Caesarea

My first trip to Israel was in 1993.  We flew El Al to Ben Gurion Airport.  The first place on our tour on that first day was Caesarea.  Caesarea is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, about halfway between Tel Aviv and Haifa.  It is the site of an ancient Roman town that was built by Herod the Great around 22 BCE.  It served as the administrative center of the Judaean Province of the Roman Empire.

Roman ruins at Caesarea.

Roman aqueduct in Caesarea.

Roman theater at Caesarea.

This is our group walking along the beach between the Mediterranean Sea and the aqueduct.  That's myself and Olga in the foreground.  I can't remember who took the photo of us.  As you can see, it is was a beautiful site to see on our first day in Israel.

The modern town of Caesarea has a population of about 4,500.  Many of the residents commute to work in Tel Aviv.  There is also a Caesarea Business Park that houses 170 companies.

This is a modern day school and park in Caesarea.

Caesarea is home to two of five Ralli Museums in the world.  These museums were founded by the Henry Recanati Foundation to highlight Latin American art.  The first Ralli Museum was opened in Punta de Este, Uruguay in 1988; the second in Santiago, Chile in 1992; the third in Marbella, Spain in 2000.  There are two of the museums in Caesarea; one opened in 1993 and a second in 2007.  These two museums are located in a 40,000 square meter park.  One features contemporary Latin American art; the second features art memorializing Jews who were victims of the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal.

Some photos around the Ralli Museum in Caesarea:

Israel… one fascinating thing after another.