Exhibitions
Blood - Money - Ships | The Reparations Agreement with Germany as a Catalyst for the Growth of the Israeli Merchant Fleet
Now at the Museum
The exhibition displays models of several ZIM shipping vessels, designed for various purposes. The first ship received under the agreement, Dagan, was used for cargo, as was the Ampa'al. The ships Israel and Zion were intended for mixed use of passengers and cargo, while Jerusalem served as a passenger ship. The ship Har Gilad, owned by El-Yam company, was used for general cargo and refrigerated transport. The exhibition also features historical moments in the ships' stories, documented in sources including news diaries, photographs, and promotional leaflets.
Pirates - Between truth and legend
The phenomenon of piracy - piracy - has evolved since man began trading in ships, and it has flourished mainly in areas of loose rule. Piracy existed in ancient times in the Mediterranean and the Sea of China and reached its peak in the seventeenth century in the Atlantic Ocean, with the rise of European colonialism and the development of trade routes with the "New World".
Glassware in Antiquity
The secret of glassmaking was already known in the ancient world: take sand that is rich in silica, quartz, and potassium salts, heat it gradually to 1100 Celsius, and you will get an almost liquid, mailable material. Once the liquid has cooled down and solidified, you will have lumps of raw glass that can be remelted and fashioned into vessels and jewelry.
We’re on the Map! Cartography—The Art of Mapmaking
Cartography, the science of maps and mapping, is an ancient craft that may even predate the invention of writing. Already in antiquity, maps of cities and countries had been drawn up in various civilizations around the world, such as China, Mesopotamia, and Greece.
Look to the Horizon | Gallery for Families
New exhibition
In the exhibition Northern Horizon, you can see paintings by well-known artists depicting landscapes. Most of them painted the scenery with large fields of color that fill only a few simple shapes. It may seem easy to capture a beautiful, interesting place with only a few shapes and colors, but if you try it yourself, you'll discover that it can be more challenging than it looks. You are now entering the artist’s studio, a place filled with original ideas and creative materials. Think of a place you love, or a place you would like to visit, and create it yourself.
Saturday, 27.06.26
Transportable | Faina Feigin Landau
A massive wave of immigration from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia profoundly reshaped Israel's social landscape during the turbulent 1990s. In response to the country's housing crisis caused by the growing influx, temporary residential neighborhoods known as 'Caravan Sites' were established to accommodate the newly arrived immigrants. As many as 30,000 mobile homes were installed in various locations throughout Israel, including Haifa, and soon developed into immigrant communities. Those neighborhoods and the lives forged within them, through challenges and hardships, constitute an important chapter in the history of Israel and the city of Haifa.
Monday, 31.08.26
SOS!
This exhibit urges all of us to raise awareness of the rapid ecological destruction taking place in our marine environment. It invites us to join thousands of activists in Israel and worldwide in participating in both small- and large-scale actions in support of the ocean’s ecological health.
The Fish Mound
“Shikmona” | Tell es-Samak
The Fish Mound (Tell HaDagim), located at the shore in Haifa, is an extraordinary time capsule. Findings from the site open a window into Haifa's ancient past, when, like today, it was a center of trade and industry.
The Athlit Ram
One of the most important and rare discoveries of underwater archaeology in Israel is that of the Athlit ram. It was discovered by the late Yehoshua Ramon in 1980, in the northern bay of Athlit, and was retrieved from the sea by the staff and students of the Maritime Civilizations Department at the Centre for Marine Studies at Haifa University.
Anchors
One of the concerns of seafarers of all times has been how to halt their vessel in mid-ocean when necessary. The first sailors solved the problem by lowering a rock tied to a rope onto the sea-bed.