ABSTRACT
This chapter traces Jaffa’s transformation from the late nineteenth century to the end of the British Mandate, focusing on its citrus industry. Using historical sources and Frank Scholten’s photographs from the 1920s, it explores Jaffa’s urban and agricultural growth, which was driven by access to global markets, agricultural innovations, and changes in landownership. The study focuses on the spatial dynamics of citriculture, highlighting the bayyara (orchards), landowners’ mansions, and sakina (workers’ dwellings) as reflections of Jaffa’s socioeconomic layers and its integration into global trade. It also examines the relationships between landowners, gardeners, and laborers, revealing disparities and dependencies within the citrus economy. Jaffa’s citrus industry proved pivotal to the region’s urban modernization, shaping its identity and position within broader Mediterranean and global contexts.
