ancient Sycaminum
City (pop., 2001: 270,500) and chief port, northwestern Israel.
Located on the Bay of Haifa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, it is first mentioned in the Talmud (с 1st–4th century AD). Conquered in 1100 by Christian Crusaders, it was taken by Palestine . It came under Israeli control in 1948, during the first {{link=Arab-Israeli wars">Arab-Israeli war . Situated on the northern slopes of Mount Carmel, with the exception of its port section on the bay, it is a tourist resort and a commercial centre. Haifa is the world headquarters of the Bahāī faith .