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In the heart of the Galilee, some five miles northwest of the Sea of Galilee, lies the ancient, mystical city of Safed.

To drive to Safed from the sea's most northerly point would be about double this distance, however, as the city is built on one of the highest parts of the Galilee and can only be reached by winding roads.

Safed has always attracted religious Jews since its foundation in the last days of the Second Temple. It is referred to in the Talmud as Tzefya and it is one of the four Holy Cities, a title it shares with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias.

It became a city of mystics and poets and in recent times a center for artists and artisans.

It was to Safed that many Jews came and flourished after the Spanish expulsion in 1492. They were attracted by the town's beauty as well by the fact that many famous and learned Jews, such as Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai were buried near by.

The tradition of learning continued and in the 16th and 17th centuries Safed saw its golden age.

In this period some of the most influential rabbis developed their mystical teachings of the Kabbalah, or secret wisdom, which became the forerunner of modern Chassidism.

Such was the depth of learning in the city that in 1578 the first printing press in the Land of Israel and in all Asia was installed in Safed. The first book was printed in Hebrew and was a commentary on the Book of Esther, written by Yom-Tov Zahalon, a student of Rabbi Joseph Caro, one of Safed's most famous sons.

Safed's golden age produced some of the most famous and learned figures in Jewish history. In 1536, Caro came to live in Safed. He has been described by many as the greatest talmudic authority of the 16th century.

It took Caro almost 30 years to codify the rabbinic law in his book the Shulchan Aruch. It has remained today the authoritative guide for all aspects of Jewish religious life and practice.

Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (1522-1570) presented regular teachings of Kabbalah and many of his students were to become famous in their own right. One of the most famous was Rabbi Isaac Luria.

Luria, who was known as H'Ari — the Lion — from The Hebrew mnemonic Adonenu Rabbi Itzhak (our Master Rabbi Itzhak), was born in Jerusalem in 1531. He came to Safed in 1569. He died suddenly in 1572, but in the three years preceding his death he became a living legend.

Luria took the teachings of Cordovero to a fine art in a complex ideology that made every religious act a significant instrument for linking one's soul with God and thus revealing the secrets of creation itself.

Such was Luria's influence that Safed has two "Ari" synagogues named after him. Every day Jews from all over the world come to Safed to pray at the graves of Luria and other famous kabbalists, as well as in the city's historic synagogues.

Following the age of the great kabbalists, the city began a gradual decline. This was due to the many vicissitudes at the hands of both man and nature.

In 1769 and 1837, the city was struck by ruinous earthquakes. In the latter quake, 4,000 people died. Safed also came under attack several times. In 1799, Napoleon's troops captured the city from the Turkish army. By 1948, at the end of the British Mandate, the city was inhabited by about 12,000 Arabs and 1,700 Jews.

The British, during their administration of Israel, had ensured that the Arab residents dominated all the city's strategic positions, so that when they evacuated Safed the Arabs attacked the Jews.

During Israel's War of Independence, a small group of 120 young men crossed the Arab lines during cover of darkness to help the beleaguered Jewish residents. They subsequently stormed the Arab positions together and conquered the city on May 11, 1948, when the Arabs fled.

Today Safed has returned to its former glory. It is an ideal center to stay and explore the Galilee. Winding lanes thread their way through the Old City, where most of the old synagogues are located. It is also an ideal place to buy religious artifacts.

The city has been carefully restored, with some of Israel's oldest and most prestigious synagogues open during most of the day. A short distance away is the Artists' Quarter, where some of Israel's most well-known artists have established their studios. Many of the studios are open to the public to browse or to buy.

A short distance from the Old City is the old Jewish Cemetery. Here one can walk in solitude with the magnificent backdrop of the Galilee in the distance. Here one feels the presence of the spirits of the many great Jewish teachers, who still seem to hold sway and influence in this ancient city.