The White City, with the fastest heartbeat in Israel, offers a captivating variety of attractions. Culinary treasures hidden in every corner, an impressive array of artworks on the walls, and golden beaches to relax on. Tel Aviv constantly evolves and provides a new adventure with each visit. A sign on City Hall states that Tel Aviv was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its 4,000 preserved buildings, earning it this title.
On April 11, 1909, 66 families gathered on the sand dunes and decided to establish a city in Israel named “Ahuzat Bayit,” which was later changed to Tel Aviv. Members of the Ahuzat Bayit Association, including Dizengoff, Shlush, Bograshov, Gutman, Shloush, Aboolafia, Hassin Akiva, Arye Weiss, and others, participated in a lottery for land. In the twenties, the city began to spread, and most of the houses from that period were built in the eclectic style, which collects and combines various architectural styles. The Bauhaus – The significant change in local architecture occurred in the thirties, mainly thanks to the Bauhaus School of Architecture in Germany. Graduates of the school, some of them Jewish students who immigrated to Israel, began building around the city between 1931-1956, around 4,000 houses in the International style, making Tel Aviv a well-preserved nature reserve for this style over the years.
Tel Aviv started to develop from Rothschild Boulevard, the heart of Ahuzat Bayit neighborhood.
Rothschild 3: The papyrus sculpture “4,000 Years of History in Tel Aviv.” The sculpture was created in 1966 in Ravenna, Italy. It is a relief on concrete depicting Tel Aviv as it emerged from Jaffa since its inception until the establishment of the state. The sculpture contains mosaic images depicting important events in the city’s life and the life of the Jews living there.
Rothschild at Hertzel corner: The first kiosk in Tel Aviv. The neighborhood was supposed to be a garden neighborhood for residence only, but eventually, it was allowed to set up a business kiosk. It was built in 1910 from wood in the shape of a hexagon with a diameter of only two meters. It collapsed in 1989 and was rebuilt larger in 2004.
Rothschild 12: The house of Avraham Pogul, murdered in 1939. He was Tel Aviv’s first mayor, and his house was the second built in Ahuzat Bayit neighborhood.
Rothschild 16: Dizengoff House and Independence Hall. This small building was the site of the lottery for the 66 founders of Ahuzat Bayit in 1909. In 1911, it became the home of Meir Dizengoff. In 1930, after his wife passed away, he donated his home as the Museum of the Bible and Jewish Culture in memory of his wife. The statue of Dizengoff on his horse can be seen in front of his house. Dizengoff served as the head of the council since 1911, and when the neighborhood became a city, Dizengoff became the first mayor of Tel Aviv. On May 14, 1948, in this building, a short ceremony of about 32 seconds took place, declaring the establishment of the State of Israel by David Ben-Gurion. Today, the place serves as the Historical Museum for the Declaration of Independence.
Rothschild 23: The Defense House – In this building lived Moshe Sneh (who later became the Prime Minister of Israel), and his family. In his private house, Golumb concentrated the security leadership of the settlement, and it served as the basis for the IDF.
Rothschild 46, corner of Shadal: The Russian Embassy/House of Levin. Over the years, it changed owners, and after the establishment of the state, it served as the embassy of the Soviet Union in Israel. After the embassy moved to Ramat Gan, it was abandoned until 1991 when it was declared a preservation building.
Rothschild 84: Engel House, 1933. A large residential building that has become one of the symbols of modern architecture. It was the first building in the city built on columns.
