A historical well was exposed as a result of development activities carried out on the grounds of the Israel Defense Forces History Museum (Batei HaOsef). This in turn led to a historical-physical survey of the compound during which we traced the development of the Ottoman train station compound in Yafo, and mapped the existing buildings and those that were destroyed over the years (Figure 1). The station is located on what is today the border between Yafo and Tel Aviv and is situated near urban sites that attract the public to them such as Neve Tsedek and Old Yafo. The beach and the promenade are within walking distance of the train station.
Today the main difficulty in understanding the station’s original compound is the division of the area between two administrative bodies: the Ministry of Defense and the Tel Aviv municipality. The former owns the Israel Defense Forces History Museum which is operated by the ministry’s museum unit (since 1959) and the latter developed the Tahana compound (2005-2010), where cultural events and entertainment and leisure activities take place. A fence running through the compound divides it into two areas and there is no means of access between them.
The Development of the Station
Since 1840 private entrepreneurs had been trying to promote an ambitious project of linking the port of Yafo with Jerusalem by means of a railroad. The pilgrims and the merchants with their wares who arrived in Yafo rode on camels, mules or donkeys up to Jerusalem. As the European powers became more interested in the region the numbers of pilgrims increased and thus the need for a solution to the difficult journey became more pressing.
The construction of a railroad track was a complicated project both from a technological standpoint as well as a bureaucratic standpoint vis-à-vis the Ottoman authorities. Despite the difficulties the Yafo-Jerusalem rail line was inaugurated in 1892 and shortened the journey to just four hours.
In the original station compound in Yafo there was a passenger terminal, an operations area and warehouses. The museum, which we surveyed, was built in the operations area of the train station.
Toward the end of Ottoman rule there were warehouses, garages and mechanical installations in the station’s operations area. Three buildings remain from this period: a garage for railway cars and two warehouses. During the British Mandate the station was converted to the Standard Gauge for track and rolling stock (width 143.5 cm) according to the British standard, which is still in effect today.The original locomotive garage and water tower were dismantled in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s.Other storage facilities were constructed alongside a new water tower that was erected there and is still standing in the compound today.The houses of the Manshiya quarter, which was enlarged at that time, adjoined the station compound and one can still discern the marks of the walls that abutted the station’s stone wall.By the late 1930’s the boundaries of the station were enlarged to meet the needs of the British army.A new locomotive garage was built and it is today standing in the area of the museum.This structure is characterized by excellent ironwork, thanks to which the shed is still intact despite the harsh environmental conditions.
The second stage of the plan proposes establishing a display of “The Road to Jerusalem”, along the railroad tracks to the east. The tracks and the display following them parallel the station wall that separates the compound from the Neve Tzedek quarter. At the end of the track one can see the artificial wadi that was specifically dug for the purpose of laying the railroad tracks to Jerusalem.
So far conservation measures have been implemented on the locomotive turntable. These included excavating the installation and exposing and rehabilitating its retaining walls. The fine quality of the iron used in the facility is reflected by its impressive state of preservation. The upper layers of iron were cleaned and the layers that had become distorted were removed. The walkway beams that had buckled were removed and rehabilitated. All of them were reconnected on one side of the turntable’s track. On the other side brackets were restored that were identical in size with the original ones. A wooden walkway will be placed on these brackets, returning it to its original state (Figures 4–8).
Conclusion
There is historical evidence of political, urban and local processes in the railroad station compound. The decisions that were made regarding the compound largely reflect government policy. This is true regarding the decision in the Ottoman period to establish the station in its current location in order to control the influence of the foreign powers and it is valid regarding the decision to transfer the land to the Ministry of Defense in 1948.
The train station compound grew and changed; it was adapted to conform to technological changes and to the required uses of the land according to the needs of society and characteristics of the period.
Since 1948 the changes that were made there in keeping with the needs of the Israel Defense Forces did not take into account heritage conservation. The open spaces in the compound were reduced and the railroad tracks were dismantled or buried. Consequently, the fabric of the station has disappeared.
With the processes of urban renewal that have occurred there in recent years interest in the region has increased and it has become a center for culture, entertainment and leisure.The Israel Defense Forces History Museum and the original railway installations that have survived in it could potentially be integrated in these processes, and even enrich the visitor’s experience in the Tahana compound with the contents it has to offer.Possibly at this point in time, when the surroundings are undergoing a renaissance, the area of the museum might also be opened up again to the original station compound.The treatment of the locomotive turntable and its display will influence the existing plans of the compound; however, success will be determined by creating a complete fabric and not just the presentation of a single installation.
