Jaffa: An Art Gallery Opens in a Former Flour Mill

Gallery el Matahana @Itay Weinbroom

A new art gallery is opening its doors within the historic former flour mill on Salameh Street in Jaffa. Long left on the margins of urban life, this emblematic building is now welcoming a new cultural chapter. Named el-Matahana, the gallery is spearheaded by Saraya Yaffa, the cultural institution behind, among other initiatives, the Arab Theatre Al-Saraya.

Exhibitions, performances, workshops, and public events will soon be held at the site, offering audiences a new space for creation and encounter.

Beyond the opening of a cultural venue, the initiative symbolizes the beginning of a renaissance for one of the region’s most striking architectural complexes. The flour mill is now positioned at the heart of a large-scale mixed-use project combining residential spaces, professional activities, and public institutions. The gallery represents the first visible layer of this transformation, initiating the site’s reconversion into a vibrant urban hub even before the completion of long-term planning phases.

The project is being developed jointly by the Reality Group and the Yitzhaki Group, which are overseeing the complex through an approach that integrates heritage preservation, new construction, and temporary cultural activation. Reality, which specializes in real-estate development with social and artistic impact, views culture as a strategic lever for urban regeneration. This vision also aligns with the agenda of the Tel Aviv–Jaffa Municipality, which supports the expansion of art in public space.

For Mahmoud Abu Arisha, director of Al-Saraya and el-Matahana, the gallery’s opening goes far beyond the creation of a new exhibition space.

“The flour mill complex is built on layers of memory and narratives rooted in Jaffa. We are delighted to bring it back to life and open it to the public through art, performance, and encounters. Our ambition is to offer a multidisciplinary program, host artists from Jaffa and beyond, and create a space for dialogue, collective work, and connection with the community,” he explains.

From the developers’ perspective, the initiative is informed by an international outlook.

“We conducted an in-depth study of former flour mills and grain silos around the world and found that these structures often become centers of creativity and community life, thanks to their unique architectural features and the heritage value they embody,” notes Avital Hefer, project manager in the Impact Department of the Reality Group. “When real estate aligns with culture and art, it can become a powerful engine for social and urban transformation.”

The flour mill complex is no stranger to cultural experimentation. In recent months, it has hosted high-impact social initiatives, including a therapeutic woodworking workshop for victims of the war, as well as the digital art exhibition BEYOND, presented throughout the summer and bringing together twenty-five artists around works combining video, artificial intelligence, and digital art.

Caroline Haïat