Claim: Haifa existed in the 3rd century BCE.

Haifa -LRB- -LSB- χei̯ˈfa , ˈχai̯fa -RSB- حيفا -RRB- , is the third-largest city in the State of Israel , with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area , the second - or third-most populous metropolitan area in Israel . It is also home to the Bahá ' í World Centre , a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a destination for Baha'i pilgrims .   Built on the slopes of Mount Carmel , the settlement has a history spanning more than 3,000 years . The earliest known settlement in the vicinity was Tell Abu Hawam , a small port city established in the Late Bronze Age -LRB- 14th century BCE -RRB- . In the 3rd century CE , Haifa was known as a dye-making center . Over the centuries , the city has changed hands : being conquered and ruled by the Phoenicians , Persians , Hasmoneans , Romans , Byzantines , Arabs , Crusaders , Ottomans , British , and the Israelis . Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 , the Haifa Municipality has governed the city .   , the city is a major seaport located on Israel 's Mediterranean coastline in the Bay of Haifa covering 63.7 km2 . It lies about 90 km north of Tel Aviv and is the major regional center of northern Israel . According to researcher J. Kis-Lev Haifa is considered a relative haven for coexistence between Jews and Arabs . Two respected academic institutions , the University of Haifa and the Technion , are located in Haifa , in addition to the largest k-12 school in Israel , the Hebrew Reali School . The city plays an important role in Israel 's economy . It is home to Matam , one of the oldest and largest high-tech parks in the country ; Haifa also owns the only underground rapid transit system located in Israel , known as The Carmelit . Haifa Bay is a center of heavy industry , petroleum refining and chemical processing . Haifa formerly functioned as the western terminus of an oil pipeline from Iraq via Jordan .