Diamond Exchange District

The Diamond Exchange District (Hebrew: מִתְחַם הַבּוּרְסָה, Mitham HaBursa, lit. "The Exchange District") is a diamond district and commercial area in Ramat Gan, a city located in the Tel Aviv District, Israel. The district is the hub of Israel's diamond industry as well as a major commercial center. As of 2019, the district contains 1.1 million square meters of commercial and living space, and is responsible for 60% of Ramat Gan's municipal revenue.

The Israel Diamond Exchange, the centerpiece of the district, contains four buildings connected by bridges; the Maccabi Tower, Shimshon Tower, Noam Tower, and Diamond Tower. The latter contains the world's largest diamond trading floor and is the head-building of the exchange. Additionally, the district features several important buildings. Moshe Aviv Tower is Israel's second tallest building at 235 meters. Sheraton City Tower is a hotel in the district, whilst other notable buildings are the Ayalon Tower and Gibor Sport House. Tel Aviv's Central railway station is connected to the district by a pedestrian bridge.

Until 2018, the Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum displayed models of world-famous diamonds, including the Koh-i-Noor Diamond currently set in the crown of the King of the United Kingdom, the diamond given to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton on her 40th birthday, and items such as an hourglass with "sand" made of diamonds, a diamond-set tennis ball and Biblically-inspired brooches incorporating diamonds.

During the establishment of Israel, the Diamond Exchange was located on two floors on Ahuzat Bayit Street in Tel Aviv. In the early 1960s, discussions began about constructing an office building for the Diamond Exchange. After facing difficulties with the Tel Aviv Municipality, Abraham Krinitzi, the then Mayor of Ramat Gan, suggested that the building be constructed in Ramat Gan. On November 14, 1961, a contract was signed to purchase a 3.5-dunam plot for this purpose in an area that later became known as the Diamond Exchange Complex. The construction of the first office tower in the complex, the "Shimson Tower," took place between the laying of the cornerstone in 1964 and its inauguration on October 24, 1968. This building marked the beginning of the development of the Diamond Exchange Complex, which until then had only included small-scale industry and craft buildings. From 1946 to 1994, the municipal swimming pool "Gali Gil" was also located in the complex. The Leonardo City Tower Hotel now stands on the site of this former swimming pool.

Jewish merchants have historically and continue to engage in the diamond trade. Several congregations of Jewish merchants gave rise to prominent diamond districts, most prominently: New York, Israel and Antwerp. The Diamond industry trade is heavily based on mutual trust and communal relations between Jewish merchants over the world helped secure and expand trade. As a result The Israeli diamond district became heavily connected with the New York and Antwerp centres. The New York diamond district was dominated by merchants from Jewish centres including the Israel centre.

The Moshe Aviv Tower, also known as City Gate, was the tallest building in Israel from 2003 to 2017.

Leonardo City Tower is the tallest hotel in Israel. It was the tallest building in Ramat Gan from its construction in 2000, until 2001, when it was surpassed by the Moshe Aviv Tower.

The Diamond Tower containing the world's largest diamond trading hall, accommodating up to 1,000 people. At 115 meters over 32 floors, the tower was the tallest building in Ramat Gan from 1989 until 2000, when it was surpassed by the Sheraton City Tower.