New YouTube Series Explores Tel Aviv-Jaffa's Hidden History Through Architecture and Archaeology

The fifth episode of the YouTube series "Shani en immersion" (Shani Immersed) features host Shani Guidalia exploring Tel Aviv-Jaffa, focusing on its history as revealed through its architecture, artisans, and underground discoveries. The journey begins in the White City, where architect Sharon Golan explains how modernist European architectural principles were adapted to Tel Aviv's Mediterranean climate, influencing building designs for light, heat, and ventilation.

Guidalia also learns about the city's urban planning, initiated in the 1920s by Scottish urbanist Patrick Geddes. His plan organized streets and blocks to maximize breezes and create quieter interior spaces, including a cultural hub around Habima Square, leaving a lasting imprint on the city's layout.

The series then moves to the Florentin neighborhood, visiting the workshop of Shay Avrahami, a furniture restorer who has worked there since 1993. Avrahami discusses the transformation of Florentin over three decades, noting the decline of traditional workshops and the rise of residential spaces, while he continues his craft.

The final segment delves into Jaffa, exploring its ancient history beyond the familiar old city. At the Jaffa archaeological center, discoveries trace millennia of occupation, highlighting the port city's strategic importance and its trade connections across the Mediterranean. Artifacts include a fragment from the era of Assyrian King Sennacherib in the 8th century BCE.

Excavations beneath the center reveal four historical layers, including Roman-era market remains, an ancient water supply system, and a large villa. An inscription approximately 1,900 years old names Yehouda, an "agoranomos" or market official, providing a personal glimpse into Jaffa's past. The episode concludes by emphasizing how architecture, urbanism, craftsmanship, and archaeology collectively tell the layered story of the city.