Behind the design
The arches of old Jaffa, and the tee we drew from them
Jaffa is one of the oldest port cities in the world. Here's a short guide to old Jaffa, and the story of the line drawing on our Jaffa Arches Tee.
By the MEGA Israel team · · 2 min read
IllustrationWalk south along the Tel Aviv beach promenade and the skyline changes. The glass towers give way to sandstone, the boardwalk starts to climb, and suddenly you're in Jaffa, one of the oldest port cities in the world.
A very old port
People have been sailing in and out of Jaffa (Yafo, יפו, in Hebrew) for thousands of years, and the city shows up in some of the oldest stories in the Mediterranean. In 1950 it was joined with Tel Aviv into a single city, which is why the official name today is Tel Aviv-Yafo. The new city grew up beside the old one, and you can feel both when you stand on the hill above the port.
What to see if you go
- Old Jaffa's alleys. Narrow stone lanes, many named for the signs of the zodiac, lined with galleries and studios.
- The port. Fishing boats, warehouses turned into restaurants, and some of the best sunsets in the country.
- The flea market. Furniture, vintage clothes, brass and everything else, with cafes for when you need a break.
- The view north. From the hilltop park you can see the whole curve of the Tel Aviv coastline.
The drawing on the tee
What stayed with us was the shape of the place: arched doorways and windows in pale stone, repeating down every lane. We drew an original line illustration of those arches, simple enough to work from across a room, and added יפו in Hebrew letters. It's not a copy of any one building. It's how Jaffa feels when you remember it.
The tee
The Jaffa Arches Heavyweight Tee is a Comfort Colors 1717: 6.1 oz garment-dyed, ring-spun cotton with a relaxed fit. A small MEGA wordmark sits on the front, and the 10" arches print runs across the back. It comes in ivory or black, S to 2XL, and it's printed to order by our US print partner, so it usually ships in 3-7 business days.
Want a cap with it? The Cap + Tee Bundle saves $10.
