Last modified: 2023-01-28 by martin karner
Keywords: afula | iriyat afula | coat of arms (landscape: blue) |
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image by Dov Gutterman | 2:3 Emblem adopted 30th October 1958 |
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Afula, nicknamed capital of the valley, is situated
in Jezreel Valley on the central road cross of the area (roads to
Tel-Aviv, Tiberias and upper Galilee, Nazareth and Bet Shean).
Established in 1925 near the 'Valley Railway' tracks (the out of
service old line from Haifa to Damascus). Municipality since 1973
with 40,000 inh.
I spotted a light blue flag with blue emblem. The municipal
emblem was published in the official gazette (Rashumot,
Yalkut HaPirsumim), YP 631, 30 October 1958, in the first
batch of emblems, for the then Local Council Afula.
Sources: author's own observation, 2 October 2001.
Dov Gutterman, 16 October 2001
In my visit of today I noted also five more variants
(on yellow, red, orange, white and green). It is possible that
there are more variants.
Dov Gutterman, 30 April 2003
Afula history is connected directly to the legendary Rakevet
HaEmeq (The Valley Railway), the narrow-track railroad that
connected Haifa and the Hijaz Railway line which was constructed
in 1903-1905. The decision to built a central station near the
tiny Arab village of Al-Fula (which kept the ancient Hebrew name Ofel
(Fortified area of a town) and a side track to Jenin and Nablus,
made this spot a major transportation junction (as the
Nazareth-Jerusalem road and Haifa-Bet She'an road also met
there).
With such a prospect ahead, the American Zion Community bought
the land of the tiny village in 1924 and after arriving to
compensation agreement with the inhabitants, they left the area
and first new settlers arrived in 1925. However, the big vision
was dissolved by economic crisis, and the British Mandate
decisions to put emphasis on other towns and to close the railway
line, kept Afula as a small town and only in 1972 it became a
municipality.
Sources: <www.afula.muni.il>
The Valley Railway was endless source for legends and Jokes. It
was so slow that it was told that while it moving you could step
down from the front wagon, talk with a friend or drink coffee and
still have time to catch the last wagon. However, this raiway
holds some world records as the speed record for narrow-track
lines (100 Kmh - with airplane engine installed on one of its
waggon) and the record for the lowest train station of the world
(Naharayim Bridge Station - 246 m. below sea level).
There are plans to re-build parts of the line in the future.
Dov Gutterman, 1 May 2005
image from wikipedia