Sarona-HaKirya Visitors' Center

The center is built atop the remnants of a colony founded in 1871 by the Templars, a religious sect from Germany striving to hasten the coming of the Messiah by settling in the Holy Land, and is the first fully planned site of its kind in the Tel Aviv Municipality. 

At the site: As the result of a public struggle led by the Council, most of the colony was preserved – original special elements of architecture, murals and even some of the original trees. Also retained at the site were an original olive press, a sakia (waterwheel) well, spice garden and a “mossad”  antenna, among others. The Visitors Center focuses on the fascinating transformations of Sarona: Templar village, British detention center, the Kirya and government offices, as well as the story of the process of its restoration and return to public use. Current information on scheduled events, organized tours and tickets for the various attractions is available at the Center.