Ramla Travel Guide

Walking through the narrow streets of Ramla I saw the small minaret, which together with the interesting architecture (windows) of the house to the right, made a nice photo. I also found this minaret on the tourism page of Ramla, but with a small roof around and the iron construction still in white. But it is the same. It is written there that it is the minaret of the Mosque of Huziffa El Yemini and still the original from the 14th century. Also that when Napoleon Bonaparte stayed in Ramla for a night in the vicinity of the mosque the muezzin of the mosque 'disturbed' him so much, that he shot him dead. After Napoleon left Israel the Muslims in Ramla burnt down the two churches in town.

Visit only by reservations
Tel: 08-9225081, City service center - 08-9771780/79

To plan your trip and to navigate you can download a map showing the tourist spots of Ramla. You will find it on the tourism section of the webpage of Ramla municipal. It helped me a lot during planning and visiting Ramla.

The site of the map is linked below...

You will find parts of Ze'ev Jabotinsky Street to be a covered Market. It is a market with goods for the local people. Nothing touristic, but authentic. Here nobody will call you for buying things. People are helpful when asking for the way.

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According to the webpage of Ramla municipal a first tower that stood here was built in the 8th century. It was renovated by the order of Sultan Salah el Dean (Saladin) by the end of the 12th century. Today the area beside the White Tower is an archeological site which can be visited.

Open Sunday-Thursday at 08:00-14:30, Fridays and holiday eves at 08:00-14:00
Saturdays and holidays 08:30-16:00
Tel: 08-9207586, 052-8510533, City service center - 08-9771780/79

The Pool of Arches is an underground reservoir that extends over an area of about 400 sm, built in the 789!!! The pool il fed by a small spring beneath it, rain water and an aqueduct. The Christians called it "The Holy White Pond", relying on tradition climing that Helen, mother of the Roman Emperor Costantino I, was the one initiating its digging.

It's amazing to imagine this in a city like Ramla: it's great architecture and a pleasure to go to, especially when outside it's hot.

It's possible to take small boats to visit it!

Sun-Thur 8 to 14.30
Fri and Holiday eves 8 to 14
Sat and Holidays 8 to 16

A visit to Ramla would not be complete without climbing the city’s famous 14th century tower (Migdal Ramla). Of course, you need to be moderately fit for this. It is 30 meters high – something like a 10-story building – with no elevator. You climb high stone stairs that spiral around, but at the top of every flight of stairs is a landing with a window where you can stop and rest. On each floor the windows are different - circular, rectangular, diamond and flower-shaped.

At the top is an open lookout where you can see Ramla from above, with its ramshackle buildings and seedy neighborhoods, but aesthetically rescued by palm trees and the clocktower of the Franciscan church where Napoleon spent a night. Off in the distance are the moonscape buildings of the Nesher cement factory, the coastal plain, the Tel Aviv skyline and more.

When we were there in the fall, during the Sukkot holiday, the door was wide open and entry was free. In fact, there was no one guarding the place at all. Judging from the non-touristy orientation of the town, I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case all year round.

The tower served as both a watchtower and the minaret of the White Mosque, which stood nearby in the 8th century (only a few ruins are left , but you can see a model at the Ramla Museum). Apparently, it was an architectural gem in those days, and a great source of local pride – a medieval Empire State Building of sorts.

The legend goes that the inhabitants of nearby Lod were jealous and decided to steal the tower. At night, they crept to Ramla and tied it up with miraculous ropes given to them by a wise man. They pulled with all their might and were sure it was moving. By daybreak, when they thought they were almost home, the ropes snapped – they were made of rubber – and tower had not moved an inch. “Jam’a al-abiyad bitkarb” (“the White Tower is near”) thus became the great put-down, used whenever the people of Ramla wanted to tease the people of Lod.

This was my first visit to the shuk and although it was quite dirty - perhaps because we went towards closing time - it still had a nice atmosphere to it. It was interesting to watch the people shopping there -Russians, Arabs, Jews etc. There are also sidestreets with shops and stalls.