We arrive here by train, from here begins our acquaintance with the city. The station opened in 1937 and was called the Haifa Center. It was built on a territory drained as part of the construction of the Haifa port. The construction process is showed historical photos on the facade of the building. The station is located on Atzmaut Street - Independence street (formerly King George the Fifth Street "Kingsway"), and built-in an international style called 'Bauhaus,' like many other buildings on this street. This station is the only passenger station created by the British in Palestine, and Haifa could be reached by train from Beirut and Damascus. In 2004, the station was modernized and became accessible for disabled people. In 2007, it was renamed Haifa Merkaz Hashmona, in memory of eight depot employees who died during the 2006 rocket attack on Haifa during the Second Lebanon War. The building is a part of a more significant historical heritage site. The lower city of Haifa (Ha-ir ha-tahtit) is one of the oldest urban areas around. It is from this place that modern Haifa originates. In the first years of its existence, the Lower City was a typical fort city for the Ottoman Empire. It was built in the shape of a rectangle, measuring about one mile (1.6 km) in both its length and width. Being fortified by rectangular walls, Haifa was equipped with gates in the middle of each side of these walls. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Turkish authorities opened a railway station in the Lower Town area (the railway museum is now located on this site). The significant development of Haifa thus begun. During the British mandate, the Railway and the seaport turned Haifa into the most important industrial center and transport hub in the area. In the lower city, banks, hotels, and administrative buildings were built. In the fifties, the development of the upper part of Haifa had begun, and the lower city gradually became quite desolate. As a consequence, this century in Haifa forced new life into this historic district. A complex of government buildings was erected along with a new university campus. The reconstruction of historic buildings is ongoing. Many cafes, bars, and galleries invite you to plunge into the youthful and dynamic atmosphere of the lower city.