Do you see that? The Bursa, the Diamond Exchange District, reaching for the sky. It’s a bit like a sparkling treasure chest, shining in the Israeli sun, all that glitters on the outside.
Back in the 1960s, this was just an area with some small-scale industry and craft buildings. The diamond trade was booming in Israel, but the original Diamond Exchange was stuck in a few floors on a street in Tel Aviv. The Mayor of Ramat Gan, a city just a little outside of Tel Aviv, had a fantastic idea. He suggested that they build a whole new complex, just for the Diamond Exchange. And boy, did they build it! They started with the Shimson Tower in 1964, and opened it in 1968, a beacon for the blossoming diamond industry.
This area, they called it the Bursa, the heart of Israel’s diamond trading industry, with its gleaming buildings and lively trading. It wasn’t just any trading hall, it was the world’s largest, where over a thousand people, from all corners of the globe, gathered to buy and sell precious stones. That’s where the famous Diamond Tower stands, a marvel of modern architecture, housing the grand trading floor and the headquarters of the Diamond Exchange itself.
Over the years, the Bursa became a real hub. The Moshe Aviv Tower rose proudly, holding the title of Israel’s tallest building for years. The Sheraton City Tower, a luxurious hotel, added another dimension to the district. Then the Ayalon Tower, the Gibor Sport House, and the HaKikar Tower, each with its own story to tell. You can still find the original Shimson Tower in the heart of this impressive complex, a quiet reminder of its humble beginnings.
Today, you can see the Bursa thriving. It’s not just about diamonds, but about life, work, and leisure. Ramat Gan plans to make the Bursa even bigger, adding more apartments and towers, but maybe, just maybe, they’ll leave some space for the old buildings, the ones that started this spectacular story.