Bat Galim Windmill (The Templar Windmill) is an old windmill located in the Bat Galim neighborhood of Haifa.[1] The mill was built in 1874 by the Templars, who settled in Haifa starting from the second half of the 19th century, and it was used for grinding wheat grains into flour. Today, the mill serves as a residential building and is located at 22 HaAliya HaShniya Street, near Rambam Hospital and the Israel Navy Training Base.[2]
| Templar Windmill | |
|---|---|
 The Templar Windmill | |
 | |
| Origin | |
| Mill name | The Templar Windmill |
| Mill location | Haifa, Bat Galim |
| Year built | 1874 |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Flour mill |
| Type | Tower mill |
| Storeys | Four storeys |
History
editIn 1868, the Templars arrived in Haifa and established the German Colony. In their early days in the city, the Templars tried to engage in agriculture and sowed wheat fields, mainly in the area of today's Kiryat Eliezer neighborhood. For grinding the wheat, they built two flour mills: one within the German Colony and one in what is now the Bat Galim neighborhood. The mill was the first structure built in the area of today's Bat Galim. It served the residents of the entire area, including distant settlements such as Zikhron Ya'akov. However, the wind in the area was not strong enough, and the mill was converted to steam power. The mill operated until the end of the Ottoman period, likely because the Templars abandoned agriculture in favor of industry and tourism, and possibly due to the establishment of larger competing mills in Haifa in the early 1920s, supported by Baron Rothschild.[3]
As part of the reparations agreement in the 1950s, the mill, along with other Templar property in the country, was transferred to the State of Israel. The building remained abandoned over the years, but occasionally families lived there for various periods.
Starting in 1977, the sculptor Pini Weinberg lived in the building.
Structure of the Mill
editThe mill is a tall stone structure. At its top was a rotating wooden carriage on which the mill's sails were mounted (similar to the carriage currently existing on the windmill in Mishkenot Sha'ananim). Over the years, the carriage and the sails disappeared, and after standing abandoned for some time, the building was converted into a residence. Weinberg, who lived there until 2017, renovated it so that it now includes five floors connected by spiral staircases.[4]
References
edit
- ^ כרמי, ירון (2017-01-21). "טחנת הרוח שבנו הטמפלרים – בת גלים – חיפה". חי פֹּה – תאגיד החדשות של חיפה והסביבה (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-07-25.
- ^ "Windmills of Israel". www.windmillworld.com. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
- ^ "האיש שגר בטחנת הרוח-חיפה-סיטי-חבל על הפנאי". 2013-10-20. Archived from the original on 2013-10-20. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
- ^ Ilana Hadar (2021-09-01). גיל הצפון – טחנת הרוח הטמפלרית בבת גלים. Retrieved 2024-07-25 – via YouTube.