It's almost time for a trip to the tower - I did some googling, and this is what I found out:
The tower served as both a watchtower and the
minaret of the White Mosque, which stood nearby in the 8th century
(only a few ruins are left , but you can see a model at the Ramla
Museum). Apparently, it was an architectural gem in those days, and a
great source of local pride – a medieval Empire State Building of
sorts.
The legend goes that the inhabitants of nearby Lod
were jealous and decided to steal the tower. At night, they crept to
Ramla and tied it up with miraculous ropes given to them by a wise man.
They pulled with all their might and were sure it was moving. By
daybreak, when they thought they were almost home, the ropes snapped –
they were made of rubber – and tower had not moved an inch. “Jam’a
al-abiyad bitkarb” (“the White Tower is near”) thus became the great
put-down, used whenever the people of Ramla wanted to tease the people
of Lod.
-Ramla things to do
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