History
Ashdod is the sixth-largest city in Israel, located in the Southern District of the country, on the Mediterranean coast where it is situated between Tel-Aviv to the north (32 kilometres (20 miles) away) and Ashkelon to the south (20 km (12 mi) away). Jerusalem is 53 km (33 mi) to the east.
Ashdod is Israel's largest port, accounting for 60% of the country's imported goods. The city is also an important regional industrial center.
Modern Ashdod covers the territory of two ancient twin towns, one inland and one on the coast, which were for most of their history two separate entities, connected though by close ties with each other. This article is dealing with both these historic towns and other ancient sites now located within the territory of modern Ashdod.
The first documented urban settlement at Ashdod dates to the Canaanite culture of the 17th century BCE, making the city one of the oldes in the world. Ashdod is mentioned 13 times in the Bible. During its pre-1956 history the city was settled by Philistines, Israelites, colonists coming in the wake of Alexander’s conquests, Romans and Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders and Ottoman Turks. Modern Ashdod was established in 1956 on the sand hills near the site of the ancient town, and incorporated as a city in 1968, with a land-area of approximately 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi).
Tourism
The best place to begin your visit to the vibrant port city of Ashdod is at Givat Yonah, the towering hill the traditional site of the tomb of the sea-faring Jonah the prophet, who was swallowed by a whale.
A wonderful overview of Ashdod awaits you here: You’ll see Israel’s busiest cargo port, where over 100,000 tourists also enter and leave the country.
Givat Yonah is also an archaeological mound, which makes it the best place to appreciate how this city, which started out in the Bible as a Philistine town, has expanded––thanks to its port, industries and its energetic new immigrant community––to a showcase city of over 200,000.
The wide boulevards that cross its new neighborhoods, with their gleaming white Mediterranean-style apartment houses and numerous parks, show the meticulous planning that has made Ashdod an inviting place to live and to visit.
As you tour the city, look for the Blue Route tourist signs, which explain various points of interest. In northwestern Ashdod you can take a relaxing walk along the Lachish Stream promenade where a free zoo features zebras, rare Berber sheep, deer, ostriches and other animals. Try to time your stroll to end with a romantic sunset where the stream meets the sea.
In the southeastern part of town is "Ad Halom" Park: The "Ad Halom" (“thus far”) Bridge, dating back to Turkish times, is the furthest point north the Egyptian army reached during the War of Independence. A war memorial and lookout tell the story, and following the 1977 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, Israel invited Egypt to build the obelisk-shaped memorial you’ll see here.
Ashdod has many bathing beaches, including one, the Marina Beach with gender-separate facilities for Orthodox bathers. At the Keshatot (arches) Beach, you’ll find a number of eateries popular with the locals. This is one place where you can get a feel for the varied local population––at each table you pass diners seem to be speaking a different language!
For art lovers, there’s the new glass-roofed “winged” Ashdod Art Museum. And don’t miss the Corinne Maman Museum, with its unique interior design echoing the city’s ancient history (the focus of the museum), along with changing exhibits of Israeli artists.
Ashdod- Israel ministry of Tourism