| Government | ||
| Also spelled | Qesarya (officially) | |
| District | Haifa | |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: | |
| Population | 4,400 (2006) | |
| Jurisdiction | 35,000 dunams (35 km²) | |
Caesarea (Arabic: قيسارية,Qesarya, Hebrew: קיסריה, Qesarya ) is a town in Israel on the outskirts of Caesarea Maritima, the ancient port city. It is located mid-way between Tel Aviv (45km) and Haifa, on the Israeli Mediterranean coast near the city of Hadera. Modern Caesarea, with a population of 4,400 people, is the only Israeli locality managed by a private organization, the Caesarea Development Corporation, and also one the most populous localities not recognized as a local council. It is under the jurisdiction of the Hof HaCarmel Regional Council.
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[edit] History
This area has had a long and checkered history. It was initially settled during the Hellenistic period (third century B.C.), when the Phoenicians built a small port city that they named Stratons Tower. In 90 B.C., Alexander Jannaeus captured Stratons Tower as part of his policy of developing the shipbuilding industry and enlarging the Hasmonean kingdom. Stratons Tower remained a Jewish city for two generations, until the Roman conquest of 63 B.C. when the Romans declared Stratons Tower an autonomous city.
The city underwent a great number of changes under Herod, who among other things renamed it Caesarea in honor of the emperor. In 22 B.C. he began construction of a deep sea harbor and built storerooms, markets, wide roads, baths, temples, and luxurious public buildings. Every five years the city hosted major sports competitions, gladiator games, and theatrical productions.
Caesarea also flourished during the Byzantine period. At the time, much of the land south of the city was used for agriculture. The area continued to be farmed during the early Arabian period as well, apparently until the Crusader conquest in the eleventh century. Over time, this land was buried under the sands shifting along the shores of the Mediterranean.
In 1251, Louis IV fortified the city. The French king ordered the construction of high walls (parts of which are still standing) and a deep moat. However strong the walls were, they could not keep out the royal sultan Baybars, who hatched a brilliant scheme for how to take the city. He knew that the few soldiers on patrol could not properly guard the entire length of the walls, and thus he ordered his troops to scale the walls in a number of places at the very same time, thus enabling them to penetrate the city.
Caesarea lay in ruins until the nineteenth century.
The modern settlement of Caesarea was established in 1884 by Muslims from Bosnia who built a small fishing village on the ruins of the Crusader fortress on the coast.[1] Many left before 1948, when a railway was built bypassing the port of Caesarea, ruining their livelihood.
[edit] Administration
The fishing village had a population of 1,148 at the last census taken in 1948. It was abandoned during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. With the establishment of Israel, the Rothschild family transferred their vast land holdings to the new state, purchasing the land which makes up Caesarea. A different arrangement was made for the 35,000 dunams of land in and around modern Ceasarea: After turning over the land to the state, it was leased back (for a period of 200 years) to a new charitable foundation. In his will, Edmond James de Rothschild stipulated that this foundation would further education, arts and culture, and welfare in Israel. The Caesarea Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Foundation was formed and run based on the funds generated by the sale of Caesarea land which the Foundation is responsible for maintaining. The Foundation is owned half by the Rothschild Family, and half by the State of Israel.
The Foundation established the Caesarea Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Development Corporation Ltd. (CDC) in 1952 to act as its operations arm. The company transfers all profits from the development of Caesarea to the Foundation, which in turns contributes to organizations that advance higher education and culture across Israel.
Today, the Chairman of the Caesarea Foundation and the CDC is Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, the great grandson the Baron Edmond de Rothschild. The deputy chairman is Avraham Biger. In recent years, the Foundation has donated over 100 million shekels to organizations such as the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, the Bezalel Academy, Yad Vashem, the Open University, as well as to theaters, museums, and musical projects across the country. Sizeable grants have also been made to the neighboring towns of Or Akiva and Jisr az-Zarqa.
[edit] Caesarea today
The Caesarea Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Development Corporation (Hebrew: החברה לפיתוח קיסריה אדמונד בנימין דה רוטשילד) is the operational arm of the Caesarea Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Foundation, whose goal is to establish a unique community that combines quality of life and safeguarding the environment with advanced industry and tourism.
Caesarea remains today the only locality in Israel managed by a private organization rather than a municipal government. As well as carrying out municipal services, the Caesarea Development Corporation markets plots for real-estate development, manages the nearby industrial park, and runs the Caesarea's golf course and country club, Israel's only 18 hole golf course. Ralli Museum in Caesarea houses a large collection of South American art[2] and several Salvador Dali originals.
Modern Caesarea is one of Israel's most upscale residential communities. The Baron de Rothschild still maintains a home in Caesarea, as do many business tycoons from Israel and abroad.
[edit] Notable residents
- Byzantine scholar, Procopius (c. 500-c. 565)
- Seventh President of Israel, Ezer Weizman
- Pop singer, Keren Ann
- Russian-Israeli billionaire, Arcadi Gaydamak
- Baron Benjamin de Rothschild
- Eitan Wertheimer, Israeli Industrialist
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Politician and ex-Prime Minister
[edit] References
[edit] External links
