Editing Tiberias (section)

==Urban renewal and preservation==
[[File:Tiberias_Genezareth_Tverya_Kinneret_Israel_datafox.JPG|thumb|Tiberias harbour]]
[[File:Tiberias_hotels.JPG|thumb|Tiberias beachfront]]

Ancient and medieval Tiberias was destroyed by a series of devastating earthquakes, and much of what was built after the major earthquake of 1837 was destroyed or badly damaged in the great flood of 1934. Houses in the newer parts of town, uphill from the waterfront, survived. In 1949, 606 houses, comprising almost all of the built-up area of the old quarter other than religious buildings, were demolished over the objections of local Jews who owned about half the houses.<ref name="Golan2">Arnon Golan, The Politics of Wartime Demolition and Human Landscape Transformation, ''War in History'', vol 9 (2002), pp 431–445.</ref> Wide-scale development began after the [[Six-Day War]], with the construction of a waterfront promenade, open parkland, shopping streets, restaurants and modern hotels. Carefully preserved were several churches, including one with foundations dating from the Crusader period, the city's two Ottoman-era mosques, and several [[Ancient synagogues of Tiberias|ancient synagogues]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1137820.html|title=Old Tiberias synagogue to regain its former glory|work=Haaretz|access-date=2009-12-29|archive-date=2009-12-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229130354/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1137820.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The city's old masonry buildings constructed of local black basalt with white limestone windows and trim have been designated historic landmarks. Also preserved are parts of the ancient wall, the Ottoman-era citadel, historic hotels, [[Christian tourism|Christian pilgrim hostels]], convents and schools.