The word graffiti comes from the Italian word, graffiato, meaning scratched. Today graffiti refers to writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or painted illicitly on a wall, or other surface, often within public view. The oldest graffiti dates back to the beginning of writing, found in Ancient Egypt & Rome. But modern graffiti dates to the late ‘60’s in Philadelphia, PA, USA as political protest or the marking of gang territory. On our graffiti tours in Israel, we explore the political, sociological, and sometimes religious, messages of the graffiti in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, and Ashdod!
Tel Aviv’s graffiti is very different from Jerusalem’s, and Jerusalem’s graffiti is different from Ashdod’s. And that’s right, Ashdod’s graffiti is very different from Haifa’s! Every city has their own graffiti artists that call that city home. Each city has its own story- as does every graffiti artist!! Even within each city the graffiti can be different depending where you are—the Market, downtown, the port, or a residential neighborhood. You can learn about important figures in Israel and the world in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda Market. You can explore the city’s coexistence in Haifa’s downtown. We can find political messages in Tel Aviv’s Florentine neighborhood. And you can discover the eclectic populations of Ashdod in the Vav neighborhood. Together we can find new graffiti throughout the country… and create memories of a lifetime!
Together we’ll explore what new graffiti has been put up, what new messages we see, and learn about Israeli society through the streets and the graffiti covering them. You may even learn something that native Israelis don’t even know! Tours last between 2-3 hours, or can be extended when combined with food tastings, historical tours, and more! (In some cases, we can try our own hand in graffiti as well)! We’ll see you there!