The Bay of Haifa or Haifa Bay (, Mifratz Heifa), formerly Bay of Acre, Encyclopædia Britannica, ʿAkko is a bay along the Mediterranean coast of Northern Israel. Haifa Bay is Israel's only natural harbor on the Mediterranean.
Haifa Bay also refers one of Haifa's nine quarters, covering the overwhelmingly industrial area northeast of Downtown and south of Kiryat Hayim.
According to Palaeogeography studies, 3,000 to 3,500 years ago Haifa Bay was larger and extended as far as the area of present-day Kibbutz Yagur. The estuary of Kishon River was wider, and as a result of sand deposition from the sea and sediment carried by the river, the estuary became covered, causing the coastline to shift to its current location.Klein, Micha; Frank, Abraham (2014). " The paleogeographic research as an aid to understanding the boundaries of the territory of the tribe of Zebulun". Megadim (in Hebrew). 55: 145–157.
The Port of Haifa lies along part of its southeastern coastline.
The area was acquired by the Jewish community as part of the Sursock Purchase. The land was purchased from the Sursock family, which had bought it from the Ottoman Empire government in 1872. The 45,000 dunam tract was known as the Jidro lands. The company also acquired a 99-year concession for an additional 12,000 dunams of adjoining land, bringing the total area to 57,000. From New Zion to Old Zion: American Jewish Immigration and Settlement in Palestine, 1917–1939 The land changed hands several times due to financial difficulties, eventually becoming the property of the Bayside Land Company, established in cooperation with the Jewish National Fund. In 1928, the company commissioned Patrick Abercrombie to draw up a development plan. From New Zion to Old Zion: American Jewish Immigration and Settlement in Palestine, 1917–1939
In 1934, the Phoenicia glass factory was established in Haifa Bay. The company moved to Yeruham in 1968, and is still operating today. Phoenicia Glass Works
The Bay region is also home to an extensive industrial zone containing various factories, workshops, large shore-based oil refineries, chemical, metals fabrication and power plants and other industrial and storage facilities. The 76-meter high twin of the Haifa oil refinery are a nationally recognized icon for the city. For this reason, they have been left intact, though they are no longer actually used since technological advancements in refining have made them obsolete.
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