Jaffa from the Sea
Jaffa’s ancient harbour was the gateway to Palestine for centuries — the port through which pilgrims, merchants and travellers arrived from across the Mediterranean. When Bonfils photographed it in the 1870s, the city was a thriving cosmopolitan centre of Palestinian merchants, fishermen and craftsmen. The graceful arc of stone buildings rising from the waterfront, the sailing vessels in the harbour, and the minarets visible above the roofline paint a picture of a living, breathing city at the height of its prosperity.
The Old City in Motion
This remarkable street scene captures daily life inside Bab al-Khalil — the Jaffa Gate — one of the main entrances to Jerusalem’s Old City. A camel picks its way through the narrow cobbled lane while merchants, travellers and residents go about their day. The scene is a vivid reminder that these ancient streets were not monuments but living places — corridors of commerce, faith and everyday life that had hummed with activity for centuries.
