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Caesarea | |
|---|---|
| Hebrew transcription(s) | |
| • Standard | Keisarya |
| • Official | Qesarya |
  Caesarea  Caesarea | |
| Coordinates:32°30′10″N34°54′20″E / 32.50278°N 34.90556°E /32.50278; 34.90556 | |
| Country | Israel |
| District | Haifa |
| Council | Hof HaCarmel |
| Founded | 30 BCE (Herodian city) 1101 (Crusader castle) 1884 (Bosniak village) 1952 (Israeli town) |
Area | 35,000dunams (35 km2; 14 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[1] | 5,765 |
| • Density | 160/km2 (430/sq mi) |
Caesarea (/ˌsɛzəˈriːə,ˌsɛs-,ˌsiːz-/SE(E)Z-ə-REE-ə,SESS-;Arabic: قيساريّة,Hebrew:קֵיסָרְיָה,romanized: Qēsarya,pronounced[keiˈsaʁja]), also transliterated asKeisarya orQaysaria,[2] is an affluent resort town in north-centralIsrael, which was named after the ancient city ofCaesarea Maritima situated 1–2 kilometres (0.62–1.24 mi) to the south[2] in the adjacent Caesarea National Park.
Located midway between Tel Aviv andHaifa on thecoastal plain near the city ofHadera, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaCarmel Regional Council. With a population of 5,765,[1] it is the only Israeli locality managed by a private organization, theCaesarea Development Corporation,[3] and also one of the most populous localities not recognized as alocal council.
The modern town is named after the nearby ancient city of Caesarea Maritima, built byHerod the Great about 25–13 BCE as a major port. It served as an administrative center of the province of Syria and Palestine which came under the Roman Empire rule, and later as the capital of theByzantine province of Palaestina Prima. During the Muslim rule of the Levant in the 7th century, the city degraded to a small village after the provincial capital was moved toRamla and had an Arab majority until Crusader conquest. Under the Crusaders it became once again a major port and a fortified city. It was diminished after theMamluk rule.[4] In 1884,HerzegovinianMuslim immigrants who leftAustria-Hungary were settled there by the Ottoman authorities.[5] At the time, Caesarea was a semi-demolished archaeological site.[6] Seferović writes that the Herzegovinian Muslims were completely assimilated into Arab culture.[7] In 1940, kibbutzSdot Yam was established next to the village. In February 1948, the village was taken by aPalmach unit commanded byYitzhak Rabin, following an earlier attack on a bus byLehi militants.[8]
After the establishment of the State of Israel, theRothschild family agreed to transfer most of its land holdings to the new state. A different arrangement was reached for the 35,000 dunams of land the family owned in and around modern Caesarea: 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. TheCaesarea 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 and enjoys a special tax-exempt status.[9]
The Rothschild Caesarea Foundation established theCaesarea Edmond Benjamin de Rothschild Development Corporation Ltd. (CDC; Hebrew: החברה לפיתוח קיסריה אדמונד בנימין דה רוטשילד) in 1952 to act as its operations arm. The company transfers all profits from the development of Caesarea to the Foundation, which in turn contributes to organizations that advance higher education and culture across Israel.[citation needed] The goal of the CDC is to establish a unique community that combines quality of life and safeguarding the environment with advanced industry and tourism.[citation needed]
Today, the Chairman of the Rothschild Caesarea Foundation and the CDC isAriane de Rothschild, widow of Benjamin de Rothschild, the great-grandson of Baron Edmond de Rothschild.
As well as carrying out municipal services, the CDC markets plots for real-estate development, manages the nearby industrial park, and runs theCaesarea's golf course and country club, Israel's only 18-hole golf course.[citation needed]
Modern Caesarea, or Kesariya, remains today the only locality in Israel managed by a private organization rather than a municipal government. It 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.[citation needed]
Caesarea is located on the Israeli coastal plain, approximately halfway between the major modern cities of Tel Aviv (45 kilometers [28 mi] to the south) and Haifa (45 kilometers [28 mi] to the north), and 1–2 kilometers (0.62–1.24 mi) north of ancientCaesarea Maritima. It is situated approximately 5 kilometers (3 mi) northwest of the city of Hadera, and is bordered to the east by the Caesarea Industrial Zone and the city ofOr Akiva. Directly to the north is the town ofJisr az-Zarqa.
Caesarea is divided into a number of residential zones, known as clusters. The most recent[citation needed] of these to be constructed is Cluster 13, which, like all the clusters, is given a name: in this case, "The Golf Cluster", due to its close proximity to the Caesarea Golf Course. These neighborhoods are affluent, although they vary significantly in terms of average plot size.[citation needed]
Caesarea is a suburban community with a number of residents commuting to work in Tel Aviv or Haifa.[citation needed]
The Caesarea Business Park is on the fringe of the city. About 170 companies are in the park; they employ about 5,500 people. Industry in the park includes distribution and high-technology services.[citation needed]
The residential neighborhoods have a shopping concourse with a newsagent, supermarket, optician, and bank. A number of restaurants and cafes are scattered across the town, with a number within the ancient port.[citation needed]
Beyond the eastern boundary of the residential area of Caesarea isHighway 2, Israel's main highway linking Tel Aviv to Haifa. Caesarea is linked to the road by the Caesarea Interchange in the south, and Or Akiva Interchange in the center.
Slightly further to the east liesHighway 4, providing more local links to Hadera, Binyamina,Zichron Yaakov, and the moshavim and kibbutzim ofEmek Hefer.
Highway 65 starts at the Caesarea Interchange and runs westwards into theGalilee and the cities of Pardes Hanna-Karkur,Umm al-Fahm, andAfula.Caesarea sharesa railway station with nearby Pardes Hanna-Karkur, which is situated in the Caesarea Industrial Zone and is served by the suburban line betweenBinyamina andTel Aviv, with two trains per hour. TheBinyamina Railway Station, a major regional transfer station, is also located nearby.[citation needed]
TheRoman theatre located atCaesarea Maritima often hosts concerts by major Israeli and international artists, such asShlomo Artzi,Yehudit Ravitz,Mashina,Deep Purple,Björk,Alanis Morissette,Idan Raichel and his project, as well as the Caesarea Jazz Festival. The Ralli Museum in Caesarea houses a large collection of South American art and severalSalvador Dalí originals.[10]
Caesarea has the country's only full-sizedgolf course.[11] The idea for the Caesarea Golf and Country Club originated after James de Rothschild was reminded by the dunes surrounding Caesarea ofScotland's sandy links golf courses. Upon his death, the James de Rothschild Foundation established the course. In 1958, a Golf Club Committee was established, and a course was built. American professional golferHerman Barron, the first Jewish golfer to win aPGA Tour event, helped develop the course.[12] It was officially opened in 1961 byAbba Eban. The Caesarea Golf Club has hosted international golf competitions every four years in theMaccabiah Games. The course was redesigned and rebuilt by golf course designerPete Dye in 2007–2009.[13]
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