Yarkon Park

Yarkon Park
Type	Urban park
Location	Tel Aviv, Israel
Area	3,500 dunams
Created	1973
Operated by	Tel Aviv municipality
Visitors	16 million
Status	Open all year

Yarkon Park (Hebrew: פארק הירקון‎, Park HaYarkon) is a large public urban park in Tel Aviv, Israel, with about sixteen million visitors annually.^[1] Bounded by Rokach Boulevard on the north and Bavli on the south, the park includes extensive lawns, sports facilities, botanical gardens, an aviary, a water park, two outdoor concert venues and lakes.

History

Planning of the park began in 1969. When it was opened to the public in 1973, it was called Ganei Yehoshua, honoring Yehoshua Rabinovich, the mayor of Tel Aviv between 1969-1974.^[2]

Landmarks

The park has six gardens: Gan HaBanim (Fallen Soldiers Memorial Garden), Gan Nifga'ei HaTeror (Terror Victims Memorial Garden), Gan HaSlaim (Rock Garden), Gan HaKaktusim (Cactus Garden), Gan HaGazum (Trimmed Garden), and Gan HaTropi (Tropical Garden).

The Rock Garden, one of the largest of its kind in the world, reflects Israel's geological diversity. In its 10-acre enclosure the rocks are interspersed with some 3,500 species of plants, including over six acres of cacti. The five-acre Tropical Garden has a wooden walkway shaded by palm trees leading to a small lake. The rainforest-like microclimate is supports a large variety of orchids and vines.

The Yarkon River runs through the park and reaches the Mediterranean Sea at the park's western edge, then connects into the Tel Aviv Port, an entertainment and tourism center. Despite clean-up efforts in the last few years, the river is still polluted. Despite its polluted waters, on July 2011 Tel Aviv's mayor, Ron Huldai, jumped into the water and swam in the lake. Nevertheless, the region has retained its biodiversity. It is home to an abundance of insects, water fowl, jackals, porcupines and mongoose.^[3]

Entertainment

• Entertainer Michael Jackson performed 2 concerts there during his Dangerous World Tour on 19 and 21 September 1993 in front of 180.000 people.^[4]

• The park has also hosted Paul McCartney,^[5] The Rolling Stones, Madonna, U2, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Depeche Mode, Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers,^[6] Elton John, Tina Turner, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Linkin Park, David Bowie, Eurythmics, Korn, Foreigner, The Prodigy, Justin Bieber, Westlife & 5ive, Joe Cocker, Robbie Williams, One Republic, Lady Gaga

• World-famous Italian La Scala performed a free outdoor concert of Verdi's Requiem in the park as a part of Tel Aviv's 100th anniversary celebrations, attracting about 100,000 people.^[7]

• In 1995 an outdoor concert featuring composer Yossi Green on piano and Orthodox Jewish music superstars Mordechai Ben David, Avraham Fried, and Dedi singing many of Green's hits played to over 150,000 attendees, the largest-ever outdoor concert in Israel.^[8]

• It also hosts annual events such as the City Taste festival, and classical performances by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Israeli Opera.

See also

• Biodiversity in Israel
• List of national parks and nature reserves of Israel
• Tourism in Israel
• National Sport Center – Tel Aviv

References

External links

• Yarkon National Park at the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority
• Yarkon Park

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yarkon Park.

Coordinates: 32°5′58.62″N 34°48′40.28″E / 32.0996167°N 34.8111889°E / 32.0996167; 34.8111889