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Ashdod, Israel © Sagie/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
Ashdod, IsraelAshdod, Israel
Ashdod is a city on the Mediterranean coast of Israel, halfway between Tel Aviv and Gaza. One of Israel's two industrial ports is located here. It is Israel's busiest port, with 60% of all imports and exports passing through it.
Ashdod has a long history and was inhabited in the times of the Bible by the Philistines. When the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelites, they brought it here before being forced to return it. However, few traces remain nowadays of the ancient city.
Modern Ashdod is known for its diverse population, with each wave of Jewish immigration represented. Jews from the former the Soviet Union make up roughly a third of residents. The city is also home to large numbers of Moroccan, Georgian, Ethiopian and recently, French and Argentinian Jews. It also has the third-largest charedi (ultra-Orthodox) religious population in Israel,... Read more
Destination:Ashdod, IsraelAshdod is a city on the Mediterranean coast of Israel, halfway between Tel Aviv and Gaza. One of Israel's two industrial ports is located here. It is Israel's busiest port, with 60% of all imports and exports passing through it.
Ashdod has a long history and was inhabited in the times of the Bible by the Philistines. When the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelites, they brought it here before being forced to return it. However, few traces remain nowadays of the ancient city.
Modern Ashdod is known for its diverse population, with each wave of Jewish immigration represented. Jews from the former the Soviet Union make up roughly a third of residents. The city is also home to large numbers of Moroccan, Georgian, Ethiopian and recently, French and Argentinian Jews. It also has the third-largest charedi (ultra-Orthodox) religious population in Israel, afterJerusalem
and Bnei Brak.
Ashdod is on the meeting point of the yellow sand dunes from the south, the green lowland from the east (including the small Lachish river), and the blue Mediterranean Sea from the west. Therefore you can find a surprising diversity of natural sights in one city.
The city is a young one, re-founded 50 years ago and grown dramatically during the last two decades. It is well planned and maintained, and its beaches and south regions are very beautiful. It regularly finds itself in the highest places in rankings of the most beautiful/well-designed cities in Israel.Climate
Ashdod has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers, pleasant spring and fall, and cool, rainy winters. As a seaside town, the humidity tends to be high many times year-round, and rain occurs mainly from November to March. In winter, temperatures seldom drop below 5 °C (41 °F) and are more likely to be in the range of 10–15 °C (50–59 °F), while in summer the average is 27 °C (81 °F). The average annual rainfall is 510 mm (20 in).
Source:http://wikitravel.org/en/Ashdod
Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0Ashdod, Israel: Port Information
The port is modern and offers excellent facilities, including duty-free shops, a cafeteria, a parking lot, and more.
The center of the town is about 2.5 miles away. Passengers are not allowed to walk in the port area. Shuttle service between the parking lot and the terminal is provided. You can take a shuttle bus or a taxi to get to the center. There is a train station.
Distance to Tel Aviv is 20 miles, and to Jerusalem - 33 miles.Get around Ashdod, Israel
By bus, taxi ("moneet" in Hebrew) or minibus ("moneet sherut").
Ashdod has a very developed system of bike routes and flat terrain, so renting a bike would be an ideal option for bike lovers. Keep in mind that it can be very hot in summer.What to see in Ashdod, Israel
- The southern beach area is home to a Fatimid fortress from the Crusader period, located several meters from the coastline. The site is guarded by local police and entirely fenced.
- The whole southern and near-beach area has beautiful and quiet villas.
- Giv'at Yonah (Jonah's Hill) is named after the prophet Jonah, who is believed to be buried there. It is the highest point of the city (around 150 m above sea level) with the city lighthouse on top of it.
- A few hundred meters away, Lachish Park (named after the Lachish river) can be found, with some wildlife and plenty of sea birds.
- The only sand dunes in central Israel are located in the national reserve between southeast Ashdod and highway 4 (the road to Tel Aviv). The largest dune is about 35 meters high and 250 meters long. In the reserve, there is also preserved wildlife (mostly deer, rabbits, birds and jackals). Entrance is free.
-
Ad H'alom
Memorial Park (lit. No-Further Memorial Park), (East Ashdod, near the southern entrance to the city by road no' 4). open area. During the 1948 Israel Independence War, the Egyptian army invaded Israel. This park marks the northernmost point they reached before being forced to retreat by Israeli forces. ree. - The Korin Maman Museum has a permanent archeology exhibition called "Philistian World" as well as various changing art exhibitions.
-
Ashdod Museum of Art located in the
MonArt center
, has 13 exhibition halls. In an architectural echo of the Louvre, the entrance to the museum is through a glass pyramid.
What to do in Ashdod, Israel
Ashdod has a pretty, long coast (8 km/6 miles) with several public beaches and a marina accessible for the public. Ashdod's beach strip is about 2/3 the length of Tel Aviv's, yet it serves only about the tenth population compared to the latter. Since it's not crowded or very touristic, it's a great place for a calm trip of wondering between villas or by the beach.
There is horse riding, 4X4 rental, and the city marina provides yacht/cruise services.- Monare art center, Derekh Ha-Aretz str., 8, Ashdod (near city hall), ☎ 972-8-8545180.
- Buffalo Farm, Bizron (The farm is in Bizron village, about 6km(4.5miles) east from Ashdod)
- Sefinat Shayat, ☎ 052-327-1774. Sefinat Shayat - Glass Bottomed Boat Ride - Hamarina Hakechula, Ashdod - 052-327-1774 - Sail on a glass-bottomed ship, instruction, and explanation to classes, parties. Speed-boating for smaller groups — you drive the boat. Reservations required.
Ashdod is home to the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra which performs music originating in Andalusia, a blend of Western and Arabic music.
The MonArt center is a performing arts center that has different art schools, studios, and events.What to eat and drink in Ashdod, Israel
Eat
A lot of restaurants, especially along the beach.
Drink
Although you'll find plenty of places to drink, and a decent variety of pubs and clubs, Ashdod nightlife serves mostly the locals.
Shopping in Ashdod, Israel
A large souvenir store is located downtown (actually in the upper part of the city), on Rogozin street. There you can buy local stamps and postcards, water from Jordan river, soil from Jerusalem, and much more.
Ashdod has about five big shopping malls and two markets.
On Wednesday there is a clothes and farmers market near Lido beach, however, it primarily caters toward the local population and is less suitable for tourists.Safety in Ashdod, Israel
Emergency phone numbers:- Police (mish-ta-RA) — 100
- Ambulance Service ("Magen David Adom"-MADA, literally "Red Star of David") — 101
- Fire department (me-kha-BEY ESH) — 102
It is very common (even required by law) to see private armed security guards at every public doorway (for malls, stores, restaurants, etc.). The guards ask to look in your bags and may use a metal detector on your body. When entering underground parking lots, the trunk of your car will be inspected. Do not be alarmed: this is just national policy. If you carry a huge backpack, you can often get away with showing a passport, and the guards will be just as relieved as you.
Israel's relations with its neighbors should always be something that a traveler should be familiar with.
Tap water is potable and perfectly safe for drinking all throughout Israel. However, avoid taps that you might find within cultivated fields (e.g. while hiking); they may use recycled water which is only good for irrigation.
Street food is safe and clean, including fried dishes, fish and different salads. It still is wise to use common sense and avoid anything suspicious.
The hot climate in Israel is a major issue, especially in summer. Use sunscreen throughout your stay and drink a lot of water.Language spoken in Ashdod, Israel
Hebrew is the official language of Israel, while at least 20% of the population speak Arabic as well. Until 2018, Arabic was a co-official language. Whether the change of status will change signage and public communication remains to be seen.
English is the most popular foreign language, and Israelis study it in school from an early age. Nearly anyone you meet on the street will be able to communicate with you in English. All street and road signs (and many others) have English, as well as the Hebrew and Arabic names.
Massive immigration from the former Soviet Union in the 1990s brought a large number of immigrants who speak Russian. Other commonly encountered languages in Israel, reflecting the diverse origins of Israelis, include Romanian, French, German, Polish, Amharic, and Spanish. Some of the older members of the population and some of the ultra-orthodox population speak Yiddish, a Central/Eastern-European Germanic Jewish language.
While speaking Hebrew slang, words of Arabic origin are commonly used. For example: "Walla?" (Is that so?), "Yalla!" (Come on, let’s move!), "Sababa" (great, fine, okay, or signals agreement or acknowledgment), "Akhla" (good), "Sachbak" (friend who takes care of me), and many more. Street talk is also much affected by military jargon, which is second nature to many Israelis.
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