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Contents The Authors Getting Started Itineraries Snapshot History The Culture Food & Drink Environment Jerusalem History Climate Orientation Information Dangers & Annoyances Sights Activities Religious Services Walking Tour Courses Jerusalem for Children Tours Sleeping Eating Drinking Entertainment Shopping Getting There & Away Getting Around AROUND JERUSALEM Abu Ghosh Sorek Caves Latrun
Tel Aviv History Orientation Information Dangers & Annoyances Sights Activities
15 17 21 26 28 41 62 72 79 82 83 83 84 88 88 125 126 126 128 128 128 129 135 139 140 141 143 144 144 145 146 146
149 150 152 152 155 155 164
Walking Tour Courses Tel Aviv for Children Tours Sleeping Eating Drinking Entertainment Shopping Getting There & Away Getting Around AROUND TEL AVIV Jaffa Netanya Carmel Winery Rehovot Ramla
Haifa & the North Coast Haifa Daliyat Al-Karmel Carmelite Monastery of St Elijah Atlit Ein Hod Zichron Ya’acov Caesarea Beit She’arim Megiddo Akko (Acre) Around Akko Nahariya Around Nahariya
The Galilee Nazareth Around Nazareth Beit She’an Around Beit She’an TIiberias Sea of Galilee
The Upper Galilee & the Golan Rosh Pina Hula Valley & Nature Reserve Had Nes Hayarden Park Nature Reserve
165 166 166 166 167 170 175 177 179 180 181 182 182 186 186 188 188
191 192 207 208 208 208 209 210 213 214 215 220 220 221
224 225 230 232 233 234 253
260 262 264 265 266
© Lonely Planet Publications 14 C O N T E N T S
Ramot Yehudiya Nature Reserve Metula Hurshat Tal National Park Tel Dan Nature Reserve Banias Nature Reserve Nimrod Castle Mt Hermon Neve Ativ Mas’ada Majdal Shams Merom Golan Mt Bental Mitzpe Quneitra (Quneitra Viewpoint) Katzrin Gamla Nature Reserve Tsfat Around Tsfat
West Bank Bethlehem Around Bethlehem Ramallah & Al-Bireh Around Ramallah Jericho Hebron Nablus
266 267 269 270 270 270 270 271 271 272 272 272 272 273 273 274 275 283
290 297 299 303 303 307 309
311
Kalia Beaches Qumran Ein Feshkha Metzoke Dragot Ein Gedi Masada Ein Bokek Sodom Neot Hakikar
314 314 315 315 316 320 324 324 325
Arad Tel Arad Be’er Sheva Around Be’er Sheva Northwestern Negev Dimona Sde Boker Mitzpe Ramon The Arava Eilat Around Eilat
Gaza City Elsewhere in the Gaza Strip
Petra (Jordan)
355
400
Health
411
Language
416
Glossary
420
Behind the Scenes
423
Index
430
World Time Zones
446
Map Legend
448
356 362
363
The Ancient City Wadi Musa
364 367
Sinai (Egypt)
372
Taba to Nuweiba 373 Nuweiba 374 Ras Abu Gallum Protectorate 377 Dahab 377 Wadi Gnai 381 St Katherine’s Monastery & Mt Sinai 382
Directory
Transport
384
285
The Dead Sea
The Negev
The Gaza Strip
Regional Map Contents The Upper Galilee & the Golan Haifa & the p261 North Coast p192 The Galilee p225
Tel Aviv West Bank p150 p288 Jerusalem pp80–1 The Gaza Strip p357
The Negev p327
326 328 329 329 333 334 334 335 338 343 345 353
The Dead Sea p312
Petra (Jordan) pp366–7
Sinai (Egypt) p373
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The Authors MICHAEL KOHN
Coordinating Author, Getting Started, Itineraries, Snapshot, The Culture (Population & People, Religion, Lifestyles, Government & Politics, Economy), Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa & the North Coast, Directory, Transport
Michael made his first trip to the Holy Land at the impressionable age of 15 when he and 50 schoolmates stormed Jerusalem’s Old City by day and learned the delights of Maccabee beer by night. He returned to the region in 2005 on a reporting trip to Egypt, Lebanon and Syria before plunging into Israel and the Palestinian Territories to update Lonely Planet’s Middle East guide. The hummus seemed to have tasted a lot better this time around and the politics certainly more intoxicating than the beer. This was Michael’s third visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories. When not paying homage to Tel Aviv’s coffeehouse culture he resides in northern California.
My Favourite Trip Israel and the Palestinian Territories are packed with amazing sights, but Jerusalem (p79) stands head and shoulders above the crowd and has to be my first stop. After a few days of wandering its Old City streets I’d hop on a bus and head up to Nablus (p309), my favourite West Bank town, to explore its vibrant bazaar. The intensity of Jerusalem and West Bank travel inevitably calls for some therapy, and a trip down to the Dead Sea (p311) for a float usually does the trick. Next stop is Tel Aviv (p149) to visit friends, lounge on the beach and bar hop down Lilienblum St. Hiring a car, I’d head north to Akko (p215), a gem of a city on the Mediterranean, and then inland to the Golan (p260) for a few days of hiking and camping.
ROXANE ASSAF
Akko
Tel Aviv
The Golan
Nablus Jerusalem Dead Sea
The Culture (Media), Food & Drink, West Bank
Roxane Assaf is a media studies adjunct and college administrator in Chicago with a professional background in video production, performing arts, entertainment and food. She is a 2004 national first-place winner of the ‘Mark of Excellence’ award for balanced reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists. Roxane’s freelance magazine credits are owed to her experience in the West Bank and Israel, while her newspaper, TV and radio work resulted from a stint as a Washington correspondent with the Medill News Service. Roxane received her Master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and her BA from Loyola University, New Orleans.
LONELY PLANET AUTHORS Why is our travel information the best in the world? It’s simple: our authors are independent, dedicated travellers. They don’t research using just the internet or phone, and they don’t take freebies in exchange for positive coverage. They travel widely, to all the popular spots and off the beaten track. They personally visit thousands of hotels, restaurants, cafés, bars, galleries, palaces, museums and more – and they take pride in getting all the details right, and telling it how it is. For more, see the authors section on www.lonelyplanet.com.
© Lonely Planet Publications 16
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MIRIAM RAPHAEL
The Galilee, Upper Galilee & the Golan (Tsfat & Around Tsfat), The Dead Sea, The Negev, Petra (Jordan), Sinai (Egypt)
As an ambitious 20 year old, Miriam dropped out of an exchange program with the Hebrew University to become an intern at JPost Radio, where she asked big questions of Hanan Aswari and then Jerusalem mayor Ehud Olmert. When she wasn’t covering Palestinian hip-hop gigs, teenage refuseniks and the young settler movement, she would sneak off to the Red Sea for diving, the Negev for hiking and as many music festivals as she had new shekels. Between Lonely Planet gigs she indulged her passion for the Middle East with trips to Syria, Iran, Jordan and Egypt. Now working inhouse at Lonely Planet in Melbourne, she has hung up her authorial boots for the moment and takes away her felafel from Elsternwick.
AMELIA THOMAS
The Culture (Arts), Upper Galilee & the Golan (except Tsfat & Around Tsfat), The Gaza Strip
Amelia has been working as a journalist in Israel and the Palestinian Territories since 2004, where she’s encountered Disco Rabbis, Palestinian acrobats, Raelians planning an intergalactic embassy in Jerusalem, Evangelical Christians digging for oil, and been holed up in an armed settler stronghold in Gaza, covering the Israeli disengagement in the scorching summer of 2005. She conducted her research for the Upper Galilee and Golan as the first missiles began to fall from across the border, and managed to make it back from Gaza, nine months pregnant, without going into labour at the Erez Crossing. Her new baby, Cairo, is already accompanying her on West Bank assignments, where he’s very popular with the ladies.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS Matt Beynon Rees wrote the History chapter. Matt has covered the Middle East as a journalist for over a decade. Now a contributor for Time, he was the magazine’s Jerusalem bureau chief. He published a nonfiction account of Israeli and Palestinian societies called Cain’s Field: Faith, Fratricide, and Fear in the Middle East and is the author of The Collaborator of Bethlehem, the first in a forthcoming series of Palestinian murder mysteries.
Professor Alon Tal wrote the Environment chapter. He founded the Israel Union for Environmental Defense and the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, and has served as chair of Life and Environment, Israel’s umbrella group for green organisations. Professor of the Desert Ecology Department at Ben-Gurion University, he heads the Jewish National Fund’s sustainable development committee and still finds time to hike and bike around Israel with his wife and daughters.
© Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’
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Getting Started Travel in Israel and the Palestinian Territories is a two-sided coin. On the one hand, Israel itself is modern and westernised, with great public transport, infrastructure and plenty of English-speakers. It’s a small country, which makes travel times short and travel costs fairly inexpensive. But overall, prices tend to be high for the region – plan on spending as much as you would in most Western countries. Very little pre-trip planning is needed in terms of visas, tours or accommodation and you could literally fly there on a whim and organise as you go. In summer, however, it’s a good idea to book ahead for accommodation, especially for guesthouses and B&Bs. Of course, given the tumultuous nature of the country, keep tabs on security and be flexible with travel plans in case a particular area becomes off limits. The Palestinian Territories are another matter altogether. Facilities in the Territories are often below Western standards and less English is spoken. Gaza is usually inaccessible to the casual tourist (permits given by the Israel Defence Forces, the IDF are reserved for accredited journalists, diplomats and aid workers) but any tourist can visit the West Bank. Even if you are not a fan of tours, joining one for a trip to the West Bank is a good idea, both for background information and security. While considering all this, friends and relatives will be more than perplexed by your choice of holiday destination, given the region’s reputation for terror and warfare. Remind them that casualties due to traffic accidents back home occur more frequently than terror attacks in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The other piece of key predeparture knowledge to consider is the ‘Israeli Stamp Stigma’, which you can read about on p402. Once on the ground it’s a good idea to memorise a few key phrases in the local lingo. You could survive solely on English in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, but knowing basic greetings, pleasantries and numbers in Arabic and Hebrew can help tremendously when meeting people.
WHEN TO GO Israel and the Palestinian Territories are open for all seasons, but there are a few factors to consider when planning your trip. Weather-wise, the best time to visit is in the spring (April and May) or autumn (September and October) when temperatures are mild in most areas. November and March are likewise pleasant but do see some rain, especially in the coastal areas and up north. Consider regional temperatures; while the south is still pleasant in November, the Golan will be cold and wet. Winter (mid-November to mid-March) can be surprisingly chilly, with heavy rain along the coast and frost in the highlands. Mt Hermon in the Golan gets enough snow to ski on and even Jerusalem can see occasional snow flurries. January temperatures in Jerusalem are 6°C to 11°C, while at the same time in Eilat it is 10°C to 21°C. During these months low season prices prevail. Summertime temperatures in the far south are extreme. Eilat will see highs topping 40°C, but this is a dry heat. The weather can be even more oppressive in Tel Aviv where the humidity will make you sweat standing in the shade. This is a good time to visit Jerusalem or other highland areas that are less affected by coastal humidity. Summer is also the peak season for tourists; hotel prices are at their highest and it can sometimes be difficult to get accommodation.
See climate charts (p387) for more information.
18 G E T T I N G S TA R T E D • • C o s t s & M o n e y
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G E T T I N G S TA R T E D • • T o p Te n s 19
DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT…
TOP TENS
Sunscreen, a hat and an extra pair of sunglasses in case one goes missing
Books
A decent change of clothing and a pair of nice shoes for a night out on the town
Before setting off to the Holy Land, dive into these great reads:
Photocopying all your important documents (take one set with you and leave the other at home)
Elvis in Jerusalem by Tom Segev (see p20)
Planning a visit to Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Libya or Yemen before Israel if you’re planning on using the same passport (p402)
I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti (see p43)
Checking your passport for validity (make sure it’s good for at least six months)
Only Yesterday by SY Agnon (see p35)
A driver’s licence if you intend to rent a car, and a PADI certificate for diving in Dahab
The Fifty Years’ War by Ahron Bregman and Jihan El-Tahri (see p51)
Getting in contact with tour agents and humanitarian organisations that work in the West Bank if you plan on travelling there
Orientalism by Edward Said (see p56)
Using Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree to check up on the latest travel information (and political debates)
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain (see opposite)
Emailing important documents to yourself. Wherever you are on the road you’ll be able to access your files at an internet café
The Secret Life of Saeed the Pesoptimist by Emile Habibi (see p55)
Checking the latest travel advisory warnings
Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury (see p20)
My Michael by Amos Oz (see p55) The Blue Mountain by Meir Shalev (see p35)
Signs You are in Israel & the Palestinian Territories You’ll know you have arrived when you spot these trademarks:
If possible, avoid visiting Israel during Jewish religious holidays (see p392 for details) when businesses close, public transport is limited and accommodation prices double or triple. If you happen to be in Israel or the Palestinian Territories during a holiday period, just ride it out and enjoy the celebrations. HOW MUCH? Newspaper 8NIS Short taxi hop 20NIS Main course in a restaurant 35NIS Internet connection per hour 12NIS Museum admission 25-40NIS
COSTS & MONEY Israel is not a cheap country and you can expect to pay standard Western prices for most goods and services. Backpackers can expect to spend between US$20 and US$40 per day, about half of that going towards accommodation. For a little more comfort in a midrange hotel and meals other than felafel and shwarma, think about spending between US$50 and US$100 per day, or more if you don’t have someone to share a room with. To live comfortably at the top end, staying in three- and four-star hotels, dining at fine restaurants and renting a car, you can expect to spend US$120 to US$180 per day. A student card will save you some shekels at museums and historic sites. Look out for special internet-only deals for hotels.
At some point in your conversation with a local they tell you where to get the best hummus in the country Joggers end their workout with a smoke Your El Al flight touches down to a round of applause Martyrs posters in the Palestinian Territories Stumbling to your Tel Aviv hotel at 2am whilst others are going out to dinner The Rebbe peering at you from every third billboard Door guards ask if you have a gun The nudge of an M16 whenever you sit next to a soldier on a bus Squashed felafel balls lining footpaths Fur hats and wool coats on warm August days
Ways to Immerse Yourself in the Local Culture Get your nose out of this book and meet some locals with a few of these ideas:
PREDEPARTURE READING
Dance on Chinky Beach (p174) on Friday during sunset
The late Saul Bellow’s book To Jerusalem and Back (1976) describes a trip the prolific author made to Israel in 1975. It is an insightful piece of travel literature, although at times overly self-involved. But the grande dame of travel literature to the Holy Land is Mark Twain’s The Innocents Abroad (1871). Twain’s sharp humour and keen eye make the story still relevant 140 years after the fact. Susan Nathan is an English woman who moved to Israel and, following several years in Tel Aviv, moved to an obscure Arab village east of Haifa. The Other Side of Israel (2005) chronicles her move to a town where she was a lone Jew among 25,000 Arabs. Part memoir, part admonishment of the modern state of Israel, the book contains a unique perspective of Arab life in Israel. Also tugging on your heart strings is If a Place Can Make You Cry (2002), a compilation of emails and letters sent by the author, Daniel Gordis, to friends and family in the USA following his move to Jerusalem
Join the locals at the Western Wall (p96) to welcome the Shabbat Have a Shabbat (p142) dinner with a family in Jerusalem or Tsfat Stay overnight with the Black Hebrew community in Dimona (p334) Stay at Kfar Hanokdim (p328) near Arad for a taste of Bedouin culture Work on a kibbutz (p398) Stroll along Yefet St in Jaffa, and stop to eat masabacha (chickpeas in warm hummus-tahini sauce) or puff on a nargileh (water pipe) with some of the locals (p182) Volunteer to work at a West Bank kids project such as Al-Rowwad (p399) Join local artists and musicians for a night out at Al-Kasaba Theater & Cinematheque (p301) in Ramallah Folk dance the night away at the International Cultural Centre for Youth (p140) in Jerusalem
20 G E T T I N G S TA R T E D • • I n t e r n e t R e s o u r c e s
‘To catch up on the causes, effects and possible solutions for the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, read Richard Ben Cramer’s book How Israel Lost (2004)’
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with his family. A line of similar stories mixed with politics is the excellent Elvis in Jerusalem, written by longtime Ha’aretz columnist Tom Segev. To catch up on the causes, effects and possible solutions for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, read Richard Ben Cramer’s book How Israel Lost (2004). You may have a love–hate relationship with Cramer’s brash writing style, but his points are valid and clear. Leaning further to the right is Alan Dershowitz’s book The Case for Israel (2003), in which the author responds to 32 particular criticisms chronically made of Israel’s defence, domestic and foreign policies. Israeli reporter Amira Hass is the unlikely author of Drinking the Sea at Gaza (2000), a first-hand chronicle of Israeli occupation in the territory. It is a comprehensive and intellectual account of Gaza that does not miss the daily struggle for survival by ordinary Palestinians. Fast becoming a modern classic, Gate of the Sun (1998) by Elias Khoury is a fictional story based on the writer’s interviews with Palestinians in refugee camps. Using the flashback style of The Thousand and One Nights, Khoury writes the Palestinian saga through the eyes of an Arab doctor who reminisces about his youth in the Galilee. After electrifying readers in the Arab world the novel was translated into several foreign languages, including Hebrew.
INTERNET RESOURCES Government Tourist Page (www.goisrael.com) The national tourism board has a useful website that includes upcoming events, background and a virtual tour of the country. Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com) Up-to-the-minute news. Sections include a blog page, tourism news and a link to the 24-hour Western Wall webcam. LonelyPlanet.com (www.lonelyplanet.com) Lonely Planet’s website contains dedicated pages for both Israel and the Palestinian Territories. There are travel tips, photos and the ever-useful Thorn Tree online forum. Palestine Monitor (www.palestinemonitor.org) Politically charged website with news, analysis and links to activist groups. Palestine Net (www.palestine-net.com) Lots of practical details on the Palestinian Territories, including links to restaurants, hotels and travel operators.
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Itineraries CLASSIC ROUTES BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITIES
Two weeks / Jerusalem to Jerusalem With two weeks you can see the major highlights of the country. If you have less time, stick to the sights around Jerusalem. Spend your first two days in Jerusalem (p79) and then make a half-day trip to Bethlehem (p290). Break out your wide-brimmed hat and sunblock for a full-day trip to the Dead Sea (p311) and Masada (p320). From Jerusalem, head to the coast for a couple of days around Tel Aviv (p149) and Jaffa (p182), with enough time for some bar-hopping and lounging on the beach. Next, head up the coast for a quick look around Caesarea (p210) before pushing on to Haifa (p192). Make sure to see the Baha’i Gardens before a day trip to Akko (p215) and Rosh HaNikra (p222). From Haifa, take a drive out to Tiberias via Nazareth (p225) for a day around the Sea of Galilee (p253), done by bike or in a hired car. Finish off with a trip back to Jerusalem down the beautiful Jordan Valley, breaking the journey to see the ruins at Beit She’an (p232).
Rosh HaNikra Akko Tiberias
Haifa
Sea of Galilee
Nazareth Caesarea
Beit She'an
MEDITERRANEAN SEA TEL AVIV
JERUSALEM Bethlehem
Masada
Bright Lights, Big cities
Dead Sea
With two weeks you can hit the major highlights such as Masada, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. Everything is within easy reach by car, public transport or, if you are up for some adventure, bicycle.
22 I T I N E R A R I E S • • C l a s s i c R o u t e s
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THE WHOLE HOLY LAND
Three to four weeks / Jerusalem to Petra After a few days in Jerusalem (p79), with a side trip to Bethlehem (p290), take a day trip down to the wondrous caves at Beit Guvrin (p147), stopping at a winery or two on the way. With a little planning it may be possible to join an archaeological dig for a day (p147). Stir it up in Tel Aviv (p149) and Jaffa (p182) before a trip up north. Base yourself in Haifa to make trips around northern Israel. From Haifa, visit the quaint town of Zichron Ya’acov (p209), famed for its historic winery. Along with Akko (p215) and Rosh HaNikra (p222), visit the Druze villages of Daliyat al-Karmel (p207) and Peqi’in (p222). Head inland for a half-day in Nazareth (p225), and then up north for a couple days around the Sea of Galilee (p253). With a hired car you could check out the spectacular sights in the Golan Heights, including Nimrod Castle (p270) and the waterfallfilled Banias Nature Reserve (p270). Tsfat (p275) and Rosh Pina (p262) are other unmissable highlights in the area. Having conquered the north, head down the Jordan Valley, stopping at Beit She’an (p232) and Jericho (p303), before a night by the eerily quiet Dead Sea (p311). Get up early the following day to catch the sunrise from the top of Masada (p320). From the Dead Sea, loop into the Negev for a day or two around Mitzpe Ramon (p338) and the enormous Maktesh Ramon (p339). The next stop is a sun-and-sea respite at Eilat (p345). From here organise a trip to awe-inspiring Petra (p363); plan on two days or more if you want to do some hiking in the area.
Geographically small, it’s possible to hit the main sights of Israel and the Palestinian Territories and take side trips into Jordan and Egypt in a month. This route allows a little extra time for forays into the Negev, hiking in Petra and a leisurely swing through northern Israel.
I T I N E R A R I E S • • R o a d s Le s s T r a v e l l e d 23
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ROADS LESS TRAVELLED WILD WEST BANK
Four days / East Jerusalem to Hebron The West Bank offers plenty of scope for adventurous travelling in a rarely visited part of the world. Besides idyllic scenes of olive orchards and folding hills, you can visit ancient cities and places associated with the Bible. As security is an issue in the West Bank, seek out the latest travel advisories before setting off. A good way to understand the politics of the West Bank is on a day trip to a Jewish settlement and/or a Palestinian refugee camp, which you can do on a tour (p306). From East Jerusalem’s Arab bus station, catch a sherut to the Qalandia checkpoint (p143) and then a cab into Ramallah (p299). Here it’s possible to visit Al-Muqata’a (p299), the Palestinian Authority HQ and last resting place of Yasser Arafat. Then, for an entirely different experience, make a side trip to the microbrewery in Taybeh (p303). From Ramallah, head up to Nablus (p309) via the Huwwara checkpoint. Spend the day lost in its enchanting market set between stone mansions. From Nablus, head over to the Jordan River valley and down to Jericho (p303); the best way to explore this area is on foot, starting with a hike to Wadi Qelt (p305) and St George’s Monastery. Next is the southern portion of the West Bank, also known as Judea. The first stop is Bethlehem (p290), the most attractive West Bank town and the birthplace of Jesus. After exploring its winding lanes and the Church of the Nativity, take a ride down to Hebron (p307).
Banias Nature Reserve
Rosh HaNikra Peqi'in
Rosh Pina Tsfat Daliyat Sea of al-Karmel Galilee Nazareth Zichron Ya'acov Beit She'an
Akko
Haifa Caesarea
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
West Bank Nablus
TEL AVIV Ramallah
Jericho
Bethlehem
Bethlehem Beit Guvrin
Dead Sea
Hebron
Masada
Mitzpe Ramon
Maktesh Ramon
Wadi Qelt
Jericho
JERUSALEM
JERUSALEM
JORDAN Petra
Eilat
The Whole Holy Land
Huwwara checkpoint Taybeh
Jaffa
Wild West Bank
Seasoned travellers and the adventurous will get a lot out of a trip into the West Bank. The area offers idyllic rural landscapes, places of biblical importance and a tangible tension that will keep you on your toes.
24 I T I N E R A R I E S • • Ta i l o re d T r i p s
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Hike, Swim, Play
I T I N E R A R I E S • • Ta i l o re d T r i p s 25 Hedonistic Pleasures
TAILORED TRIPS HIKE, SWIM, PLAY Think of Israel and the Palestinian Territories as one big playground. Starting in the south, the main activity is scuba diving and you can do this in Eilat (p345) and Dahab (p377). The area also has some great hikes, including the walk to the top of Mt Sinai (p382) and Nakhal Gishron (p354). You could also spend a week hiking the boulders, cliffs and ancient buildings of Petra (p363). Heading into the Negev proper, adventurers will delight in Mitzpe Ramon (p338), where you can do everything from abseiling to 4WD trips in the desert. In the Dead Sea region, go for a leisurely walk through Ein Avdat National Park (p336), climb Mt Hermon Banias Nature Reserve Jordan to the top of Masada (p320) for the sunrise, or Sea of River hike in Ein Gedi Nature Reserve (p316) and up to St Galilee Caesarea Netanya George’s Monastery in Wadi Qelt (p305). Wadi Qelt Activities along the coast include kiteboardEin Gedi Dead ing off the beaches in Tel Aviv (p164), horse riding National Park Sea near Netanya (p186) and scuba diving over the Masada Ein Avdat ruins of King Herod’s port in Caesarea (p210). National Park Heading far north, cycle around the Sea of Mitzpe Petra Ramon Galilee (p253) and hike the magnificent Banias Nature Reserve (p270). If it’s summer, try kayaking Nakhal Eilat Gishron on the Jordan River (see HaYarden Park Nature Reserve; p266) or if it happens to be January, Mt Sinai Dahab click into a pair of skis and swoosh down Mt Hermon (p271).
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PROPHETS Even travellers without a religious bone in their body can’t help but be sucked up by the holiness of Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Jerusalem (p79) is of course the crown jewel for religious travellers and you could spend days visiting sites holy to Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Having been thoroughly infected by the Jerusalem syndrome, take a short trip over to Bethlehem (p290), said to be the birthplace of Christ. Continuing south, Hebron (p307) contains one of the most sacred sites in the country: the Cave of Machpelah is holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians and is believed to be the burial place of Adam, Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives. Elijah the prophet made his mark in northern Sea of Tsfat Israel and in Haifa (p192) you can see the cave Galilee Haifa Nazareth in which he hid from King Ahab. The city is Megiddo also the headquarters of the Baha’i faith and the Baha’i Gardens have become a requisite stop for Jerusalem people of all faiths. Inland, doomsdayers might Bethlehem Hebron want to visit Megiddo (p214), the place that the Bible cites will be the stage of the last great battle on earth. Not far away is Nazareth (p225), the boyhood stomping ground of Jesus. Further north, Tsfat (p275) is the centre of the Kabballah, traditional Jewish mysticism. It is just up the road from the Sea of Galilee (p253) where Jesus is said to have worked his miracles. Footsteps of Prophets
HEDONISTIC PLEASURES Don’t be surprised to come home from your trip having put on a few pounds. Israel is a hedonist’s delight, with all manner of gourmet restaurants and spas to feed your senses. The Dead Sea may not sound like a good place to start your life-giving holiday, but the area is in fact recognised as the country’s premiere spa destination. Most of the spa resorts are located at Ein Bokek (p324), but if you simply want to lather yourself up with mud and float in the sea, try the beach at Ein Gedi (p316). Up north, you can get a taste of the good life by doing a wine tour in the Upper Galilee (p260). The Golan Heights Winery (p274) is the largest winery in the area, but there are a few choice boutique wineries, including the Pelter Winery (p274) in Ramot. Amazingly, Hotel Mizpe Israelis have even managed to grow grapes in Golan Heights Hayamim Winery the desert, bringing a small wine industry to Pelter Winery Ahuzat the Negev; try the Sde Boker Winery (p329). Gaya As you get around to these places, it is imperaTel Aviv tive to have only the finest accommodation. Most boutique hotels and four- or five-star hotels have spa and massage services; you could Ein Gedi try the luxurious Ahuzat Gaya (p219) in Akko or Ein Bokek the Hotel Mizpe Hayamim (p263) in Rosh Pina. Sde Boker Winery And finally, the food. Tel Aviv (p170) tops the list with dozens of gourmet eateries. Dine one night at Messa (p172) and you’ll never forget the experience and do not miss an opportunity to have desert at the Chocolate Bar (p174). Heaven.
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Snapshot FAST FACTS Population: 6.4 million (Gaza Strip and West Bank 3.8 million) Percentage of Israelis born in Israel: 68% GDP growth: 5.2% in 2005 GDP per capita: 24,600 (2005) Major exports: military hardware, machinery, computer software, cut diamonds, phosphates Human Development Index rank: 23rd out of 177 countries Religion: Israel – 76% Jewish, 16% Muslim, 2% Christian, 1.6% Druze, 3.9% unspecified; Palestinian Territories – 95% Muslim, 5% Christian Tourists per year: about 1.5 million (accounting for US$3 billion in revenue) Israel’s air force: the world’s fourth largest (after the USA, Russia and China) Lowest spot on earth: Dead Sea (400m below sea level and dropping)
Every few years Israeli and Palestinian leaders get together for a summit and shake hands amid flashing bulbs and shutter clicks. Yet between the promises of peace-seeking moderates, extremists on both sides have successfully managed to tear down any meaningful gains. The last episode of peace occurred in early 2005 when then prime minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas called off fighting after four years of bloody intifada. Following the ‘Road Map’ towards peace, as outlined by a few concerned international bodies, Sharon upped the stakes by ending Israel’s 38-year occupation of Gaza, forcibly pulling thousands of settlers out of their homes. But two steps forward in the peace process frequently results in a few steps back. The Gaza pullout, despite its vast political significance, was undermined when the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) returned a year later in Operation Summer Rain. Five months of fighting left over 400 Gazans dead – one in five of them children. The mistakes of a unilateral Gaza withdrawal without a peace deal were only magnified in southern Lebanon, which Israel left in similar circumstances in 2000. Without a peace agreement the region festered with militancy and during 2006 Hezbollah launched a raid into Israel, sparking a 34-day war that only ended in a tenuous ceasefire. The attacks have forced Israel to indefinitely postpone a unilateral pull-out from the West Bank, lest a third front should emerge. While Israel tightens the screws on security, the Palestinian leadership has failed to unify in its relationship with Israel. Abbas and his party Fatah recognise Israel while Hamas – in control of the government since March 2006 – does not. This ideological rift stands as the first obstacle towards renewed peace talks with Israel. It also stands in the way of economic solvency for the Palestinian people – Western donors stopped the flow of aid (totalling US$160 million per month) when Hamas came to power and refused to renounce violence or recognise Israel. Yet even as conflict brews under its feet, Israel has remained resilient. Katyusha rockets may have been zinging across the skies but that didn’t stop Haifa’s IBM techies from uploading their work while hunkered inside bomb shelters. When the bombs fell silent, tourism resumed at a steady clip, urbanites returned to their favourite espresso joint and grape growers rushed to the Golan vineyards to try and salvage their summer crops. Israel is among the top 30 countries worldwide in terms of per capita GDP (see p53 for more details on the local economy) and has recently welcomed high-rolling foreign investors such as Donald Trump and Warren Buffet. Its innovative people trade shares on Wall Street, regularly win Nobel prizes and have flown in space with NASA. And despite remarks from Iran that it wants to wipe the country off the map, Israel still manages to attract the Jewish faithful – each year thousands of immigrants arrive from Russia, France, the USA and beyond. But for every success story in Israel there is a tale of hardship in the Palestinian Territories. The stoppage of aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) left tens of thousands of civil servants unpaid for months. Gaza’s economy was already in tatters before the IDF levelled its infrastructure during the summer of 2006 (the heaviest fighting occurred from June to August). And construction of the Separation Wall isolating the West
Bank has continued unabated, further crippling the local economy. Condemnation of the occupation is no longer limited to the Arab world and some European groups, particularly academics, have called for a boycott against the Jewish state. Both Israelis and Palestinians have shown signs of working together, as the Olso Accords and subsequent agreements have shown. In recent times, giant border terminals have been contructed in Gaza and the West Bank to allow a freer flow of workers, yet until peace talks resume these will remain ghostly concrete shells. See p51 for more information on the governments and politics of the region.
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History
Matt Beynon Rees has covered the Middle East as a journalist for over a decade. Now a contributor for Time, he was the magazine’s Jerusalem bureau chief. For more biographical information, see p16.
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Matt Beynon Rees
When I was a little boy in Wales, my great-uncle Dai used to get drunk at Christmas and tell us about his WWI exploits. Dai fought with the Imperial Camel Corps as it battled through Palestine. Cutting the Turkish supply lines before the British made their final push on Jerusalem, Dai was shot in the buttock. When he was well into a bottle of Johnny Walker Red Label, he used to drop his pants and show the scar. This gave me an early fascination with the Middle East. There’s sure to be some part of the Holy Land’s history that has touched your life already – even if not quite as viscerally as the naked backside of a 90-year-old war veteran. Whether it’s singing Christmas carols about events in Bethlehem 2000 years ago; praying with your father in a synagogue, facing towards the Temple destroyed by the Romans; or shaking your head as you watch the news of an unfolding intifada on TV – in some way, the story of Israel and Palestine is part of your history. But the accepted accounts are constantly being revised by new historians and archaeologists who must grapple with the national and religious myths inscribed on almost every weathered chunk of local limestone.
ANCIENT TIMES In the Holy Land, ancient history is often determined by your view of contemporary politics. Some years ago, I visited the chief Muslim cleric in Jerusalem, Sheikh Ikrema Sabri, whose position carries the title mufti. The The history of Palestine mufti told me that ‘there’s not one single stone in Jerusalem that proves the during the British occupa- Jews were here’ before Islam (a charge repeated by Palestinian negotiators tion is told through the at Camp David in 2000, to the consternation of US president Bill Clinton). stories of contemporary Of course, Israelis have no problem finding stones that prove the mufti residents in the excellent wrong. Archaeology involves a lot more opinion than you might think, One Palestine, Complete but it’s rather more intelligent guesswork than the politically motivated by Israel’s best popular mythmaking that muddies the waters even at the negotiating table. historian, Tom Segev. Ancient Palestine was somewhat more physically hospitable than today’s desert landscape. Between 10,000 and 8000 BC, a little later than in nearby Mesopotamia, locals switched from hunting to production of grain and domestication of animals. They didn’t quite ‘make the deserts bloom’, as 20th-century Zionists proclaimed to have done, but the ancients did share something in common with today’s residents: they fought a lot of wars. The first to conquer the land were Egyptian pharaohs, who There’s no archaeological controlled the Palestinian coastal plain when, around 1800 BC, Abraham evidence for much of the led his nomadic tribe from Mesopotamia to what are now the Judean biblical story, but enough hills. Abraham fought a war over wells against indigenous tribes. His of the story matches descendants were forced to move on to Egypt because of drought and the few fragments of crop failure, but in about 1250 BC Moses led them back. Battles with the evidence that its account Philistines and Canaanites pushed the Israelites to abandon their loose can be taken seriously. tribal system and unify under King Saul. For example, physical In 1006 BC, the Philistines defeated Saul at Mt Gilboa. Saul committed evidence of the military suicide on the battlefield, and the Israelites were divided into two kingexpeditions of Nebuchadoms. Israel was roughly the north of today’s West Bank, while further dnezzar, king of Babylon, south King David (r 1004–965 BC) ruled over Judah and conquered backs the story in the Salem (today’s Jerusalem). David named the city Zion, from the Hebrew Book of Kings. ziya, meaning ‘parched desert’. At that time, Jerusalem was much smaller than today’s Old City and stood downhill from its present southern edge. Later, Jerusalem moved up the hill, across, then down, then back up and
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across again, until the 16th century when it finally occupied the footprint of the current Old City (see p88). The city didn’t expand much beyond there until the late-19th century and its growth – like many other things hereabouts – exploded in the last half-century. Myth and history truly intersect on the large flat rock now contained beneath Jerusalem’s golden Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount (p93). Originally an altar to Baal or some other pagan deity, the rock was known to Jews as the Stone of Foundation, the place where the universe began and Adam was born of dust. It’s also said to be where Abraham bound his son Isaac in preparation to sacrifice him, as a sign of his obedience to God. David’s son, Solomon, built the First Temple here to be the centre of the Jewish faith (as opposed to the Second Temple, which was constructed on the same site, was largely the work of King Herod the Great and was later destroyed by the Romans; see p30). Scholars believe the rock may have been the altar of Solomon’s and Herod’s Temples, because of a series of holes bored in it that might have provided drainage for water or sacrificial blood. It may also have been the Holy of Holies in the Temple, where only the High Priest ventured and where the Tablets of the Law given to Moses were kept. After Solomon’s reign (965–928 BC), the Jews entered a period of division and periodic subjugation. In the 8th century, Sargon II of Assyria (r 722–705 BC) captured Israel and forced Judah to pay a tribute. He also defeated the Egyptians at Rapihu, now Rafah in the Gaza Strip. There’s a recent theory among archaeologists called the ‘low chronology’ school of biblical history, which suggests that it’s only around this point – about 150 years after David – that Israel and Judah developed into anything more than rough collections of farming tribes. It’s a popular but controversial theory, because traditionally David and Solomon were seen as rulers of broad kingdoms. If ‘low chronology’ theory is correct, then the Israelites got it together as a state only just in time to be subjugated. And not for the last time. In 586 BC, the Babylonians captured Jerusalem and exiled the people of Judah to what’s now Iraq. Fifty years later, the Persian King Cyrus defeated Babylon and allowed the Jews to return to Palestine. At that point, it seemed to the Jews that their troubles were over.
REVOLTS & ROMANS When Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, Ptolemy, one of his generals, claimed Egypt as his own, founding a line of which Cleopatra would be the last. He also took the Holy Land, but in 200 BC the Seleucids, another dynasty descended from one of Alexander’s generals, captured it. The Seleucids displaced the Temple priests in Jerusalem and set about paganising the Jews. This ‘Hellenistic’ period – for the Greek origin of the Seleucids and the Olympian cults they promoted – is a key moment in the shaping of Jewish nationhood and is seen by many Israelis as a prototype for their recent military struggles against tough odds. In 167 BC, a Seleucid official arrived in the village of Modi’in, near what’s now Ben-Gurion airport, and ordered the construction of a pagan altar and a sacrifice. The local priest, Mattityahu, refused to comply. He killed the Seleucid official and a Jew who was about to make the sacrifice, then fled to the hills with his sons. One son, Judah Maccabee, became military leader of a revolt that restored Jewish control to an area almost the size of David’s and Solomon’s kingdoms – including most of today’s Israel and the Palestinian Territories, as well as the Golan and some land on the east bank of the Jordan River. The Hasmoneans – as the dynasty that followed Mattityahu was called – became a useful buffer for the Roman Empire against marauding Parthians. But the Hasmoneans fought among themselves and in
Many Jews believe that when the Messiah comes the Temple will simply reappear on the Temple Mount. In the Old City’s Jewish Quarter, there are artists’ impressions of this ‘Third Temple’. Muslims, of course, prefer to keep the mosques on the Mount.
The best practical guide to the ancient origins of local sites is The Holy Land (Oxford Archaeological Guides) by Father Jerome Murphy O’Connor, a professor at the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem.
The first nonbiblical mention of Israel is on the Egyptian Museum’s Israel Stela, which is carved with the victory hymn of Pharoah Merneptah from 1230 BC: ‘Plundered is Canaan, Carried is Ashkelon, Israel is laid waste‘.
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The Temple was so central to Jewish life that some scholars estimate only 270 of the 613 Commandments to which religious Jews are supposed to adhere can actually be carried out without it.
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63 BC Rome stepped in. Rome sometimes ruled directly through a Caesarea-based procurator – the most famous of whom was Pontius Pilate – though the Roman Empire preferred a strong client ruler like Herod the Great (37–4 BC) who married into the Hasmonean family. It was a time of tremendous religious and nationalist upheaval in the Roman province of Palestine, not least between AD 28 and 30, when it’s believed Jesus of Nazareth carried out his ministry. The tension culminated in AD 66 with the First Revolt against the Romans. Titus, the future emperor, crushed the revolt and destroyed the Second Temple in AD 70. Here, too, was a time to which Israelis often hark back – not only the religious Jews who fast on the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple each year on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av (Tish’a BeAv; see p393), but also secular Israelis who mourn the loss of even nominal sovereignty. While Jerusalem was being destroyed, a group known as the Zealots (for their total commitment to Jewish law) held out on the mountaintop fortress of Masada, formerly Herod’s winter palace. On the eve of the final Roman assault in AD 73, the Masada Zealots killed themselves rather than be enslaved; for details, see p320. Only 60 years after Josephus wrote his account of ‘The Jewish War’, another one broke out. The Second Revolt broke out under a leader named Simon Bar Kochba, whose guerrillas lived in caves near the Dead Sea and who some considered to be the messiah. The Jews rose up because they believed the Emperor Hadrian was paganising what was left of the Temple precincts. The Romans suppressed the rebellion with difficulty. Hadrian gave Jerusalem a new name, Aelia Capitolina, and barred Jews from living or visiting there. With the Temple destroyed, Jewish religious life was thrown into a confusion that, for many Jews, didn’t end until the foundation of the State of Israel. But even as Jews lost the centre of their faith, an era opened in which Christians would gain one for theirs through the Byzantine Empire, eastern successor to the defunct Roman Empire. In AD 313, Emperor Constantine legalised Christianity and his mother Helena set about identifying and consecrating sites associated with Jesus’ life. Most of the important Christian sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus is said to have been executed, buried and resurrected, are said to date from this period. The church was begun in 335.
ZEALOUS FOR ZION Amid the painful memories of the destruction of the Second Temple, modern Israelis have found something to celebrate – at least, some have. Modern Zionists lauded the Zealots’ defiance at Masada (p320), which contrasted with the way the majority of Jews trudged into two millennia of exile. It seemed to them a parallel with the heroic fighters of the Warsaw ghetto (the Zionists were scornful of the greater number of Jews who went without a fight to their death in Hitler’s camps). Until recently, Israeli Armored Corps recruits were sworn in each year in a ceremony atop Masada, which included the oath that ‘Masada shall not fall again’. Children were fed the story of the Zealots’ defiance in compulsory school trips. Not until the late 1990s was the message of Masada challenged, when a Jerusalem school principal made the visit optional, saying that suicide was against Jewish law and, in any case, if everyone had taken the Zealots’ way out there’d have been no surviving Jews to return to Zion and found Israel. Right-wing politicians were incensed. But the disagreement was all in the tradition of Masada. We wouldn’t have the story of the Zealots at all if it weren’t for internal Jewish conflict. It was recorded by Joseph ben-Matthias, governor of Galilee, who saw which way the wind was blowing, went over to the Romans and changed his name to Josephus Flavius. His record of the battle in The Jewish War is a vital, if self-serving source.
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With the Temple no longer able to perform its role as nucleus of Jewish observance, rabbis set about writing down the old oral law, so that it could be observed uniformly in the scattered communities of the diaspora. Between the 1st and 5th centuries, rabbis wrote the Jerusalem Talmud (which is sometimes called the Palestinian Talmud because, after all, it was written in other towns in Palestine, not Jerusalem) and the more comprehensive Babylonian Talmud, written by exiled religious leaders. From then on, good times were no more than glimmers for the Jews. In 617 a Persian general took Jerusalem and, facing a Christian revolt, allowed the Jews to rule for three years. Twenty years later, the Muslim armies arrived and the foundations of today’s implacable conflict began to be dug.
MUSLIMS & CRUSADERS Islam came to Palestine in 638 when Caliph Omar, the second of the Prophet Mohammed’s successors, accepted the surrender of Jerusalem. Subsequent caliphs built al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, which had been a derelict trash dump during Byzantine times. With Christianity seen as a valued precursor of Islam the shrines of previous generations were preserved. Omar issued a famous promise to the Christians of Jerusalem that ‘the security of their persons, their goods, their churches, their crosses’ would be guaranteed. That is, until 1009 when the mentally disturbed Caliph Hakim destroyed many churches and persecuted the Christians. The Temple Mount was holy to the invading Muslims as the site of Mohammed’s night-time ascencion to behold the celestial glories of heaven. In the Quran, the ascension is described as happening in the ‘faraway place’, which Muslims interpret as meaning Jerusalem. The city is Islam’s third-holiest city, after Mecca and Medina. Christian pilgrimage to the holy sites in Jerusalem was permitted until 1071, when the Seljuk Turks captured the city. In 1095 Pope Urban II issued a call for a crusade to restore the place of Jesus’ passion to Christianity. By the time the Crusades began, the Seljuks had been displaced by the Fatimid dynasty, which was quite happy to allow the old pilgrimage routes to reopen. But sadly, it was too late for the Christians to back out. In 1099, the Crusaders overwhelmed Jerusalem’s defences and massacred its Muslims. It would be 200 years before the bloodshed came to a halt. When the Crusaders took Jerusalem, they founded what even Arab chroniclers acknowledged was a prosperous state with an effective administration, based on the feudal system prevalent back home in Europe. The first King of Jerusalem was Baldwin I, who reigned from 1100 to 1118. Baldwin saw himself as restoring the kingdom of the biblical David (ignoring, of course, that David’s kingdom was Jewish, rather than bloodthirstily Christian as was Baldwin’s) and had himself crowned on Christmas Day in David’s hometown of Bethlehem. Baldwin narrowly avoided death at the Battle of Ramla in 1102, lying doggo in some reeds while the Arab army hesitated, failing to press on to take Jerusalem after its victory. Baldwin was more ruthless on the occasions when he won. In 1104, he offered the garrison of Acre safe passage if it surrendered, then massacred it as it marched out of the fortress. Such deviousness seemed to come naturally to the Kings of Jerusalem. Some struck alliances with Arab princes against other Crusader counts. When the Crusader ruler of Antioch died, his wife tried to keep possession of the town by allying with a Muslim warlord against her own father, Baldwin II of Jerusalem. Sometimes the traitorous alliances got even more personal. The successor of Baldwin II, King Fulk, discovered
The Talmud has two components. The Mishnah – a guide to Judaism’s oral law, ethics, customs and history for judges and teachers – was compiled in Palestine between AD 200 and 220 by Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi. It forms the first part of the Talmud. The second part of the Talmud, the Gemara, is rabbinic commentary on the Mishnah and related Tannaitic writings.
Israel’s elite commando unit, Sayeret Matkal, takes its motto from the writings of Josephus Flavius: ‘No great ventures without great risks.’
Arabs call the area atop the Temple Mount the Haram ash-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary). Al-Haram (the Sanctuary) is the same name they also give to the Grand Mosque in their holiest city, Mecca, in Saudi Arabia.
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For an alternative, highly readable look at the Christian invasions, try The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf.
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his wife having an affair with one of his knights. The knight fled and took refuge in the town of Ashkelon – courtesy of its Arab rulers. The beginning of the end for the Kingdom of Jerusalem came with the death of the powerful King Amalric in 1174. He was replaced by his 13-year-old son, Baldwin IV, who suffered from leprosy. Baldwin wasn’t able to match the energetic campaigning of the Saracen general Saladin (opposite), eventually becoming paralysed by his leprosy before his death, and the Muslim leader set himself up for the final push on Jerusalem. In 1187, Saladin defeated the new King Guy at the Battle of the Horns of Hittin in the Galilee and took Jerusalem. Not that the lack of Jerusalem ever prevented anyone calling himself King of Jerusalem. Saladin freed Guy, who proceeded to break his promise not to continue the fight and laid siege to Acre. Eventually, England’s King Richard I arrived, shipped Guy off into exile as King of Cyprus, and gave his nephew Henry of Champagne the throne of Jerusalem (though he couldn’t, of course, give him Jerusalem itself). Sadly for Henry, he fell out of a window at the palace in Acre and never got to the Holy City. Long after the Crusaders were expelled from Palestine, there were still claimants to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. In the 19th century, the consuls of Austria and Sardinia in Jerusalem considered themselves viceroys of the King of Jerusalem, because their own rulers claimed to be heirs to the title. The nonexistent kingdom was also claimed at different times by the kings of Spain, England, France, Cyprus and Sicily, the German emperor, and the dukes of Swabia.
MYSTIC JUDAISM The leading thinkers of Spain’s thriving medieval Jewish community were rational philosophers, many of whom were also interested in science and medicine. When Spain’s Christian rulers expelled all Jews in 1492, it caused a crisis of faith to which the rationalists had no answer. (The expulsion, after all, seemed deeply irrational, unless you were the Spanish king and queen, who confiscated property from departing Jews.) Instead, Jews developed a new, mystical understanding of why bad things happened to them. The centre of mysticism was in the backwater Galilee town of Tsfat, where many of those who fled Spain for Palestine settled, and its greatest figure was Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534–72). Luria expanded an old form of mysticism called kabbalah so that it could provide answers to the spiritual questions wracking the Jews after their Spanish expulsion. (For more on Luria, see Ha’Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue, p278.) Kabbalah, which means ‘tradition’, was inspired by some earlier texts, but Luria’s adaptations had such an impact that many are now part of mainstream Jewish observance. Luria left no writings, but his assistant recorded the essence of his teachings. Luria asserted that in order to create the world the Infinite (the Eyn Sof ) was damaged – to make a space in which to fit Creation. As a result, sparks from the Divine Light fell from their original position and were at risk of being used for evil purposes. Jews, he argued, could restore the Divine Light and repair the Infinite by performing the 613 Commandments (the 10 on Moses’ tablets were only the beginning). It gave Jews a way to understand the horror of the Inquisition and the Expulsion, because it asserted that such evil was inherent in the Creation of the world. It also showed them that they should respond by looking inward to build a higher degree of spiritual awareness and in doing so could ‘repair the world’. Luria didn’t intend for Jews to study kabbalah until they first learned the rest of Jewish law and observance, and he didn’t think its power should be too widely distributed. Kabbalah was later barred to anyone but married Jewish men over the age of 40. Luria certainly wouldn’t have approved of Madonna’s recent attention to the subject. (Incidentally, it’s pronounced ka-ba-lah, as opposed to the way its Californian devotees say it.) Even with those restrictions, kabbalah remains an important force in the Jewish life of Israel.
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Though the Crusades generated long-lasting hatred between Christian and Muslim, they also were the origin of the romantic myth of the noble Arab, which was how Middle Easterners were generally viewed in the West until the more recent onset of terrorism gave rise to a new stereotype. Oddly, the romantic image was born largely in a figure who wasn’t even an Arab. The greatest general facing the Crusaders, Saladin, as they called him (his name was actually Salah al-Din Yussef ibn Ayyub) was of Kurdish origin. As emir of Cairo he was chosen by the caliph in Damascus to lead the fight against the Crusaders. Even his enemies acknowledged his decent treatment of prisoners and the honour with which he observed truces – not something that could be said for the Crusader chiefs. One example of the contrast between Saladin and the fractious Christian leadership came with the Muslim capture of Jerusalem. Arab chroniclers noted Saladin’s shock when he saw the Patriarch, the top Christian priest, leaving town with all his treasure. That wealth, Saladin said, should have been used to ransom the town’s poor Christians, who instead were marched off and sold into slavery. The chroniclers noted, of course, that Saladin would never have allowed such a thing to happen to Muslims. The final Crusader left the Middle East with the fall of Acre in 1291. But the bloody symbolism of the Crusades lived on. When Britain’s General Edmund Allenby entered Jerusalem in 1917 to become its first Christian ruler since Saladin’s victory, he read a proclamation that ‘Now the Crusades are over.’
In 1118, the fanatical religious and military Order of the Knights Templar was founded in Palestine. The Templars later became a powerful financial force in Europe, until King Phillip IV of France executed thousands of them, so he could capture their wealth.
TURKS, BRITISH & ZIONISTS The Ottomans captured Constantinople in 1453 and built an empire in the Balkans, the Middle East and North Africa. In 1516, Palestine became part of their empire, and two decades later, Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r 1520–66) built the present massive walls around Jerusalem’s Old City. For most of the 400 years of Ottoman rule, Palestine was a backwater run by pashas more concerned with capricious tax-gathering than good government. During this time of Turkish neglect in Palestine, Christian sects were forced to find a way to govern themselves and maintain the holy places. In 1757, they formulated the ‘status quo’, pledging to adhere to the responsibilities each then held for the upkeep of churches and not to infringe on the rights of other denominations in the Holy Land. That’s why, even today, if a Catholic priest sweeps the wrong step in a church in Bethlehem, he’s likely to be set upon by Greek Orthodox priests convinced he’s trying to change the status quo and claim that step for the Latin Church. It’s not only Jews and Muslims who’ve frequently been at each other’s throats in the Holy Land. The lack of effective administration in Palestine was a reflection of the gradual decline of the Ottoman Empire, which would eventually cease to exist at the end of WWI. But the final decades of the empire saw other forces taking shape in Palestine that are very much still with us. Zionism made its appearance largely in response to a combination of Eastern European pogroms and antisemitic literature in Germany. In 1896 Viennese Jewish journalist Theodore Herzl formulated his ideas in The Jewish State and, the next year, he opened the first World Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland. Young Jews began migrating to Palestine, mostly from Poland and Russia. Zionist lobbying focused on London and, in 1917, the British government issued the Balfour Declaration, named for the Foreign Secretary who wrote in a letter to the Zionist Lord Rothschild
Baptist lay preacher Thomas Cook led a party of middle-class English tourists to Jerusalem in 1869. They camped outside the walls for tea. Criminals, at that time, were still being publicly decapitated by the sword at Jaffa Gate.
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The freshest look at the early waves of Zionist immigration is in The Founding Myths of Israel by Hebrew University political scientist Zeev Sternhell.
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that ‘His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a National Home for the Jewish People’. For such a state to work, the Zionists knew there had to be more Jews living in Palestine. That meant money had to be raised to fund the new communities, and it also meant fighting for political control of the Zionist finances in the new land. The popular image of the Zionists who came to Palestine before the establishment of the State of Israel, particularly the two waves that arrived before WWI, is of self-sacrificing pioneers. But in 1925, a European Jewish leader called the Palestine pioneers kastkinder, a derogatory Yiddish term for kids dependent on the support of parents – in this case financing from Europe. Among many recent scholars, the pioneering reputation has been tarnished by the way early immigrant leaders disdained those who weren’t part of their ideological clique, keeping them away from political influence and the cash that went with it. A wave of immigration during the late 1920s was made up largely of middle-class merchants and tradesmen. The socialist leaders of Zionism kept the new arrivals away from sources of power in local councils and unions. Even so, the rise in Jewish immigration prompted anger among the Arabs of Palestine. By 1935, there were 355,000 Jews in Palestine. The Arab
EURO JEWS & ARAB JEWS Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians often obscures the fact that the country is riven by factional, religious and ethnic divides. One that has had a considerable effect on the way Israeli society and politics developed is between Jews of European origin – Ashkenazim – and those Jews who came mostly from Arab countries, known as Mizrahim, from the Hebrew word for East. Before Hitler set to his awful task, Ashkenazim made up 90% of world Jewry. Most Holocaust victims were European Jews, so the new State of Israel was forced to turn to the Arab countries (as well as Central Asia) for the immigrant workforce that was vital to its survival. The early Zionist leaders were from Poland and Russia. They favoured their compatriots even over Jews from other European countries. For the Mizrahim, they had only contempt. In the mid-1960s, David Ben-Gurion said ‘the Moroccan Jew took a lot from the Moroccan Arab. The culture of Morocco I would not like to have here’ in Israel; for more information on Ben-Gurion, see Damning the State, p36). Arriving from Iraq and Morocco, Jews were sprayed with disinfectants and ordered to live in remote ‘development towns’, which were intended to secure Israel’s new borders but provided few economic opportunities. Their religious traditions were suppressed, too. By the 1970s, unrest in this ‘Second Israel’ was boiling. In a small apartment in Jerusalem a group of Mizrahim formed the Black Panthers. Styling themselves after the African–American group of the same name, the Panthers called for social justice in the name of ‘all those who’ve had it’ with discrimination. In 1977, it was the Mizrahi vote that overturned the Labour Party’s monopoly on power and brought Menachem Begin to the prime ministry at the head of the Likud Party. Likud continues to be identified with Mizrahi voters and mostly hews to a highly nationalistic line, while Labour has been seen as the party of the Ashkenazim elite with a more dovish view of relations with the Palestinians. Even so, Likud’s leader has always been an Ashkenazi Jew, while Labour was briefly led by Iraqi-born Binyamin Ben-Eliezer in 2002 and entered the coalition in 2006 under the leadership of Amir Peretz, who was born in Morocco and used to be mayor of Sderot, one of the most notorious development towns. There’s less discrimination against Mizrahim these days. More than 20% of marriages now are between mixed Mizrahi and Ashkenazi couples. Asserting their identity, some prefer to be called Arab Jews. But discrepancies remain: though Mizrahim are a slight majority in the Israeli population, only 10% earn a college degree, compared with 36% of Ashkenazim. The development towns, which now include new waves of immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia, are home to 17% of Israel’s population but account for 40% of its unemployed.
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Revolt began the following year with attacks on Jews and British forces, which administered Palestine under an international mandate. The revolt, however, set up the dismal failure of the Palestinian Arabs to cope with political developments as Israeli statehood approached, because infighting wiped out most of their best leaders. In 1937, a mini civil war erupted between the Husseini and Nashashibi clans, the two most powerful families in Jerusalem. By 1939, the initial campaign against the British and Zionists had been replaced largely by roaming bands of Arab guerrillas preying on their own people’s villages, a distasteful prefiguring of the gangs who controlled towns and refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza Strip by the end of the second intifada in 2005 (for more details, see p38). By 1947, the British government tired of the violence of Palestine and turned the problem over to the UN. The UN recommended partitioning the land between an Arab and a Jewish state. The Jews accepted, but the Arabs rejected the plan. When the British left in May 1948, a two-month Arab-Israeli War broke out between the new Israeli forces and the armies of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. British Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery, who won fame for his North African desert campaigns during WWII, commented that Israel would survive no longer than three weeks. In fact, recent research has shown that much of the materiel of the Arab armies was outdated or unserviceable and the Zionist militias outnumbered the troops arrayed against them throughout. Even so, that Israel surprisingly came out on top wasn’t entirely due to its own military prowess. The Iraqi commander of the Arab invasion forces was unseated by politicking officers who, he said, were more interested in jockeying for a higher rank than in winning the war. By the time a final armistice was struck, Israel was an independent country and those who had been Palestinian Arabs found themselves ruled either by Israel, Jordan or Egypt, or stateless in distant refugee camps.
Israelis call immigration to Israel aliyah, from the verb ‘to ascend’.’
Israel’s only Nobel literature laureate SY Agnon wrote mostly about the early Zionist immigrants. His 1945 masterpiece, translated as Only Yesterday, is about the wave of immigration around the end of the 19th century.
INDEPENDENCE & CATASTROPHE The 1948 Arab-Israeli War brought independence for Israel, a place of refuge for Holocaust survivors and a guarantee that, if such a horror were ever again to befall the Jews, there would be a country to which they could flee. But for the Palestinian Arabs the Arab-Israeli War is remembered as Al-Naqba, the Catastrophe. The previous year a Palestinian National Council in Gaza declared a state and an ‘all-Palestine government’. King Abdullah of Jordan prevented this government operating in the West Bank, so that he could annexe it and the 47% of all Palestinians who lived there. At the start of the 1948 war, 940,000 Palestinians lived in what became Israel. By the end of the war, 150,000 Arabs remained in areas under Israeli control. Though Israeli prime minister David Ben-Gurion frequently said that ‘Israel did not expel a single Arab’, it’s clear that many were forced to leave by Israeli military units. Much has been made of research over the last two decades by Israeli historians (often called ‘Post-Zionists’), who debunked the national myth that Israeli forces never cleared Palestinian populations from their villages. These historians even acknowledged atrocities by Israeli soldiers. Some 60,000 Arabs were expelled from Lydda and Ramla by Israeli soldiers, for example, while those in Nazareth, the city of Jesus’ birth, were largely left undisturbed to avoid angering Western Christians. But the researchers didn’t go as far as some of the pro-Palestinian writers who latched onto these ‘New Historians’ would have you believe. In rarer cases, Palestinian historians have dared to point the finger at Arab newspapers. Alarmist press reports of Zionist atrocities prompted
One of Israel’s best contemporary novels, Meir Shalev’s The Blue Mountain, is about the early Zionists. It’s a magic-realist novel set in an early kibbutz and is loosely based on the experience of Shalev’s own family.
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DAMNING THE STATE Not all Israelis are Zionists, and not all Jews living in Israel even consider themselves Israeli. In 1947, David Ben-Gurion, leader of the most powerful bloc in the Zionist establishment, struck a deal with ultraorthodox Jewish leaders which exempted Bible students from many of the onerous demands placed on secular or moderately religious Israelis, such as army reserve duty. In return Ben-Gurion got the support of the ultraorthodox political party. He also gave the ultraorthodox control over kosher certification, marriage and divorce, and religious education. After Ben-Gurion was installed as Israel’s first prime minister, his agreement with the ultraorthodox became law in 1949, when the number of ultraorthodox Jewish men was small. But as the population grew, the number of army deferments became an affront to ordinary Israelis who serve three weeks or more each year. It also kept ultraorthodox men in religious school until on average the age of 42, when they’re too old to be called up. In the USA, where there’s no incentive to stay in Jewish religious school to avoid a draft, students leave at age 25. Business leaders estimate that losing so many men from the work force costs the Israeli economy US$1 billion a year. The religious schools (yeshivot) also receive over US$170 million in government subsidies. Yet, to some ultraorthodox sects, taking money from the Israeli state would be blasphemy. Groups like the Neturei Karta – you can spot them in Jerusalem by the gold robes they wear on the Sabbath – believe Jews should wait for the Messiah to found a Jewish state in Palestine. So implacable is their opposition to the state that, during the 1990s, one of their rabbis was Yasser Arafat’s adviser on Jewish affairs.
Zionism struck a heroic chord in Hollywood. Paul Newman starred in Exodus, based on Leon Uris’s bestseller about a boat carrying illegal Jewish immigrants. Kirk Douglas played an American war hero who joined the war for Israel’s independence in Cast a Giant Shadow.
There are 20 refugee camps administered by the UN Relief and Works Agency in the West Bank. The Gaza Strip has eight, and there’s one in East Jerusalem. Over 50% of Palestinians are listed by the UN as refugees.
hundreds of thousands to flee who might otherwise have remained in their villages. One such inflation of fear occurred with the story of Deir Yassin, a village on the approach to Jerusalem. In the standard account, right-wing Israeli militiamen fought their way into the village and killed 258 of the 700 residents. Recent research at Bir Zeit University in Ramallah suggests about 100 died, which is what survivors of the massacre told me when I went to their homes in the West Bank. But they also said there was no real fight and the Israeli soldiers killed in cold blood, intending to scare other Palestinians into flight – a tactic that worked on surrounding villages. (Deir Yassin’s ruined buildings now stand in the grounds of an Israeli mental hospital, where tourists afflicted with the sudden apprehension that they are Jesus/the Messiah/a biblical prophet are incarcerated.) There were also at least six villages in the Galilee region and north of Jerusalem that were evacuated by order of the Arab command to clear the ground for military operations. Though Jewish attack – or the fear of it – were the main reason for Palestinian failure and exile in 1948, there were other causes that were rooted in the unchanging nature of their society, compared with the new, dynamic Zionist community. Nationalism was strong among towndwellers, but the largely illiterate rural population had little idea of the political situation as it developed; it was, therefore, unlikely to join an organised campaign against the new developments and more likely to react with fear and flight when those changes occurred. Also, few Arab workers had access to unemployment insurance, so when they were ejected from Jewish businesses and farms at the start of hostilities, their only economic alternative was to go into exile. Once in exile, conditions were harsh for Palestinians. Many tried to return, but were prevented by the Haganah (the forerunner of the modern-day Israel Defence Forces, the IDF). Others who would have fled, particularly from the Galilee, heard about the poverty of the refugees and stayed put.
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WAR & TERRORISM If the last few decades in Israel were times of terrorism, the state’s early years were times of war. In 1967, Israel launched a pre-emptive attack on its Arab neighbours, devastating the armies of Syria, Egypt and Jordan. In less than a week (which gives the war its popular name, the Six Day War) Israel won control of the Golan Heights from Syria and the entire Sinai desert and the Gaza Strip from Egypt. For Jordan, the war was a particular disaster because Israel captured the West Bank and the jewel of East Jerusalem, including the Dome of the Rock. Syria and Egypt fought back in 1973, launching a surprise attack on the Jewish holy day, Yom Kippur. Unprepared, it seemed at first as though Israel might be wiped out, but it pushed the Arab armies back. Israel’s situation had, for a time, been so desperate, however, that the Arab leadership portrayed the Yom Kippur War as a victory. For Israelis, political positions often are coloured by which of the nation’s wars occurred during their youth. There are the nostalgic, old socialist Zionists of the 1948 battle for independence. The victors of the 1967 Six Day War contributed to the messianic zeal at the root of the settlements in the Palestinian Territories. Those who, by the skin of their teeth, defeated the surprise attack of 1973 felt heroic, but had a jaundiced view of the country’s leaders for failing to foresee the onslaught. But by the time Palestinian guerrilla attacks across the northern border drew Israel into an invasion of Lebanon in 1982, young Israelis questioned the sense that their nation faced an existential enemy and argued for territorial concessions. Israelis also felt they’d been sucked into someone else’s war when their troops failed to intervene to halt the massacre of Palestinians by Lebanese Christians in the Beirut refugee camp of Sabra and Shatila. Not all Israelis went along that more dovish path. Since the Lebanon War the country has been deeply divided between a nationalist right that focuses on the settlements of the West Bank and (until 2005, when they were evacuated) the Gaza Strip, and a left that put its faith in the 1993 Oslo Accords, setting up a Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern the towns and cities of the Palestinian Territories. For Palestinians, warfare didn’t bring any benefit: they soon realised that Arab armies wouldn’t win back their land for them. In 1964, the Arab League, which is made up of representatives of 22 Arabic-speaking nations, set up the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). But it wasn’t until the Arab defeat in the 1967 war that a Palestinian leader willing to defy the Arab League won control of the PLO. Yasser Arafat was born in Cairo in 1929 and was related to the powerful Husseini clan of Jerusalem. While working as an engineer in Kuwait, he founded Fatah, an Arabic acronym for the Palestine Liberation Movement and also the word for ‘victory’. It was through the Fatah faction that he took over the PLO in 1969. He instituted a long campaign of terrorism designed to force the international community to recognise the need for a solution to the Palestinian problem – something war with Israel hadn’t accomplished. Senior Fatah men were behind the fatal 1972 attack on Israeli athletes in the Olympic village in Munich and many other terrorist strikes. In 1987, an uprising called the intifada (Arabic for ‘shaking off’) broke out around the West Bank and Gaza. It was a spontaneous eruption of stones and Molotov cocktails by frustrated youths, but Arafat soon had control of it and kept it simmering for six years. Though Arafat kept the Palestinian question on the world’s agenda, he made a mistake in supporting Saddam Hussein during the first Gulf War. Kuwait and other Gulf nations cut off funding to the PLO and expelled Palestinians, on whose pay packets many families depended back
The most famous Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish, has written many works of nostalgia for the lost homeland, its tastes and smells and place names. In one of his most well-known poems he writes: ‘We have a country of words.’
Arafat made his headgear, the traditional keffiyeh, famous. His was black and white, colours favoured by nationalist groups. The red-andwhite keffiyeh is worn by members of the Marxist Popular Front.
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PRAISING THE FIGHTERS
HAMAS
Israel‘s military is thought of as something around which the whole country can unite, largely because so many of its members are reservists, and because men and women serve a compulsory period after high school. But the army’s role in Israeli ideology is revealing, too. The military has accounted for between 20% and 40% of Israel’s budget throughout its history. One of the Israeli ‘new historians’, Benny Morris, writes that ‘an element of that is by choice’ rather than being forced on Israel by the aggression of its Arab neighbours. Zionist leaders wanted to create what one of them, Zeev Jabotinsky, called ‘a new psychological race of Jew’, which would be strong and aggressive, unlike the cowed minorities of the old European ghettos. That attitude led to the prizing of dramatic military operations, like the commando rescue of Israelis from a hijacked French plane at Entebbe airport in Uganda in 1976, but it also scorned less militaristic groups. Holocaust survivors arriving in Israel were disdained for having failed to rise up against the Nazis. They were called ‘Soaps’, a reference to the belief that the Nazis used their victims’ fat to make soap. In 1959, Israel instituted Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, highlighting in the choice of name the relatively small number of partisans who fought against the Nazis, along with the majority of victims who were unable to battle the massive machinery of the Third Reich. A leading Israeli philosopher, Yeshayahu Liebowitz, has criticised the machismo of Israeli life as being contrary to Jewish thought: ‘In the Jewish sources, one can’t find admiration for the fighting man…Since when is it praise to say of a man he was heroic in battle?’
In 1987 Islamic leaders in Gaza formed the Harakat al-Muqaama al-Islamiya, whose acronym, Hamas, means ‘courage’ and ‘enthusiasm’ in Arabic. They named their ‘military wing’ after Sheikh Izzedine al-Qassam, a Syrian preacher who founded a guerrilla group and was killed by the British in the Galilee in 1935. In its charter, Hamas set out its aims: ‘Allah is its goal, the Prophet is its model, the Quran is its constitution, Jihad is its path, and death for the sake of Allah is its most coveted desire.’ By 1993, when its budget was as much as US$50 million – then mostly raised from Gulf countries, but later also from Iran – Hamas was gaining respect among Palestinians, not only for its opposition to Israel, but also for its funding of youth clubs, medical clinics and schools. The contrast with Arafat’s Palestinian Authority (PA) was even more beneficial to Hamas, because where Hamas was seen as clean the ruling Fatah Party was corrupt to the core. When Arafat signed the 1993 Oslo Accords, Hamas stepped up its violence. Much of the time, Arafat walked a careful line in his handling of Hamas, trying to convince the sheikhs that his mass arrests were only a show to keep the USA off his back. The Authority also made gestures of solidarity with Hamas that prevented the Islamists from giving up on Arafat completely. In 1996, after Israel assassinated Yihya Ayyash, the Hamas bombmaker known as the Engineer, Arafat paid a condolence call to a Hamas leader in Gaza and sent an honour guard of armed policemen to salute Ayyash at his graveside during the funeral. At a rally in the West Bank, Arafat lauded ‘all the martyrs, with Ayyash at their head’. During the intifada, Hamas took its suicide bombing to new heights and lauded ever more ‘martyrs’. Israel hit back with ‘targeted killings’ against a series of Hamas leaders, until the group agreed with Arafat’s successor, Mahmoud Abbas, to accept a role in parliamentary politics. In elections in January 2006, Hamas won a surprise victory in the Palestinian Legislative Council, the parliament. The victory was largely because voters were sick of Fatah’s corruption. The new Hamas government refused to recognise Israel, found itself shunned by Western countries, and faced internal strife with Fatah gunmen who didn’t want to give up their power.
in the West Bank and Gaza. The financial and political squeeze forced Arafat to consider peace negotiations, leading to the 1993 Oslo Accords. Israel’s Arab citizens – those who remained in their homes in 1948 and their descendants – lived under military law until 1966. They now number 1.2 million and live mostly in the Galilee, where Nazareth is their unofficial capital. (Arabs living in Jerusalem aren’t Israeli citizens.)
Arab men are often referred to as Abu (meaning ‘the father of’) followed by the name of their eldest son. Arafat was known popularly as Abu Ammar. But that wasn’t because he had a son – he had a daughter Zahwa born in 1995. He chose the name of a follower of the Prophet Mohammed as his nom de guerre.
PEACE &…ANOTHER INTIFADA Yasser Arafat arrived in Gaza to head the new PA in July 1994. Israel gradually handed over the remaining Palestinian towns, both in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank, over the following few years. But a peace agreement didn’t bring real peace. In fact, it drove those on both sides who opposed the compromises necessary for peace into greater acts of violence. Hamas and Islamic Jihad took their terrorism to new heights with the suicide bomb. (Arafat was culpable in much of the extremist violence, for he frequently released from jail those involved in terrorism when he wanted to pressure Israel in the often interminable negotiations over further territorial withdrawals.) Israel hit back by assassinating Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders. Perhaps the biggest blow to the peace process came in November 1995, when a religious Israeli gunned down Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin after a Tel Aviv peace rally. It was the culmination of several years of incitement from nationalist Israelis over Rabin’s agreement to give up part of ‘the Land of Israel’. Right-wingers believed the biblical lands they call Judea and Samaria – the West Bank – ought never to be surrendered. Posters appeared all over Israeli towns showing Rabin’s face surrounded by an Arab keffiyeh or the uniform of an SS officer. An extremist rabbi chanted an ancient Aramaic curse outside Rabin’s residence and others argued that the prime minister was a ‘persecutor of Jews’ who was fair game for murder. Rabin’s killing was a terrible shock to most Israelis, but it also robbed the peace process of an advocate whose background as army chief of staff gave him the trust of Israelis on security issues. Rabin’s death wasn’t the end for the peace process. In fact, the election of Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s coalition government in 1999 seemed to augur well. Barak said he wanted a ‘separation’ from the Palestinians and was willing to give up almost all of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. But Barak forced the pace of negotiations and went to Camp
David in summer 2000 wanting to strike a final peace deal, despite the fact that US diplomats told him Arafat wasn’t ready to move that fast. When the talks failed, widespread violence broke out and a second intifada began. Most media at the time blamed Israel’s Likud Party leader Ariel Sharon for the outbreak of violence, because he had made a visit to the Temple Mount. Palestinians called Sharon’s visit ‘a provocation’, and it surely was insensitive. But in the Middle East those who claim to have been provoked usually are in fact champing at the bit for an opportunity to vent their rage. That was true of the intifada. At first Arafat saw an opportunity to pressure Israel into more concessions, but he quickly lost control to young Fatah leaders who felt he hadn’t given them enough power since he returned from exile – they accused him of giving all the top military and political jobs to corrupt old party hacks who’d been with him in Beirut and Tunis. The young Fatah leaders quickly allied with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, eventually launching a wave of suicide bombings. Israel hardened against the Palestinians, in 2001 electing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, a former general who spoke privately of the intifada as an ‘existential danger’ to Israel. Sharon sent tanks to occupy all the West Bank towns previously ceded to Arafat and made frequent, bloody incursions into Gaza. He refused to guarantee that if Arafat left the West Bank he would be allowed to return, so the Palestinian leader stayed in his Ramallah compound. Depressed and sick, Arafat’s command of events and – according to some aides – reality weakened until his death in November 2004. His autopsy has never been released, but he seems to have died of complications from a blood disease.
Hamas was founded in the living room of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in Gaza‘s Zeitoun neighbourhood. Yassin had been a quadriplegic since the age of seven, when he injured himself playing on Gaza’s beach. He was killed by an Israeli helicopter missile in 2004. In 1997 Israeli agents injected poison into Hamas activist Khaled Meshaal in Amman, Jordan. Jordan‘s King Hussein was furious about the operation on his territory and insisted Israel hand over the antidote. Meshaal, who lives in Syria, later became supreme leader of Hamas.
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Palestinian leaders want to see Arafat’s autopsy, but his wife Suha is keeping it secret. PLO insiders say she’s making them pay for a dispute over Arafat’s secret cash hoard. Meanwhile, Palestinians don’t know what really killed him.
There were few long careers as Palestinian fighters during the intifada. At one point in 2003, 11 successive leaders of Islamic Jihad in the West Bank town of Jenin were either arrested or killed by Israeli troops within a week of taking their position – sometimes on the very day they were made leader.
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With his old enemy out of the way, Sharon forged ahead with a plan to ‘disengage’ from the Palestinians, building a barrier along a defensible line near the edge of the West Bank and pulling out of isolated settlements. He completed the evacuation of all 7500 Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip in summer 2005. Sharon suffered a massive stroke in January 2006. His deputy, Ehud Olmert, won election as prime minister in March 2006 on a platform that promised a further pullback from much of the West Bank. It wasn’t ever likely to be something Israel would negotiate with the Palestinians, and by the time Olmert was elected it was even less likely, since Palestinians had voted for a Hamas government. Now it wasn’t only the Israelis who weren’t speaking to the Palestinians: the European Union and the USA at first cut off aid unless Hamas recognised Israel and the peace deals the previous Palestinian government had made with Israel (the money began to flow once more a few months later, but donors still insisted on bypassing Hamas-run ministries and giving the money direct to institutions on the ground). There were almost continuous skirmishes along the fence between Gaza and Israel, sometimes dragging the Israeli army back into the very areas they had so recently evacuated. With the Hamas government shunned around the world, Israel appeared to have a free hand for its unilateral West Bank withdrawal. But in summer 2006 Hezbollah guerrillas kidnapped some Israeli soldiers patrolling the border with Lebanon. Israel entered a brief war with the Lebanese militia, in which the Shia group launched thousands of rockets across the border and brought northern Israel to a terrified halt. The scale of Israel’s bombing attacks on Lebanese towns was widely condemned and the war was a diplomatic disaster for Israel. Domestically, the Lebanon conflict set the government wobbling, because many of the reservists sent to fight there complained of being under-prepared and ill-equipped. It also put paid to the unilateral withdrawal for the foreseeable future, because of the fear that a similar missile barrage from a Palestiniancontrolled West Bank would be even more devastating to Israel. The situation was highly unpredictable, except in that there was no sign of an end to the bloodiness of the Holy Land’s history.
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The Culture POPULATION & PEOPLE Whatever preconception you may have about who is an Israeli or Palestinian, a Jew or an Arab, will surely end within a few days of travel in the country. Every colour is represented, thanks to the ‘Law of Return’ that has drawn Jews of diverse backgrounds to re-converge in the Holy Land. It’s impossible to make generalisations about such a diverse culture because your Tel Aviv peacenik, ultraorthodox Jerusalemite, Be’er Shevan immigrant, Eilat hedonist, Ramallah liberal and Gazan conservative will all have a different world view. Yet no matter what their background, everyone remains patriotic to their particular cause, war often having that affect on people. This contest of survival has emboldened all sides and as the generations pass the national psyche deepens for all. For a more in-depth look at the history that has shaped this region, see p28.
Relative to its population, Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing country on earth. During the 1990s around 900,000 Russians immigrated to the country, boosting the population by 20%.
Jews For more than 50 years Israel has opened its doors to the Jewish faithful. Economic opportunities and spiritual commitments have seen the entrance of Russians, Moroccans, Yemenites, and people from India and beyond. Other arrivals include Syrian, Ethiopian, Iraqi, French and American Jews. No matter what their origin, most Israelis are united by Zionism and the belief that the state exists to be a haven for persecuted Jews. But Zionism has never come cheap and three generations have grown in a virtual state of war. This reality has shaped their character and Israelis themselves recognise their rather brusqu mannerisms: a native-born Jew is known as a sabra (a prickly pear). Behind their macho, warrior image, Israelis identify closely with European culture, fashion and trends. They are global travellers, leaders in the high-tech world, and proficient in the English language.
The population growth rate among Jewish Israelis is just 1.4%. This compares significantly to Arab Israelis, who have a growth rate of 3.3%. Demographers report that in 20 years the Arab minority will increase from 20% to 30%.
ASHKENAZI
In classic Hebrew, Ashkenaz means ‘Germany’, and these Jews originate from Central and Eastern Europe, particularly Germany. They are also descendants of Ashkenazim who emigrated to North and South America, South Africa and Australia. Cultural, linguistic and genetic evidence suggests that Ashkenazi migrated to Europe from the Middle East around 800 CE. Church legislation banned Christians from lending money for interest so the Jews of Central Europe took up commerce and money lending. Some of them still use Yiddish (a combination of Hebrew and medieval German) as their common language, written in Hebrew characters. In 1931 the population of Ashkenazi Jews in Europe was around 8.8 million. The Holocaust resulted in the loss of about two-thirds of this population. Despite this loss, Ashkenazi still make up around 80% of the world’s Jewish population. The early Zionist pioneers were Ashkenazim, Polish and Russian socialists, and they administered the setting up of the Jewish state and later organised the mass immigration of the Sephardim. SEPHARDI
Sephard is the Hebrew for ‘Spain’ and these Jews are descendants of those expelled from Spain and Portugal in the 15th century. Most of the
Ashkenazi Jews make up just 0.25% of the world population, yet they have won 28% of Nobel prizes for economics, physics, chemistry and medicine. Ashkenazim also make up half the world chess champions.
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Jews in Palestine until the 19th century were Sephardim. Others lived in Constantinople, Greece, the Balkans and northern Morocco, among other places. Wherever they settled the groups remained fiercely insular according to their hometown. In Constantinople, for example, there were congregations for Toledo, Cordoba, Evora, Lisbon etc. The Spanish Jews spoke Ladino, a mixture of Hebrew and Spanish, written in Hebrew characters. It’s still spoken today by some older Sephardim. MIZRAHI Among prominent Mizrahim are Defence Minister Amir Peretz (Moroccan origin), President Moshe Katsav (Persian origin) and transsexual singer Dana International (Yemenite origin), who won the Eurovision song contest in 1998.
The word Mizrahi means ‘Easterner’ and the term loosely defines those Jews who originated in Arabic countries such as Yemen, Iraq, Persia and Uzbekistan. The term largely came into use in the 1990s and is now accepted as a legitimate classification, replacing the outdated term Oriental. When speaking to a Mizrahi they will probably go into some detail about their heritage, identifying themselves as an Iraqi Jew or a Yemenite. Mizrahi Jews started arriving in droves after 1948, largely because Arab populations rejected them and in some cases threw them out of the country. In 1956, for example, 25,000 Jews were expelled from Egypt. Mizrahim suffered from racism in the early years of the Israeli state and many were dumped in settlements in the Negev or border areas, but recent years have brought them more into the mainstream. Intermarriage between Ashkenazi and Mizrahi has become common and pop culture equally includes both groups. The average income of an Ashkenazi family is still about 35% higher, but this chasm continues to narrow. BETA ISRAEL
You may know Beta Israel better as the Ethiopian Jews. (They are sometimes also called Falasha, ‘exiles’, although this is considered a derogatory term). These Jews, who now number around 120,000, were airlifted to Israel and the Palestinian Territories from their famine-struck country in two massive operations in 1985 and 1991 (Operation Moses and Operation Solomon respectively). No-one is quite sure how Jews got to Ethiopia in the first place, although it’s possible they were converted by Jewish Yeminite traders. Another theory suggests they are descendents of the House of Solomon, who during his reign had an intimate affair with the Queen of Sheba. Others suggest they are descended from a group of Jews that separated from Moses and went south during the Exodus. The transition to their new home has been difficult for Beta Israel and they are still among the poorest people in the country. Social and cultural differences have kept many out of mainstream society although the gap has narrowed in recent years as the younger generation becomes ingrained with Israeli society. The cultural heritage has still been preserved; this will be in evidence at an Ethiopian Heritage Museum, which is currently being planned for the city of Rehovot.
Palestinian Arabs During the British Mandate, anyone living in Palestine was referred to as a Palestinian, be they Jew, Christian, Muslim or Druze. Since 1948, more or less, the term has been reserved for those Arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as the refugees who fled past wars to other countries. Non-Jews who stayed in Israel proper are usually refered to as Arab Israeli. The origin of Palestinian Arabs continues to be a major point of dispute between Jews and Palestinians, not to mention historians. Suffice
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to say that there has been much rough-handling of history by people with political agendas. Many Palestinians claim to be descended from the Canaanites driven from the Promised Land by the arrival of the Israelites. Others contend they are descended from the Philistines, the biblical enemies of King David, who lived in Gaza and Ashkelon. A few Muslim Palestinians argue that they arrived in Jerusalem with the Caliph Omar, which would mean they have been on the land for 1400 years. Meanwhile, Palestinian Christians claim to be the descendents of the first Christians – those that guided Queen Helena on her tour of the Holy Land in the 5th century. Palestinian identity was borne out of Arab nationalism against the Ottoman Empire, the British and the Jews. This identity was given a face when Yasser Arafat founded Fatah in 1959 and over the years he came to symbolise the struggle for Palestinian independence. The blood, sweat and tears that the Zionists have poured out are but a mirror image of what Palestinians have struggled for. As with the Jews, their identity is closely linked to their historical, personal and religious ties to the land. Islam, Arab culture and Christianity may guide Palestinians in their day-to-day rituals, but it is the struggle for a homeland that still binds all Palestinians.
I Saw Ramallah (2003), by Mourid Barghouti, is a sentimental account of the author’s return to his home city after a 30-year hiatus. The book does a wonderful job of humanising the bittersweet life in Palestine and does so with sincere and lucid language.
MUSLIMS
Muslim Arabs (not including Bedouins) make up around 70% of the Israeli Arab population. The majority adhere to Sunni Islam. Although Jerusalem is considered the third-holiest place for Muslims (after Mecca and Medina), those who lived there were never fervently religious as these in Saudi Arabia and historically Palestinian Muslims have followed a moderate line in their faith. Gaza, on the other hand, has become a fundamentalist enclave in recent years, a main reason why Hamas (founded by the Muslim Brotherhood) and other Islamic groups have grown in popularity. CHRISTIANS
Before the establishment of Israel, Christians made up around 10% of the population of Palestine. Yet their comparative affluence gave them the means to escape when things started going bad for the Palestinians and many fled to foreign countries. Today Christian Arabs number around 175,000 in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, about 2% of population. As well as Christian Arabs, Israel and the Palestinian Territories are also home to Armenian Christians, foreign clergymen, monks, nuns and others working for Christian organisations. Most holy sites are in fact administered by overseas churches such as the Greek Orthodox Church. Armenians, Copts, Assyrians, Roman Catholics and Protestants also lay claim to various holy sites, and disputes arise frequently over how to share their stewardship. BEDOUINS
The term ‘Bedouin’ is Arabic for desert-dweller and refers to the nomadpastoralist groups that reside in the Negev Desert. Most of Israel and the Palestinian Territories’ 150,000 Bedouin (who consider themselves Arab) live in the Negev, while 60,000 live in the Galilee area. Land disputes with Israel have pushed them onto ever-decreasing plots of land and only around 10% are able to maintain a traditional pastoral lifestyle. Others have found the transition to an urban life difficult and they lack the skills and education to succeed – Bedouin unemployment is high and they represent the poorest sector of Israeli society. Despite these problems, Bedouin maintain good relations with Israelis and have served in the
The USAID in Gaza and the West Bank offers historical and cultural facts on Palestine on its website: www.usaid .gov/wbg/asalah.htm. Click on the link to ‘Asalah magazine’.
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Israel Defence Force (IDF; although they are not required to do so). For more information see Negev Bedouin, p332. DRUZE
The symbol of the Druze is a five coloured star, with each colour symbolising one of its principles: green (the universal mind), red (the universal soul), yellow (the truth/word), blue (the antagonist/cause), and white (the protagonist/effect).
The Druze are a distinct social and religious group who speak Arabic and practice a secret religion considered to be an offshoot of Islam. Like Muslims, the Druze believe in Allah and his prophets but they believe that Mohammed was succeeded by a further divine messenger. The Druze also hold the non-Islamic belief of reincarnation and for this reason headstones on their graves carry no name. Within Druze society there is a select inner core made up of men and women who have passed severe tests and are considered to have led exemplary lifestyles of honesty and modesty. The men are identifiable by their white turbans, and only these uqqal (the wise) are permitted to read the Druze holy books and take part in the Thursday-night religious ceremonies. The rest of the community, juhhal (the ignorant), have to hope that they might qualify in their next incarnation. Most of the Druze nation lives in Lebanon and Syria; in Israel and the Palestinian Territories they inhabit a few villages in the Galilee, on Mt Carmel, and in the Golan. One of their most important religious sites is the tomb of Jethro, located in Tiberias. Jethro was the non-Jewish father-in-law of Moses who assisted the Jews through the desert and accepted monotheism. Still today the Druze find ideological similarities with Jews and in 2004, the Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafak Tarif called upon non-Jews in Israel and the Palestinian Territories to observe the Seven Noahide Laws (morallybinding commandments for non-Jews) written in the Talmud. Having never had a state of their own, the Druze tend to hold allegiance to whatever country they live in. Most of the Druze are Israeli citizens and, like any other citizen, perform military service. They even have their own division in the IDF, the all-Druze Herve Battallion, which fought against Hezbollah in 2006. The situation is a little different in the Golan, where until 1967 the Druze towns and villages were part of Syria. These Syrian Druze resent Israel’s annexation and have remained fiercely supportive of Syrian claims to the area.
Samaritans During their menstrual period, Samaritan women are obliged to remain separated from their families for seven days. After giving birth, a woman is considered to be unclean; if the child is a son, the impure state lasts for 40 days, twice that if it’s a girl.
Samaritans are one of the world’s smallest communities, numbering around 700 people. They claim to be both Palestinians and Israelites – they speak Arabic but pray in ancient Hebrew. According to their history they are descendants of the tribes of Joseph, and until the 17th century they possessed a high priesthood descending directly from Aaron through Eleazar and Phinehas. The Samaritans’ faith is based solely on the first five books of the Bible, so the only prophets they recognise are Moses and Joshua. In contradiction to Jewish tradition, they consider Mt Gerazim (near Nablus) to be the place where Abraham brought his son to be sacrificed, not Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Samaritans had been based in Nablus for centuries until the British Mandate period, when the 150-member community split and half settled in Holon (near Tel Aviv). Following Israel’s independence Samaritans in Holon became Israeli citizens. The small population, coupled with their refusal to accept converts, caused a history of genetic disease. To counter this, male Samaritans have been allowed to seek a non-Samaritan Jewish wife, a difficult task as few women are willing to accept their rules of
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THE LAW OF RETURN Theodore Herzl’s dream was to create a place where all Jews could live without persecution. His Zionist goals were eventually made a reality with the Law of Return, a proclamation laid down by the Knesset in 1950 that guaranteed full Israeli citizenship to any Jew that wanted it. More than granting a haven to Jews that suffered persecution, the law is basically an open invitation for Jews to return to their ancestral homeland. The process is simple – a prospective oleh (immigrant) first applies through the Department of Immigration and Absorption. Proof of being Jewish must be presented, often in the form of parents’ wedding certificate. Once the oleh has become a citizen he or she has made aliyah (ascent) and is provided with the accompanying benefits, including Hebrew language lessons and a financial assistance package. Since 1990 Israel and the Palestinian Territories has absorbed over 900,000 olim (immigrants) from Russia and 44,000 from Ethiopia. These new arrivals did much to fill the gap of Palestinian workers, whose numbers were reduced after the first intifada. The masses of immigrants have also played a key political function by keeping the Jewish voting block well ahead of that of Israeli Arabs, who tend to have large families. Recent years have seen increasing olim from Western nations. The 1999–2002 political crisis in Argentina had 2000 Argentinean Jews make aliyah. Rising anti-Semitism in France had 11,100 French Jews make aliyah between 2000 and 2005. In 2005 more than 3000 Jews made aliyah from North America (largely for religious and ideological reasons, not financial). Not all Jews approve of the law, however, and there are some ultraorthodox Jews in the Diaspora who consider that aliyah cannot be made until the return of the Messiah. Also disapproving are the Arabs who fled the country between 1948 and 1967; they are not allowed to return, although some still hold out hope that they will one day go home. This Arab ‘Right of Return’ is unthinkable for most Jews, as it would threaten the Jewish majority. This double standard runs counter to Israel’s declaration of democracy, although the chances the policy will change is slim to none.
sanitation. Nowadays, when weddings occur within the Samaritan community, they must first be given approval by a geneticist. More challenges faced the Samaritans in Nablus during the first intifada and tensions with local Muslims forced them to abandon the city and take refuge on Mt Gerazim; they have been there ever since. For more on the Samaritans, see p310.
African Hebrew Israelites The African Hebrew Israelites are black Americans who claim descent from the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. Such a concept developed in the late 19th century and several congregations in the USA started adhering to traditional Jewish practices, including the observance of Sabbath and the other biblical holidays. In 1966 Chicago-born Ben Carter, also known as Ben Ammi Ben Israel, had visions that he too was a direct descendent of the Israelites and began preaching of a return to the Holy Land. His flock reached Israel, via Liberia, in 1969 and has since been based in Dimona. Today they number around 3000 people and have recently been awarded permanent residency status, making them subject to mandatory service in the army. For more information, see Shalom Brother, p335.
Circassians An independent group in the Muslim community, the Circassians number around 4000 people. They originated in the Caucasian Mountains of Russia and immigrated to Palestine in the 1890s. Mostly loyal to the state of Israel, the community is concentrated in the Golan villages of Kfar-Kama and Reyhaniye. Like the Druze, male Circassians are mandated for military service while females are not.
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Worldwide there are around 14 million people who either practise Judaism or are Jewish by birth, although this figure is disputed as there are ongoing debates about what defines a Jew. Some sources put the figure as high as 18 million.
For a good grounding in Judaism check the website www.jewfaq.org, which holds answers to a number of basic questions on the faith.
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RELIGION
JEWISH CUSTOMS
Israel and the Palestinian Territories are the birthplace of two of the three great monotheistic faiths, Christianity and Judaism. The youngest of this trio, Islam, considers Jerusalem to be its third-holiest city. Around 80% of Israel is Jewish while Sunni Muslims make up around 15%. The remaining 5% is Christian and other sects. The Palestinian Territories is around 95% Muslim and 5% Christian, give or take a few percentage points.
The most obvious Jewish custom you’ll experience in Israel is Shabbat, the day of rest. It begins on Friday night with sundown and ends at nightfall on Saturday. No work of any kind is allowed on Shabbat, unless someone’s health is at stake. Tasks such as writing or handling of money are forbidden. Starting a fire is also prohibited and in modern terms this means no use of electricity is allowed (lights can be turned on before Shabbat starts but must stay on until it ends). Permitted activities include visiting with friends and family, reading and discussing the Torah and prayer at a synagogue. Sex is also allowed; in fact it’s a double mitzvah on Shabbat. Some Jewish sects are easily recognised by their clothing, although most Jews wear Western street clothes. The most religious Jews, the Hasidim (or haredim) are identified by their black hats, long black coats, collared white shirts, beards and peyot (side curls). Haredi women, like Muslim women, act and dress modestly, covering up exposed hair and skin (except the hands and face). Many Jews, both secular and orthodox, wear a kippa (skullcap), generally thought to be more of a tradition than a commandment. It is sometimes possible to infer a person’s background, religious or even political beliefs by the type of kippa they wear. A large crocheted kippa, often in white, is a sign that the wearer is either a Braslav Hassid or a Messianist, perhaps an extreme right-wing settler. (Don’t confuse the large, white, Messianic kippot with the patterned all-white, crocheted skullcaps worn by Hajis – Muslims who have made the Haj to Mecca). Muted brown or blue kippot that are crocheted indicate strong Zionist beliefs; the IDF provides standard-issue olive kippot; and anyone wearing a kippa with a sports-team logo is probably American. Recently, very small kippot are worn by the hip and trendy.
Judaism Judaism is the first recorded monotheistic faith and thus one of the oldest religions still practised. It differentiates itself from other religions in that its power is not held in a central authority or person, but rather in its teachings and the Holy Scriptures. Its major tenet is that there is one God who created the Universe and remains omnipresent. It was Rambam, the 12th-century Jewish rabbi, who laid out the 13 core principles of Jewish belief. He stated, in sum, the belief in one unique God to whom prayer must be directed; the belief that God rewards the good and punishes the wicked; the belief that Moses accepted the teachings of God; and the belief in the coming of the Messiah and the resurrection of the dead. Having said this, Judaism does not focus on abstract cosmological beliefs. While Jews certainly contemplate the nature of God, the Universe and the afterlife among other topics, there are no set definitions of these concepts, which leave plenty of room for debate and personal opinion (and no Jew is too shy to lend their own thoughts on the matter). Rather than a strict adherence to dogmatic ideas, actions such as prayer, study and performing mitzvah (adherence to the commandments) are of greater importance. One of the earliest beliefs among Jews is that God chose them to relay his messages to the rest of humanity. God’s laws have been recorded in the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. The Torah contains 613 commandments, which cover fundamental issues like the prohibition of theft, murder and idolatry. There are other commandments to which Jews must adhere, such as eating kosher foods, reciting the shema (affirmation of Judaism) twice daily and resting on the Sabbath. The remainder of the Old Testament (the prophetic books), along with the Talmud (commentary on the laws of the Torah written around AD 200), make up the teachings that form the cornerstone of Jewish study. FOUNDATIONS OF JUDAISM
The Exodus Decoded, a documentary aired on the History Channel, attempted to prove the biblical account of Jacob’s descent into Egypt, the enslavement of the Jews and the eventual liberation by Moses. The film-makers purport that a volcanic eruption in the Mediterranean triggered the ten plagues, plus the parting of the Sea of Reeds.
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The patriarch of the faith was Abraham who, according to the calculations of the Hebrew Torah, was born 1,948 years after Creation and lived to the ripe old age of 175. According to Jewish belief he preached the existence of one God and in return God promised him the land of Canaan, but only after his descendents would be exiled and redeemed. Accordingly, his grandson Jacob set off for Egypt, where later generations found themselves bound in slavery. Moses led them out of Egypt and received the Ten Commandments on Mt Sinai. Once they had returned to Israel, God assigned the descendants of Aaron (Moses’ brother) to be a priestly caste. They became the Kohen (Kohanim), who performed specific duties during festivals and sacrificial offerings. God’s relationship with the Jews has not always been one of blessing and when he saw his chosen people straying from their faith he laid down punishment. In one biblical incident God allowed the Philistines to capture the mishkan (portable house of worship) used by the Kohen.
The word tzitzit (knotted fringes on the prayer shawl) has a numerical value of 600 based on gemetria (numerology of the Hebrew language). Each tassel has eight threads and five sets of knots (totalling 13). The combined total of 613 reminds the wearer of the Torah commandments.
Islam Most Palestinians are Sunni Muslim and as such are required to pray five times a day. In Palestinian cities and Muslim areas of Israel and the Palestinian Territories the call to prayer hailed over loudspeakers will become a familiar soundtrack to your travels. The most important session is the midday prayer on Friday, when the sheikh of each mosque delivers a khutba (sermon). Islam and Judaism have common roots and Muslims consider Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph and Moses to be prophets. The prophet Mohammed was the last in the line of these prophets. As such, Jews and Muslims share a number of holy sites, including the Temple Mount, the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron and Mt Sinai. Because of their close links, Muslims consider Jews and Christians to be Ahl al-Kitab, the ‘People of the Book’. It is said that Mohammed was born in the Arabian city of Mecca in AD 570 and began receiving revelations from God in AD 610. He preached the word of God to his fellow Meccans, calling on them to renounce idolatry, believe in a single God and beware of the Day of Judgment, when all humans would be held accountable for their actions. Those who resented his preaching persecuted his followers and Mohammed was exiled from the city, later settling in Medina. The people of Medina were more forthcoming to Mohammed’s preaching and accepted Islam. Later he and his followers attacked Mecca, took control of the city and converted its population. The holy book of Islam, the Quran, is believed to be the word of God, transcribed through Mohammed in a series of revelations over a period of 23 years.
In 1998 King Hussein of Jordan shelled out US$8.2 million to refurbish the golden dome covering the Dome of the Rock. The exterior is now covered by gold leaf.
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If you are looking for a brief, straightforward primer on the Muslim faith, try Inside Islam (2002), edited by John Miller and Aaron Kenedi, or Islam (2000), by Karen Armstrong. For something with a political edge read a book by Bernard Lewis, such as Islam and the West (1994) or The Crisis of Islam (2004).
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Among its scriptures are the five pillars of Islam: Haj – the pilgrimage to Mecca, which should be made at least once in a lifetime. The reward for a Haj is the forgiving of all past sins. Sala – The obligation of prayer five times a day (sunrise, noon, midafternoon, sunset and night). Prayers are done facing Mecca and can be performed anywhere, except on Friday at noon when prayers are held in a mosque. Shahada – The profession of faith, the basic tenet of Islam: ‘There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is the Prophet of Allah’. It’s usually heard as part of the call to prayer. Sawm – Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, commemorates the revelation of the Quran to Mohammed. During Ramadan nothing must pass through the lips (food, cigarettes or drinks). Sex is prohibited from dawn till dusk. Zakat – Muslims are required to give alms to the poor to the value of one-fortieth of a believer’s income. The West Bank and Gaza have around 80 zakat committees that oversee the distribution of charitable donations.
Christianity Jesus of Nazareth had very little impact on the political currents of his era. During his life he was but one of many orators critical of the materialism and decadence of the wealthy Jerusalemites, and contemptuous of Roman authority. After baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus was said to have been led by God to the desert, where he remained for 40 days and nights, during which time he refuted the temptations of the Devil. His ministry was marked by numerous miracles, such as healings, walking on water and the resuscitation of the dead. At the age of 33 or so Jesus was accused of sedition and ordered to death by Jerusalem’s Roman governor Pontius Pilate. The followers of Jesus came to be known as Christians (Christ is a Greek-derived title meaning ‘Anointed One’), believing him to be the son of God and the Messiah. Jews consider this belief to be heresy, mainly because he did not fulfil the Messianic prophesies of the Hebrew Bible. Muslims consider Jesus to be an important prophet and to have lived a life of non-violence and without sin, but Muslims do not believe that he was the son of God. Within a few decades of Jesus’ death, having interpreted and spread his teachings, his followers had formed a faith distinct from Judaism. A Greek-speaking Christian community emerged in Jerusalem in the mid-2nd century; they gained importance during the rule of Constantine when most of the holy sites were discovered. Today the Greek Orthodox RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL While mainstream Israeli society is quite similar to that found in southern Europe, due care should be taken when interacting with Orthodox people – or even walking through Orthodox areas, such as the Jerusalem neighbourhood of Me’a She’arim. Women must wear modest clothing that covers their arms and legs, and outsiders should avoid these areas during Shabbat, unless invited by a local resident. While a handshake is a common greeting in Israel, Jewish rabbis don’t normally shake hands, and in Palestinian communities, men should avoid shaking hands with women. Dress modestly when entering mosques, churches and synagogues. Remember that in a church you should remove your hat but when entering a synagogue cover your head. Remove your shoes before entering a mosque and note that by the door a shawl is usually available for women to cover their shoulders.
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Church is the largest denomination in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, having jurisdiction over more than half of Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre and a bigger portion of Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity than anybody else. Numerous other denominations claim bits and pieces of other holy sites and ownership is fiercely defended. When the Ottomans ruled Palestine they attempted to settle disputes by drawing up rights of possession for nine of the most important sites. This ruling is known as the ‘Status Quo’and is still applicable today.
LIFESTYLE The ‘melting pot’ description tagged onto Israel and the Palestinian Territories is not wholly accurate. Although Jews of various backgrounds have reunited in Israel, many still adhere to their traditional lifestyles and life at home is quite different for the secular and the religious. Added to this are Palestinian Christians and Muslims, who enjoy a different lifestyle altogether. The majority of people you can expect to meet are secular Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jews, whose lifestyle is not unlike that of any other Westerner from Sydney to Seattle. Because Israelis go to the army until age 20 and often take a gap year to travel abroad, university students are often aged 21 to 24. As a result, urbanites tend not to marry until their late 20s or early 30s and generally keep families small (two or three children). Family life is important but it’s not uncommon to encounter single parents or an older couple without children. Seniors are quite independent and often live alone or in retirement communities, although many are cared for by their children. Average Israeli salaries are in the neighbourhood of US$20,000 to US$25,000, which provides enough disposable income for leisure activities. On weekends Israelis flock to beaches or take driving and hiking trips in the countryside. When they get around to settling down they may return to the kibbutz where they grew up, or otherwise move to the suburbs and commute to work. Homes themselves are spacious; apartments may have three or four rooms while many private homes may have five rooms and multi-levels. Most homes also come equipped with a bomb shelter/basement that may have been converted into a guest room. Ultraorthodox communities are insular and more self-contained. Members of the community are free to travel as they please but dedication to study and commitments to a large family keep them close to home. Men often study in a seminary until marriage. Average earnings are lower in these communities and thus families of six, seven, eight or more people have less space to share in the home. Homes are simple and while they may be crammed with religious books, you probably won’t find a TV (although many do have radios and some computers for business purposes). Yiddish is still commonly spoken in the home as Hebrew is considered a sacred language not to be used in banal conversation. The role of women is crucial in managing these large families and while many stay at home, some work in teaching, clerical and smallbusiness jobs. Children live sheltered lives to maintain their strict religious upbringing. When they do travel, ultraorthodox Jews need to find restaurants and hotels that can cater to their religious obligations, which severely limits the places they can go. Religious affiliation influences the role of Israeli women in society. Secular women participate in all areas of the workforce and enjoy a freedom
Ha Buah (The Bubble) is a 2006 film directed by Eytan Fox. The movie showcases Tel Aviv and the ‘bubble’ life that its residents lead. Things go topsy-turvy when one of the main characters becomes romantically involved with a Palestinian.
Haredi marriages are often created through shidduch (match), a practice by which eligible singles are introduced to one another. A shadachan (matchmaker) does his or her business as a hobby but is often paid for their service if the proposed shidduch is successful.
The kibbutz program was the largest non-government collectivist movement ever attempted. Despite a slight fall in numbers since 1990, there are still around 116,000 people living on 266 kibbutzim in Israel.
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Golda Meir was the world’s third female prime minister and known as the ‘Iron Lady’ long before the nickname was bequeathed to Margaret Thatcher. She was born in Kiev, grew up in Wisconsin and then emigrated to British Mandate Palestine in 1921.
Goal Dreams is a documentary about the Palestinian national soccer team as it attempted to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. Directed by British Palestinian Maya Sanbad and American Jew Jeffery Saunders, its Israeli premiere took place in Abu Dis, where the movie was projected onto the Separation Wall.
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and prestige on par with European counterparts. Religious women, on the other hand, must abide by rules of modesty. They dress conservatively and do not socialise with men other than their husbands. The past three decades have seen changes within the conservative branch of Judaism, which allows women to participate with men in religious services. The rift between the religious and the secular has affected the demographics of the country. In particular, young secular Jews in Jerusalem are migrating to Tel Aviv while the ultraorthodox population in Jerusalem grows, thanks to a high birth rate. Relations between the two are not always kindly, particularly when a religious family moves into a secular neighbourhood. Family feuds have broken down into arguments, fighting, tire-slashing and the occasional deployment of riot police to keep order. Orthodox Jews and the right-wing Zionists (sometimes one and the same) often choose to live in West Bank settlements. These enormous gated communities are self-contained suburbs with shops, restaurants and community centres. There was a time before the first intifada when settlers visited Palestinian cities but these days there is virtually no communication between the Jewish and Arab neighbours. In Hebron there are almost daily reports of violence and stone throwing, most of it instigated by the settlers themselves. Zionist immigrants occasionally move to these West Bank settlements, but many newcomers are Russian Jews who end up in low-rent Israeli towns such as Be’er Sheva. Russian culture is still dominant in their communities and you’ll spot Russian newspapers, magazines and TV stations. While many immigrants still arrive, a few have gone back to where they came from, discouraged by the conflict or lured by a more tolerant and prosperous Russia; an estimated 57,000 people have moved back to Russia. The Palestinian lifestyle is based on Levantine traditions, the Muslim faith and an attachment to the land. In urban areas there is a tendency towards the adoption of a Westernised lifestyle and the internet cafés of Ramallah are as crowded as they are in Tel Aviv. Kids kick soccer balls and shoot hoops, while their fathers gather in coffeehouses to gossip and talk business. Attitudes towards women remain traditional although Palestinian women do enjoy more freedoms compared with some neighbouring Arab countries. Palestinian home life is centered on the dinner table and the daily gathering of the family to eat together. Friends and neighbours drop by for a chat and following the serving of tea may be invited for a meal. In towns and cities young people go out to movies and other social events, although interaction between men and women is conservative at best. Homes in most West Bank cities are made up of the nuclear family of five or six people. Grandparents sometimes share the home and help out with the children while the parents work. Houses range in size from stone-surfaced concrete boxes with two or three rooms to multi-storey villas with balconies. Most homes are modest but generally do have a garden with fruit- or nut-bearing trees, or a nearby family olive grove. Refugee camps are a rung below even the simplest village dwelling. Households are frequently small, poor and overcrowded and neighbourhoods lack green space and adequate infrastructure. There are high rates of illiteracy and a lack of skilled employment. Poverty has lured many to the mosque where they receive both charity and Islamic discourse, and in the case of Gaza a militant brand of Islam. Despite this, a visit to any Palestinian home brings smiling children who know of no other home, and a pleasurable welcome from adults for whom hospitality is a way of life. The conflict with Israel has had dramatic effects on the daily lives of many Palestinian families. Rates of unemployment are high and many
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people have friends or relatives who have either died in the conflict or are now held in Israeli prisons. There is an increasing rate of ‘absent workers’, people who are able to leave the country, work abroad and send money home. Limited mobility has also become a serious problem as checkpoints and walls have blocked access to schools, work opportunities and even friends and relatives.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS Israeli Government
Israel is a secular, parliamentary and democratic republic with a prime minister that is the head of government. The national legislature, the 120-member Knesset, is elected by proportional representation every four years (although historically elections are called early). Israel also has a president but the role is largely ceremonial. Although Israel has a secular government, church and state are not always separate. In fact, everything from the justice system, holidays and education, right down to the national anthem, is based on Judaism. A special government arm – the Ministry for Religious Affairs – is supposed to ensure no breaching of Jewish law, although many of the details tend to be overlooked. Israel’s leading party, Kadima (Forward), was founded in 2005 by Ariel Sharon following his sudden departure of the Likud Party. Kadima, which won 29 seats in the 2006 Parliamentary elections, is a centrist party that promotes a secular civil agenda. Its platform is based on partial disengagement from the Palestinian Territories, a reduction in the influence in Orthodox Jewish religious groups and a free-market economy with adequate welfare support. Sharon’s stroke in January 2006 brought his deputy Ehud Olmert to the head of the party and government. The left-leaning HaOvda (Labour) party came in second in the 2006 vote, winning 19 seats and an invitation to join Kadima in a coalition. Its leader, Amir Peretz, is the first Mizrahi Jew to lead a major party and was selected as Defence Minister in Olmert’s cabinet. Its founding ideology was one of Zionist Socialism (this was the party of David Ben Gurion), but has recently turned more dovish and has been compared to the Third Way of British Labour under Tony Blair. Israel’s third big political force is the centre-right Likud party, headed by Binyamin Netanyahu. The conservative party performed miserably in 2006, winning just 12 seats. Netanyahu, nicknamed ‘Bibi’, served as Finance Minister under Ariel Sharon but resigned in protest of the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. He now opposes disengagement from the West Bank. Around 20 other parties battled for seats in 2006. One of the big winners was Shas, the Sephardi Religious Party, which won 12 seats. Perhaps the biggest shock was that the newly formed Gil (Pensioners Party), which many voted for on a lark, ended up winning seven seats.
Palestinian Authority The Palestinian Authority (PA) was established in 1994 as an interim body that would rule for five years while a bona fide Palestinian government was established. According to the Oslo Accords the PA was to assume control over urban areas and villages in the Palestinian Territories (rural areas and roads were still to be under Israeli control). Ongoing failures at the negotiating table prevented the establishment of an independent state and the PA remains the governing body today.
The Fifty Years’ War (1999) by Ahron Bregman and Jihan El-Tahri is a comprehensive account of the Arab-Israeli conflict produced in an easily digestible format. It was produced by the BBC along with a documentary film of the same name.
The Israel Insider (www .israelinsider.com) is an online magazine with news comments and opinion on all things Israel.
Israel’s Ale Yarok (Green Leaf; http://elections.ale -yarok.org.il) political party, which advocates the legalisation of cannabis, gambling, prostitution and samesex marriage, won just 1.3% of the vote in the 2006 election.
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You can read up on the latest news reports from the Palestinian Territories by clicking on the website of the Palestine Media centre: www .palestine-pmc.com.
Hamas, by Matthew Levitt, is essential reading material for anyone interested in Palestinian politics. The wellresearched exposé details the rise of Hamas from terror network to political tour de force.
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The Palestinian Authority is headed by a president, elected once every four years. In January 2005 Mahmoud Abbas won the presidency with 62% of the vote. The Palestinian Legislative Council (Parliament) is a unicameral body with 132 members, who are elected from 16 districts in the West Bank and Gaza. The leading party in the Council selects a prime minister and a government. The oldest political party in the Palestinian Territories, Fatah (Conquest), was founded by Yasser Arafat and a handful of refugees in the late 1950s. Fatah is a secular, nationalist party that sits left of centre. For most of its early existence Fatah was a terror organisation that carried out attacks against Israeli targets in the Middle East and Europe in the 1970s. Attempts to reconcile with Israel brought it swiftly into the mainstream (for example, it outwardly renounced terror) and it ruled Palestinian politics until 2005, when its main rival Hamas won landslide victories in local elections. The charter of Hamas, written in 1988, calls for the destruction of the state of Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian Islamic state in what is now Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The party rode a wave of a popular support to victory in the January 2006 Parliamentary elections, winning 74 seats. Despite its rush into the international spotlight the party maintains its radical ideology, a decision that has kept it firmly on the terror watch list of most Western countries. The Hamas government is led by Ismail Haniya, 44, the former Dean of Gaza’s Islamic University. In the summer of 2006, following the kidnap-
MILITARY SERVICE Despite its military prowess, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) is one of the least disciplined armies in the Western world. Hang around any bus station across the country and you’ll spot male soldiers with eyebrow rings, female soldiers glossing their lips and a lot of lounging about and smoking of cigarettes. When military campaigns start to go badly, the soldiers bluntly tell reporters what a lousy job their commander-in-chief did in preparing for war and how their commanding officers really didn’t understand about how to fight their enemy. And you can dismiss the Hollywood army image of barking generals and cowering privates; Israeli soldiers and their superiors hold surprisingly casual and open dialogue. National service is compulsory for Jewish, Druze and Circassian men, and Jewish women, over the age of 18. Exceptions are made for people with physical or psychological problems, or those who will not join on religious grounds. Haredi men do not join the IDF, except for a select few who join Nakhal Haredi (p117). For most Israelis, the army is a rite of passage, something that their fathers, grandfathers and elder siblings all went through. Those who do not join are denied certain government benefits later in life, and this is enough to encourage the disinterested. When a male Israeli finishes his assignment he is still liable for yearly reserve duty until the age of 43. This service usually lasts for one month and is done with the same group of soldiers year after year. The camaraderie of a reserve unit is a crucial experience for Israelis and many look forward to their one month of male bonding duty. There are however, refusniks: reservists who protest serving in the West Bank for ideological reasons. Reserve units are not always called up but when they are the IDF must pay the soldier for his time. The IDF has housing for its soldiers but many simply live at home if their unit is nearby. Nearly all soldiers go home for the weekend and you’ll find them flocking to discos on Friday nights (wearing their civvies). Soldiers also use public transport to get to and from home and their army base or whatever war happens to be going on nearby, so you can expect to see soldiers everywhere on your travels. No soldier is ever allowed to leave their gun behind so M16s are everywhere, somewhat unnerving when you first arrive, but a part of life, nonetheless.
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ping of Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit, several Hamas MPs were captured and imprisoned by Israel. For more on Hamas, see p39.
ECONOMY Despite it lack of natural resources, Israel has developed a robust and diversified economy. Images of kibbutz farms are, however, a little obsolete, and the country is now a world leader in the tech industry. As a sign of the times, Newsweek recently named Tel Aviv one of the top 10 most technologically influential cities in the world. IBM is a major player but Israel has a total of 4000 technology companies, second only to California. IT spending is nearly US$4 billion annually. An extension of the tech boom is Israel’s manufacturing sector. The country produces aeronautical equipment, electronic and biomedical equipment and construction materials. Iscar, a world leader in metal working and metal cutting tools, recently caught the attention of American investor Warren Buffet, who bought 80% of the company for US$4 billion. Diamond cutting and polishing is also big business – the Israel Diamond Centre in Ramat Gan is the world’s largest diamond exchange. Israel’s economic miracle is not entirely homegrown; the US$3 billion per year aid package (most of which is for military spending) it receives from the USA accounts for 10% of the GDP. The economy is also greatly affected by its security issues and confrontations with its neighbours. The second intifada (2001–2005) stymied economic growth, largely due to the implosion of the tourism sector. In 2000 the country received 2.4 million tourists; recent years have seen the number cut in half. War does not come cheaply either; the second Lebanon War in 2006 cost Israeli taxpayers US$1.36 billion. Problems aside, Israelis have enjoyed the growth and the national average earning is around US$21,000 per year, ranking Israel in the top 30 countries worldwide. Palestinians, however, have shared in little of this prosperity. Many Palestinians who worked in Israel have been cut off from work, and job prospects in their own territory are gloomy at best. The average Palestinian in Gaza makes an abysmal US$600 per year, while in the West Bank the figure is around US$1100. Poverty is estimated at around 50%. A remittance economy supported by Palestinians abroad helps to support hundreds of families. The Palestinian economy includes a small-scale textiles industry, olive wood carvings and soap manufacturing. Olive and citrus farms still dot the countryside but land use has been affected by the construction of the Security Wall, which has slashed through open farmland. Palestinian farmers have also been severely affected by export restrictions to Israel and an inability to get their produce to market. This problem hit hard in Gaza, where vegetable growers had taken over the greenhouses left behind by departing settlers. The closure of checkpoint crossings prevented the farmers from exporting their crops and the incident became a media circus when the farmers staged a protest by throwing boxes of ripe tomatoes off the back of their trucks. The biggest of recent blows to the Palestinian economy came in the aftermath of the Hamas election in January 2006. Hamas’ refusal to recognise the state of Israel caused international donors (the USA and the EU) to suspend aid to the Palestinian Authority, while Israel cut the transfer of US$55 million in tax receipts. Civil servants were left unpaid while the cash deficit grew by US$110 per month. Heading off a humanitarian crisis, donors have circumnavigated the Hamas government by providing food and cash aid directly to charity groups.
Late Summer Blues (1988), directed by Renen Schorr, is a coming of age film about a group of seven Israeli high school students about to embark on their first year in the army. The film is set during the 1970 War of Attrition at the Suez Canal.
One of the more unusual films about life in the Israeli military is Yossi & Jagger (2002), a film by Eytan Fox about two gay soldiers in the IDF. The film is short at just 65 minutes but packs in a lot of human interest amid tragic surroundings.
Israel is ranked number two in the world for venture capital funds after the USA, and outside the USA and Canada Israel has the largest number of NASDAQ-listed companies.
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Palestinian men are the breadwinners in most families but in a typical household his wife runs the bank. After budgeting her husband’s earnings, she hands him back some walking-around cash, called ‘cigarette money’.
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If and when the borders are relaxed, Palestinians can expect a return to some form of normality. Before the military crisis of 2006 boiled over, Israel had arranged for 20,000 workers to enter Israel from the West Bank and a newly constructed passenger terminal at Erez is able to handle up to 35,000 commuters per day.
MEDIA
The 1990s brought changes in mass communication for both Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Until then, all Israeli TV and radio was partnered with the Israel Broadcast Authority. Now there is some competition from commercial TV stations, though radio is still state-run. The British Mandate and the rise of Palestinian nationalism produced the heyday of Palestinian print news in Jaffa and Haifa, now in Israel. What remained was the official Voice of Palestine broadcasting and a handful of publications. After the Oslo Accords, however, dozens of independent Palestinian outlets emerged, more limited by their repetitive theme of Israeli occupation than by official censorship, though critics of the Palestinian Authority are not lightly tolerated. Since the intifada of 2000, Israel has bombed or otherwise destroyed broadcast stations and Jerusalem Media & Inforstudios, including the Voice of Palestine tower. But the countless satellite mation Centre (www dishes on Palestinian roofs continue to pipe news in from Israel and the .jmcc.org) offers polls, Arab world. And the independent Palestinian News Network (www.pnn.ps) has services to journalists and a multilingual news website as a base for its satellite broadcast news. documentarians and the Israelis are avid news consumers, as much to see how their young nation Palestine Report (www is reflected in the international eye as to get the latest from their own report.palestinereport.org). Surf ers. Genuine strides are made in sustaining first-rate broadcast production or subscribe to http:// values and upholding journalistic standards. However, some efforts in the electronicintifada name of combating bias and strengthening democracy are exercises in fram.net for news digests of ing dissent. Certain coverage is automatically subject to censorship, such as the region with headlines military issues and Jewish immigration. Nevertheless, news unfavourable rephrased. The Alternato the administration does exist. In fact, Israeli newspaper reports on the tive Information Center conflict with the Palestinians frequently resemble Palestinian reports more gathers and uploads closely than those of major US outlets, the global-village gold standard. video and audio news of Considered Israel’s liberal paper, Ha’aretz publishes an Englishthe Territories (www language daily and website (www.haaretz.com). Balance that with the .alternativenews.org). Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com). At the height of violence in 2002, a Reporters Without Borders press freedom index showed Israel ranking at number 92 and the Palestinian Authority 82 out of 139 countries and territories. Northern Europe and Canada were in the single digits, while China and North Korea scraped the bottom. Arab countries in general got poor marks, with none makIsraelis have been found ing it into the top 50. Australia, the USA and the UK appeared in the to do more newspaper top 22 in that order. reading than most of the By 2005, the Palestinian Authority had dropped to 132, while Israel rest of the world. climbed to 47 out of 167. In both indexes, Israel lost points for violent Hebrew-language dailies and restrictive treatment of journalists (both foreign and domestic) in the of note are the everPalestinian Territories. The Territories lost points in 2002 for squelching popular Yedioth Ahronoth, the voices of Islamic fundamentalists, and later kidnappings of journalists with an English-language in Gaza tipped the scales against them. website (www.ynetnews For a mini media guide see p384.
.com), and also Maariv. The pinkish financial daily Globes has an English version online, too (www .globes.co.il).
ARTS For such a small region, Israel and the Palestinian Territories churn out a surprisingly varied assortment of films, books and musical styles, many of which make it to the international arena. Israel’s biggest arty festival
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is the Israel Festival (www.israel-festival.org.il), held annually in May and June in Jerusalem. Modelled on the Edinburgh festival, and with 40 to 50 events at a host of appealing venues, it’s well worth checking out. Although events in the Palestinian Territories are not held on quite the same scale, the Popular Art Centre (x02-40 3891; www.popularartcentre.org) in Al-Bireh has been running the Palestine International Festival annually since 1993. Plagued by problems of securing sponsorship, the event, held throughout the West Bank, nevertheless summons an impressive mixture of international and local musical and dance performers.
Literature Spend time in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem and you’ll probably encounter several of the grand pioneers of Israeli literature, since many central city streets are named after them. Hence, Haim Nahman Bialik, Shaul Tchernikowsky and Yosef Hayim Brenner, all of whom contributed to Palestine’s blossoming literary scene in the early 20th century, may sound curiously familiar. The novels and poems of Brenner, who died in the 1921 Arab riots, show both his passion for, and his criticism of, Zionism; his novel Breakdown and Bereavement deals with the lives of young Jewish pioneers under Ottoman rule and makes a vivid, haunting read. Rachel Bluwstein (1890–1931), known in Israel simply as Ra’hel, is the nation’s second greatest–loved poet after Bialik; many of her poems have also been incorporated into songs, and the collection Flowers of Perhaps: Selected Poems of Ra’hel is available in English translation. More recently, Yehuda Amichai (1924–2000) captured the public’s imagination with his gently ironic explorations of daily life. Acclaimed British poet Ted Hughes translated several of his collections, including Amen. In the mid-20th century, Israel’s first Nobel Literature Prize winner, SY Agnon, emerged as a powerful force on the international literary scene. His works are often concerned with the dichotomy between traditional Jewish and modern life; the novel that secured his stellar reputation was The Bridal Canopy (1931). The three contemporary Israeli prose writers most widely available in translation are Amos Oz, David Grossman and AB Yehoshua. Almost all of Oz’s works paint bleak but compelling pictures of an Israel few visitors encounter; My Michael tells the captivating, melancholy story of a young woman’s life during a grey Jerusalem winter. Haifa native Yehoshua, described by The New York Times as an Israeli Faulkner, particularly shines in The Lover, a tale of a man’s obsessive search for his wife’s lover, against the backdrop of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Until recent years, poetry remained the most common form of literary expression in Palestinian circles, and politically orientated poet Mahmoud Darwish is its leading force. Many of his works have achieved almost hymn-like status in Palestinian society; two recent collections, Unfortunately, it was Paradise and Why did You Leave the Horse Alone? are typically lyrical and nostalgic. It wasn’t until the ’60s that works of narrative fiction really began to filter into the Palestinian literary scene. Emile Habibi and Tawfiq Zayad, Israeli Arabs who served as long-term Israeli members of parliament, both wrote highly regarded works of fiction. Habibi’s The Secret Life of Saeed the Pesoptimist is a brilliant, tragi-comic tale dealing with the problems facing Palestinians who took on Israeli nationality after 1948. Meanwhile, the late Ghassan Kanafani’s stunning debut work Men in the Sun contains a novella and a collection of short stories delving into the lives, hopes and shattered dreams of a number of Palestinian characters. In 1972, Kanafani was killed by a car bomb in Beirut at just 36, leaving behind just a handful of works.
The Bethlehem Peace Center (p291) offers a broad range of interesting cultural activities yearround, including lectures, film screenings, exhibitions, and dance and theatre performances.
For modern Israeli poetry, dip into No Sign of Ceasefire: An Anthology of Contemporary Israeli Poetry. Featuring the work of 11 well-known Israeli poets, themes cover war, peace, spirituality, family and contemporary life in Israel.
Israel’s major literary festival is the International Jerusalem Book Fair (x 02-629 7922; www .jerusalembookfair.com), held biennially since 1963. Now a large international event, with over 40 countries in attendance, it’s here that the prestigious Jerusalem Prize for Literature is awarded.
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The books of Edward Said (1935–2003), Palestinian literary theorist and essayist, are good to delve into for non-fiction; his famous 1978 study Orientalism remains a fascinating and controversial work. Also look out for his acclaimed autobiography, Out of Place: A Memoir.
To listen to some genuine Palestinian folk music, go to www.barghouti .com/folklore/voice/. Many of the songs were recorded live at Palestinian weddings, where the art form continues to be practised at its best.
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In recent decades, great efforts have been made to bring the work of young Palestinian literary talent – especially female novelists – to the international public’s attention. The Project for Translation from Arabic, established in the ’70s by poet Salma Khadra Jayyusi, has aided the dissemination of works by female authors like Sahar Khalifeh, whose 2005 novel The Inheritance provides a frequently chilling insight into the lives of Palestinian women, both in the Palestinian Territories and abroad.
Music Aside from the tinny Arabic pop direct from Cairo that you’ll encounter every step of the way around the Palestinian Territories, you might also stumble across traditional folk music, dominated by the sounds of the oud (a kind of lute), daf (tambourine) and ney (flute). Thanks to a tenacious desire to stay close to their roots, Palestinians have managed to keep these melodious folk tunes alive and well, though their performance is limited largely to private events and small, local festivals. A phenomenon currently sweeping the Palestinian Territories is locally produced rap music. From Gaza’s first hip-hop group, PR (Palestinian Rappers), to the genre’s main exponents, Dam Rap (www.dam3rap.com), the music, which frequently deals with themes of occupation, difficulties of daily life and resistance, exists alongside the work of Palestinian rappers living abroad, such as the US-based Iron Sheikh. Dam Rap actually consists of a group of Israeli Arabs from the impoverished city of Lod, not far from Ben-Gurion airport. Identifying both with Palestinians and Israelis, they rap in a heady mixture of Hebrew, Arabic and English. Though Israelis remain Eurovision-mad, and if you visit at that time of the year there’s no escaping it, the country’s output is far more diverse than its Eurovision entries. Around half of what you’ll hear on the radio in Israel is homegrown Israeli fare, which can be divided into several distinct categories. First, there’s Mizrahi, or Eastern, music with its roots in the Arabic melodies of Yemen and North Africa. Usually sung in Hebrew, it has unmistakably Arabic undertones; Israeli singer Zahava Ben is one of the most famous of the genre, with a huge following in Egypt as well. Second, there’s Israeli rock, the same as rock the world over but with Hebrew lyrics, the territory of old, established bands like Machina – once Israel’s
MUSICAL YOUTH Continuing in the spirit of keeping Palestinian musical production alive and well, recent years have seen a massive revival in music teaching by Palestinian musicians concerned that it was rapidly falling off school curricula. A number of organisations have sprung up dedicated to getting Palestinian children immersed in music. The largest, most established of these schools is the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (x02-627 1711; http://ncm.birzeit.edu/; YWCA, Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem), with branches in East Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem, which trains young people in both traditional Palestinian instruments and in Western woodwind, string instruments, brass and piano. The school’s Palestine Youth Orchestra hosts excellent regular concerts in Ramallah and Jerusalem, well worth attending if you are in the area. Likewise, Al Kamandjati (www.alkamandjati .com) school in Ramallah and the National Centre of Music (x09-239 5202; www.ncomusic.com) in Nablus offer music classes to the poorest children living in camps across the West Bank; many of the kids acknowledge that music has transformed their spare time from throwing stones at Israeli tanks to practising a discipline that offers a release and a future. The Belgian-based Music Fund (www.musicfund.be) also supports these activities by frequently arriving in the region with supplies of donated instruments, to allow more and more children to join in this musical revolution. All of these organisations can be contacted if you’re interested in getting involved.
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VOICE FOR PEACE Michael Kohn Smadar Levi knows that her voice won’t solve the Middle East conflict, but recognises that a little bit of positive energy won’t hurt either. The Israeli singer-songwriter is building a name for herself as a voice of reason in a troubled landscape. She hails from Sderot, the small town in the Negev that has seen a constant barrage of Qassam rocket fire. But rather than dwelling on the negative, her lyrics describe peace between peoples, and she performs jointly with Arab and Israeli musicians. Her haunting voice is also a mixture of cultures – she sings in Arabic, Hebrew, Greek and Spanish, occasionally throwing in a bit of Ladino (Judeo-Spanish). Levi’s mixed Moroccan-Tunisian ancestry and upbringing in Israel supplied a multicultural base that was musically enhanced by her father, a singer himself. Her worldly outlook grew after her IDF service, when she packed her bags and set off for Europe. Wherever she went Smadar was attracted to music, and upon reaching New York in 2000 she assembled likeminded folk to work on a multiethnic music project. What evolved was a group of Israelis, Turks and Arabs playing a mix of Mediterranean and Gypsy sounds. Peace and unity are the main themes, with politics nowhere to be found. But the irony of an Israeli singing in Arabic does not go unnoticed and seems to be a political message in and of itself. See www.smadarlevi.com for details.
answer to Madness – and the extremely popular singer Shalom Hanoch. Third, and most prevalent, there’s the mainstream, anthemic music that Israelis really love. If you’re travelling by car with the radio on, you’ll know you’ve heard it when you’ve picked up several uplifting choruses within just a few hours; greats include Shlomo Artzi, Arik Einstein, Judith Ravitz and Matti Caspi. Newcomer Idan Raichel is well worth listening to, having made Ethiopian melodies popular to a mainstream audience by incorporating them into more conventional pop tunes. Israeli rap, too, has a good standing, artists including Subliminal, The Shadow and Shabak Samech. Israel also has a strong classical music tradition, largely the result of an influx of Jewish European musicians, fleeing from the spectre of Nazism prior to the outbreak of WWII. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, housed in Tel Aviv’s unimposing Mann Auditorium (p159), is world renowned, and if possible while in Israel, try to attend one of its ‘Philharmonic in Jeans,’ concerts, which offer a less stuffy ambience, free beer and snacks in the foyer, and an Israeli celebrity host between performances. Recently, traditional Jewish ‘soul’, known as Klezmer, has experienced something of a revival. Born in the Jewish communities of Central and Eastern Europe, its melodies can take you swiftly from ecstasy to the depths of despair and have their origins in traditional Jewish celebrations. The annual Klezmer festival in Tsfat (p281) draws around 10,000 to 15,000 visitors, mostly young people, in a uniquely mellow atmosphere, where secular and religious Israelis mix, listening to music in shady courtyards and alleyways.
Theatre & Dance Huge numbers of Israelis flock regularly to the theatre, especially in Tel Aviv where there’s a proliferation of companies and venues, and Jerusalem, where there are frequent festivals, both large and small. Most performances are in Hebrew, Russian or Yiddish, and especially popular are the late, great Israeli playwrights Hanoch Levin and Nissim Aloni, as well as contemporary writer, playwright and director, Yehoshua Sobol. The oldest and best-known theatre company is probably Habima (see p178), founded
For an inside look at the lives of Palestinian rappers, check out the film Slingshot Hip Hop. For information log on to www.slingshothiphop .com.
The Boombamela, held annually in March or April (www.boombamela.co.il) is an alternative beach music festival, with a distinctly New Age flavour. Dear beloved people, announces its website, We invite you to severance for a few days from the shrinking reality… In Boombamela land. See p390 for more details.
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Israel’s best festivals include the Abu Ghosh Vocal Music Festival (www.agfestival.co.il) in June, with liturgical music performed in two beautiful churches; Eilat’s Red Sea Jazz Festival (www .redseajazzeilat.com/EN/) in August; and, for dance music, Tel Aviv’s October Love Parade (www.layla .co.il/loveparade/).
The fantastic fringe Akko Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre (www .accofestival.co.il) hosts Israeli plays, kids’ performances and street theatre every year in October, during the Sukkoth holiday.
The International Centre of Bethlehem (Dar Annadwa; see p294), hosts a wide range of dance, theatre and arts events, as does the stateof-the-art Ramallah Cultural Palace (p303), built in collaboration between the UN, the Palestinian Authority and the Japanese government.
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by a group of Russian actors performing in Hebrew, who moved to Israel during the 1920s and ’30s. Israeli theatre fare can generally be divided into one of four distinct forms. First, there’s the perennially popular all-singing, all-dancing big budget production, usually imported, and consisting of standard musical fare direct from the West End or Broadway, albeit usually translated into Hebrew. Local musicals, such as Ha’lehaka (The Band) are surefire hits across the board. Next come solid, classic works-in-translation: Ibsen, Miller, Tennessee Williams, and a good bit of Shakespeare thrown in, and third, the manifold stand-up comedy and satire shows to which Israelis young and old flock on Friday nights. Finally, and most significantly, there’s the ‘social commentary’ play – in which Israeli theatre has its roots, and which is just as prevalent and relevant today – tackling the hot political topics and social issues of the moment. In recent years, refuseniks, the West Bank occupation, suicide and homosexuality within Orthodox Judaism have all been thoroughly explored onstage; Phallus HaKadosh (The Holy Phallus), a male response to the Vagina Monologues starring Yuval Cohen, and the internationally acclaimed Plonter, directed by Yael Ronen and examining IsraeliPalestinian relations with a mixed Jewish and Arab cast, are two successful examples of viewing contemporary Israeli society from within the confines of the black box. Throughout the last century, Palestinian theatre has suffered a series of setbacks, first due to the British Mandate, when English-language plays were promoted and local works frequently censored, through to today, when travel restrictions and a poor economy mean that many have neither the opportunity nor the resources to attend the theatre. Nevertheless, theatre struggles on, and the Palestinian National Theatre (www.pnt-pal.org) in East Jerusalem, founded in 1984 by the ElHakawati Theatre Company, is one of the largest centres for Palestinian theatre, with regular performances. Al-Kasaba Theater and Cinematheque (see p301) in central Ramallah is the only professionally equipped theatre in the West Bank with a main auditorium and a smaller studio theatre. Despite the problems, some important Palestinian playwrights have still emerged in the last century. One of the most prolific Palestinian playwrights was Jamil Habib Bahri, who worked largely in the 1920s, and produced popular tragedies such as The Traitor and For the Sake of Honour. Gaza City hosted its first international theatre festival in the summer of 2005, but was unable to repeat it in 2006 due to travel restrictions on Palestinians within Gaza and on foreigners coming to the area from elsewhere. Organiser Sami Abu Salem (
[email protected]) is working hard, however, to ensure the festival in coming years. There are several renowned professional dance troupes working in Israel, and smaller groups produce a large amount of experimental dance. The Bat Sheva company founded by Martha Graham and housed at the Suzanne Dellal Centre (see p178) in Tel Aviv is probably the best known. Acclaimed choreographer Ohad Naharin is the company’s house choreographer. For something completely different, Israel’s answer to Stomp is Jaffa-based Mayumana (see p186). Catch one of their noisy, raucous, energetic shows if they’re not off on tour. Another dance form popular in Israel is hora, a form of folk dancing with its origins in Romania. The best place to see this is at the Carmiel Dance Festival (x04 988 1111; www.dancefest.karmiel.israel.net), held over three days in early July. Palestinian dance, too, largely consists of folk dancing, the main type being dabka.
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THE WRITING ON THE WALL Most images of Israel’s contentious ‘security wall’, which snakes for several hundred miles across the West Bank, show faceless grey stretches of dismal concrete panelling, topped by armed guards perched in precarious watchtowers and flanked by a rubble-strewn ‘exclusion zone’ writhing with barbed wire. But, just like the Berlin Wall of the 1980s, it has developed a second face, metamorphosing into a blank canvas for artistic outpourings, most of which appear on its eastern – Palestinian – side. Some of the myriad messages painted on its smooth surface speak of hope; others are angry; still more are defiant or ironic. There are graffiti projects by international professionals, simple painted murals created by schoolchildren, and visitors’ spray-canned protests in a spectrum of languages. Some Palestinians think the ‘writing on the wall’ is an important form of communication with the outside world; others feel that painting on it legitimises its existence and simply shouldn’t be done at all. The most heavily decorated section of wall is to the left of the Bethlehem checkpoint as you enter from Israel, and further on to the right, towards Aida Refugee Camp. British graffiti artist Banksy (www.banksy.co.uk) is one of the most well known to add his mark, along with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, who appropriately added his own lyrics from ‘The Wall’ to the real thing.
One of the best groups to catch performing while in the area is El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe (x02 240 2853; www.el-funoun.org), based in AlBireh in the West Bank.
Visual Arts In 1906, the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Crafts was established in Jerusalem to encourage young Jewish artists to study in Palestine. Today it remains one of the most exciting forces on Israel’s art scene, with its Masters program now located in Tel Aviv. From 1910, Tel Aviv became the Israel’s main centre of artistic production and innovation, with young artists depicting exotic Middle Eastern themes in a primitive style. During the 1930s, art became more heavily influenced by the bold forms of German expressionism, with German Jewish artists fleeing to find refuge in Palestine. Then, after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the influential New Horizons group emerged, which strove to create art in line with emerging European movements and stayed the dominating force on the Israeli arts scene until the ’60s. From New Horizons came Marcel Janco, an immigrant from Romania, who studied in Paris and with Tristan Tzara became one of the founders of Dada. A museum of his work is in Ein Hod (see p208), the artists’ village he established in the ’50s. Meanwhile, the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion (see p159), annexed to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, hosts exhibitions of innovative contemporary Israeli art. Due to the sad necessity for monuments to those killed throughout Israel and the Palestinian Territories’ turbulent history, sculpture is also a prominent art form in the country. From Avraham Melnikoff’s huge stone lion at Tel Hai (p265), to Dani Karavan’s Monument to the Negev Brigade outside Be’er Sheva (p331), you’re sure to see memorial sculptures in stone or metal, or even utilising fragments from a tragedy, almost anywhere you go in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Contemporary Palestinian art, which became a force apart from traditional Palestinian craft-based art during the 1960s, is a rapidly growing international force. The late Ismail Shammout and his partner Tamam Shammout were a renowned artist couple working in Jordan (see www .shammout.com). The best places for exhibitions of Palestinian visual art
Al Rowwad theatre group (x 02 275 0030; www .alrowwad.virtualactiv ism.net) in Aida Camp is an excellent children’s theatre troupe that frequently tours internationally. With a number of theatre and educational projects on the go at any one time, director Abdel Fattah Abu-Srour welcomes volunteers.
Nahum Gutman, whose intimate Gutman Museum (www.gut manmuseum.co.il) is situated in Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv, was a major figure on the Israeli art scene throughout the 20th century.
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Ein Hod, 20km south of Haifa, is an excellent place to dip into Israel’s home grown arts and crafts scene (www.ein-hod .israel.net), as are the ‘old city’ districts of Jaffa and Tsfat, both of which have close-knit resident artistic communities.
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in the region are at the Arts & Crafts Village in Gaza City (p361), the Bethlehem Peace Center (p291) and Dar Annadwa (p294) in Bethlehem, and the Khalil Sakakini Centre (p303) in Ramallah. On the international scene, artist Emily Jacir recently exhibited at the Venice Bienniale, while Rana Bishara and Larissa Sansour were both shown at the Tate Modern in London. One distinct visual art form particularly strong within Palestinian society is the political cartoon. Female Palestinian cartoonist Omayya Joha (www.omayya.com) and the late Naji al-Ali are two of the best-known creators in the genre. Their work is characterised by bitter criticism of Israel, the USA and, in the case of Omayya, Palestinian society itself. Her husband, an alleged Hamas operative, was killed in an Israeli army raid in Gaza in 2003. Al-Ali was assassinated in London in 1987, but his work seems just as timely today.
Cinema Two good websites to explore contemporary Palestinian artists are www.jerusalemites .org/artist/index.htm and www.sakakini.org/visual arts/visualarts.htm.
Chaim Topol, of Fiddler on the Roof fame, can be frequently spotted sipping cappuccinos in the cafés around Ben Yehuda St in Tel Aviv. Sit next to him, and you’ll find it impossible to prevent yourself from humming ‘If I were a rich man…’
Israeli cinema has come a long way since the light, comic borekas movies that dominated big screens during the ’70s. Nowadays, Israeli films have hit international headlines, from the Oscar-nominated 2002 documentary Promises, portraying the lives of seven Israeli and Palestinian children, to the Cesar-nominated 2004 Walk on Water, which deals with the relationship between the young, gay, German grandson of a Nazi war criminal, and an Israeli Mossad agent. In 2005, Israeli actress Hannah Laslo also won the Best Actress accolade at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Amos Gitai’s Free Zone. During filming, co-star Natalie Portman caused uproar among the ultraorthodox community by filming a kissing scene near the Western Wall in Jerusalem. A number of other worthwhile recent movies delving into worlds not often encountered by the visitor include Campfire (2004), in which a 42year-old widow and her daughters attempt a fresh start to life in a settlement, Ushpzin (2004), family drama Broken Wings (2002), and The Syrian Bride (2004), in which a young Druze woman is set to leave Israel forever, to marry a Syrian TV star she has never met. The Palestinian Territories have recently had their own share of international acclaim with the controversial, Oscar-nominated Paradise Now, directed by Hany Abu-Assad, which puts a handsome human face to Palestinian suicide bombers. Feature-film production within the Palestinian Territories, however, is hampered through lack of financing, film education and resources. Thus, most of its well-known movies, such as Divine Intervention by director Elia Suleiman and Attente by Rashid Mashrawi, are international productions shot, but not completely produced, in the region. The AM Qattan foundation (www.qattanfoundation.org) is hoping to change all this, having embarked on an ambitious Palestinian Audio-Visual Project to give a group of promising young film-makers a professional film education, in order to hopefully one day truly situate cinematic production within the Territories. Israel and the Palestinian Territories provide the backdrop for a host of extremely powerful documentaries. Worthwhile watching are Mohammed Bakri’s Jenin, Jenin (2002), Juliano Mer Khamis’s Arna’s Children (2003), the hard-hitting Death in Gaza (2004), which resulted in the death of its UK director James Miller, and Yoav Shamir’s 5 Days, which documents the 2005 Israeli pullout from Gaza. To take the edge off these tension-filled flicks, check out Ari Sandel’s zany West Bank Story (2005; www.westbankstory.com), a modern spoof on the musical West Side Story.
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Architecture Modern Palestinian architecture is largely functional and uninspiring; refugee camps across the West Bank and Gaza gained an air of permanence, which many Palestinians dislike, when temporary shelters began to be replaced by poor-quality, quickly built accommodation designed to house as many people as possible. On the other hand, the preserved or restored structures of bygone eras, exemplified in and around Bethlehem, show the beauty of Palestine’s traditional architecture; the Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation (x02-295 8187; www.riwaq.org) in Ramallah works hard to preserve and document traditional Palestinian buildings, from rural stone farmhouses to ancient mosques. Similarly, with the exception of the ancient cities such as Jerusalem and Akko, and restored early settlements like Rosh Pina and Metula, modern Israel isn’t known for its terrific architecture. Across the country you’ll see dull utilitarian structures filling kibbutzim and tightly packed concrete apartment blocks built to cater for the immigration boom of the ’50s and ’60s. Soulless new developments such as Modi’in blend into the rocky landscape between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem about as well as Caeasarea’s looming electricity plant does on its stretch of idyllic Med coastline. But look behind the modern mess and decrepitude and there are still treasures to be found. Tel Aviv is a bastion of glorious Bauhaus design, so much so that in 2004 Unesco saw fit to bestow the title World Heritage Site upon the city. Not all the Bauhaus treasures have yet been renovated; many remain tumbledown and unkempt. But gradually, scaffolding has started to go up across the city as more and more developers see the potential in restoring these buildings to their former glory. A few new modern buildings are bucking the trend: the Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv, the Sail Building in Haifa and, somewhat surprisingly, the Hekhal HaTarbut in Ashdod.
Two active Palestinian community film projects are the Balata Refugee Camp Film Collective in the West Bank (www .balatacamp.net/website /balata.htm) and Qisat Nas Community Film School in Gaza. (www .qisatnas.org.uk/home/). Both have excerpts of their documentaries viewable online.
Tel Aviv’s large documentary festival, DocAviv (www.docaviv.co.il), is held at the Tel Aviv cinematheque in April and May. In mid July, the prestigious Jerusalem International Film Festival (www.jff.org.il) at its Cinematheque attracts around 50,000 visitors each year.
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Environment
FOR THE BIRDS
Professor Alon Tal
NATURAL DIVERSITY Professor Alon Tal founded the Israel Union for Environmental Defense and the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, and has served as chair of Life and Environment, Israel’s umbrella group for green organisations. For more biographical information, see p16.
In The Natural History of the Bible (2006), Daniel Hillel, a world-renowned soil physicist and expert in water management, brings a lifetime of passion for nature in Israel and his eclectic personal knowledge to illuminate local ecology’s influence on the people and world of the Scriptures.
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There is very little that is ‘normal’ about Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Even ecologically and environmentally, the place is fairly extraordinary – for better and for worse. Anyone who opens a Bible cannot help but notice that the land of Israel, relative to its size, is teeming with life: nature served as a central inspiration and motif for psalmists, prophets and subsequent pilgrims. The land’s location as the meeting point of three continents made it a strategic asset for conquerors for millennia, but it also created an ecological smorgasbord. African-tropical mammals such as the hyrax exist next to oriental-tropical mammals such as the porcupine, and the relatively rare European marten. In the arid southlands, travellers can feel an African influence in the isolated acacia stands, the nimble antelopes and the ornate horns of the ibex. It takes patience and luck to see them, but hyenas and leopards still prowl the night while a wide variety of reptiles are evident during the day, notwithstanding the harsh conditions of the Negev Desert. To the north, Mediterranean forests with their gnarled oaks, almonds and sycamores can be found in the Carmel and Meron regions. They offer what may be the most authentic examples of the original wooded vistas that provided the scenery in such biblical tales as the slaying of Absalom in Gilead or the imagery for Isaiah’s prophecies. Today’s inventory shows that Israel and the Palestinian Territories are home to almost 700 vertebrates, including 518 bird species, more types of bats than all of Europe, and 2600 plant species, including 130 that are endemic. It wasn’t always so. The introduction of firearms during the 19th century soon led to the devastation of several populations of large mammals and birds. Cheetahs, bears, ostriches and crocodiles were just a few of the animals hunted out of existence. Yet a determined policy of conservation during much of modern Israel’s history has stemmed this tide. Forty years ago, an initiative known as Hai Bar (literally ‘wildlife’) returned several species of animals that appear throughout the Bible, but later disappeared, unable to withstand the heavy hand of human hunters. Hai Bar involves collecting a small pool of rare animals and patiently breeding them until they can be gradually returned into a natural habitat. In a parallel initiative, birds of prey whose populations were ravaged by profligate pesticide usage during the 1950s were also gradually returned. While some zoologists question the authenticity of a few of the mammal species, the program has largely been a success. Starting with the wild ass, a favourite specimen in Isaiah’s prophesies, other animals were quietly reintroduced to the country’s open spaces. A small group of Persian fallow deer was secretly flown in from Iran in 1981 on the last El Al flight to leave before Khomeini’s revolution. These shy animals have taken hold in the breathtaking Galilee reserve of Akhziv and around the hills that lead to Jerusalem. The lovely Arabian oryx, whose straight parallel horns gave Crusaders the impression that they were unicorns, are also back. The two Hai Bar centres are being downsized, having completed most of their reintroductions, but are still well worth a visit for animal or Bible fans. Much of the natural wetlands that once characterised the central and northern parts of Israel and the Palestinian Territories have long since been drained and disappeared, erasing much of their unique flora and fauna. But small sanctuaries such as Ein Afek and Huleh preserve the feel
A common misconception is that birds migrate because they can’t take the cold. In fact, their feathers warm them enough to survive brutal winters. Rather, birds ‘fly south’ to find food. When frozen ground starts to limit insect supplies and vegetation, they leave chilly Europe and Asia for Africa each autumn. But it is unwise to stay there beyond the winter. The competition for food is simply too stiff to find the extra calories needed for breeding. So they head back home where they can feast on the once-again abundant insects. The transition back and forth means that twice a year, half a billion birds of every conceivable variety soar along the Syro-African rift, the largest avian fly way in the world. Compressed into a narrow corridor along the eastern edge of Israel and the Palestinian Territories, the topography creates astonishing opportunities for bird-watchers. A number of sites offer rewarding experiences even for those who are not inclined to rise before the sun, binoculars in hand, to identify arcane avian species: In the northern Galilee, a project to reflood a small corner of the Huleh Valley attracts thousands of cranes that stay the winter months in this lovely reserve, along with pelicans and other creatures. For more information, visit www.zimmer.co.il/agmon-hahula. The International Center for the Study of Bird Migration (www.birds.org.il) in Latrun sports a radar system that allows children around the world to track birds on their migration routes. The lovely desert community of Kibbutz Lotan (www.birdingisrael.com) has a wonderful guesthouse and ecological education programs that include introductions to birding See p344). Perhaps the most impressive initiative is the Eilat International Bird Center (www.birds-eilat .com), run by ornithologist extraordinaire Reuven Yosef. An old garbage dump has been restored as a lovely salt marsh with replanted natural flora and small reservoirs. The myriad of exhausted birds that survive the perilous flight over the Sahara and then cross the Red Sea refuel here before continuing on their journey to the north.
of the original local swamps, with a rich assortment of birds and even lumbering water buffalo. Plants, like animals, have benefited from Israel’s conservation policies. An aggressive national campaign during the 1960s convinced the public to refrain from picking the astonishing assortment of wildflowers. From January through to March, the hillsides explode with carpets of blossoming colours that more than justify a ride to the countryside. The anemones and cyclamens at the Be’eri Forest in the northern Negev and the Beit Keshet forest near Nazareth are particularly astonishing. Irises can be found in the Gilboa reserve, and native orchids in the Jerusalem hillsides. Israel’s 128 surviving indigenous mammal species for the most part hold a steady-state condition, due to the strong regulation of hunting and a system of nature reserves comprising some 25% of the land. However, nature reserves are no panacea for biodiversity loss. Many are miniscule in size and isolated, providing only limited protection for local species. Moreover, many of the reserves in the south are also used as military firing zones. Sometimes this overlap works to nature’s advantage, as the army can be sensitive in setting aside buffer zones, and civilian visitors are only allowed in on weekends and holidays. But the heavily armed soldiers, tanks and bombers are hardly innocuous for many of the nonhuman inhabitants of these lands.
HUMAN SETTLEMENT The term ‘wilderness’ in this ancient land is something of a misnomer. People have literally roamed the seemingly empty desert regions from
For good leads on ecotourism destinations, have a look around www .ecotourism-israel.com.
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The Environment in Israel (2002) by Shoshana Gabbay was produced for the Ministry of Environment’s submission to the World Summit for Sustainable Development. It contains all the data any policy wonk could dream of, written clearly and coherently. It’s available online at www.sviva.gov.il.
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time immemorial. There is hardly a corner of the countryside that does not show some signs of human activity, as can be seen in the countless archaeological remains, some going back 120,000 years. This ecological footprint was not always a destructive one. For example, researchers have pretty strong evidence suggesting that pastoral activities have been a net contributor to the area’s biodiversity, especially the rich variety of winter plants. Not only did the grazing flocks of sheep and goats leave behind fertilisers, but they also seem to have checked the unfettered spread of other dominant species. This may be one of the reasons why dry lands in Israel and the Palestinian Territories support many times more the species density of climatically comparable areas in the American southwest. The litany of conquerors also had an impact. For much of the past 2000 years, the land of Israel and the Palestinian Territories was relegated to colony status. Distant governments squeezed maximal taxes from the poor local population, with little interest in restoration or stewardship. The local Arab peasant population (known locally as ‘fellaheen’) was pushed into a subsistence poverty that often left them without the resources to maintain the terraced agriculture and crop rotation that were part of a sustainable biblical farming system. A steady process of deforestation and loss of land cover was accelerated by overgrazing and woodcutting. When American novelist Mark Twain visited the country in 1867, his bestselling travelogue, The Innocents Abroad, documented a barren, desertified countryside: ‘Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country. No landscape exists that is more tiresome to the eye than that which bounds the approaches to Jerusalem’. The Ottoman military felled huge wooded swaths during WWI as its military beefed up the railways to supply troops who faced the approaching British army. Aerial photographs from the period confirm that the destruction of local oak forests was almost complete. Yet, in contrast to many countries in the region that seem resigned to perennial land degradation, the Israeli landscape today reflects an impressive national restoration effort. Long before Zionists gained the upper hand politically, its European settlers were involved in an afforestation campaign that led to the planting of over 260 million trees during the past 60 years. The Jewish National Fund (JNF) is technically a corporation, owned by the Jewish people through the World Zionist Organisation (WZO). Over a century ago it was given a mandate of ‘redeeming the Land of Israel’. With the completion of the country’s 1948 Arab-Israeli War (p35), real estate acquisition ceased to be a priority, so Israel turned its attention to afforestation. The JNF’s aggressive campaign to create pine forests across the country was for many years the subject of criticism by ecologists, who disliked the mechanically planted conifer monocultures, and of resentment by Arab citizens, who saw the forests as symbols of Jewish domination. During the past decade, however, the organisation has grown far more sensitive and sophisticated ecologically, diversifying its plantings and relying largely on local species while preserving native vegetation. Today a statutory master plan has zoned some 10% of the countryside as forests, which serve a variety of recreational and ecological functions. These parks dot the roadsides of Israel and are popular picnic sites for millions of Israelis. For Jews around the world, planting trees has become synonymous with expressions of solidarity with the State of Israel. Most of the forests lack the authenticity of old-growth woods. But afforestation nonetheless constitutes a significant achievement in landscape restoration, most notably in the desiccated south, where pine stands thrive in areas with as little as 100mm precipitation.
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Afforestation and a controlled grazing program were crucial parts of reversing desertification trends that for so long appeared unyielding across the region. But it is agricultural production that truly made ‘the desert bloom’. During its first 60 years, while the country’s population grew sevenfold, agricultural production expanded 16-fold, largely in the semiarid and arid regions.
WATER MANAGEMENT In the hydrological equivalent of socialism, as soon as Israel declared independence it began to plan the transport of water from the wealthy (and wet) Galilee to the dryer south. These infrastructure projects were incredibly ambitious for a newborn, developing nation, burning much of the available foreign currency. But by the 1960s, prodigious quantities of water were piped down to the Negev Desert and the farming settlements flourished. Nisan Tsuri, the octogenarian curator of the somewhat obscure Museum of Water & Security in Kibbutz Niram, near Ashkelon, offers fascinating insights into the effort. Mekorot, the country’s national water utility, runs visitor centres at Merkaz Sappir on the Sea of Galilee and in the centre of the country, which are worth the time for the hydrologically curious. At the same time, the country was also technologically ambitious. The Israeli public once overwhelmingly voted drip irrigation to be the greatest Israeli invention in its history – ahead of even the Epilady hair removal system and ICQ computer chat software. When coupled with an uncommon alacrity for recycling sewage, drip irrigation transformed large areas of the parched southlands into a new agricultural heartland. Not that these bold water projects were without environmental ramifications. During the 1950s, the Huleh wetlands in the northern Galilee were drained to create farmland, and with them a natural wonderland and key nutrient sink for the Sea of Galilee was obliterated. The water from the Jordan River basin and the Sea of Galilee are naturally quite salty, exacerbating the problem of overpumping that has salinised groundwater along the coast. Lacking their natural flow, the country’s streams became perennial conduits of sewage, which even today are not treated at a sufficiently high level to serve as aquatic habitat. The priority given to providing water for agriculture came at the expense of many natural ecosystems that became parched or disappeared altogether. Some of the polluting side effects have been mitigated through upgrading of waste treatment, new-generation subsurface irrigation and a general heightened environmental sensitivity. But some have not. The most conspicuous victim of Israel’s water management initiatives has been the Dead Sea (see Dead Healthy?, p323). Present flow into the world’s lowest and saltiest lake is one billion cu metres of water less than reaches it naturally. As a result, the sea is rapidly disappearing, with water levels dropping at 1.2m per year. Sinkholes have begun to form around the banks, posing a safety hazard and undermining agriculture and the tourist trades. Proposals to return flow via a ‘Red-Dead’ conduit that would bring water from the Red Sea, although enthusiastically supported by Jordan, remain unfunded and environmentalists are ambivalent about possible impacts. Water harvesting and desalination also contribute to Israel’s water management strategy. Years ago, the ancients channelled the rare desert cloud bursts to support agriculture. Today, travellers can visit a reconstructed ancient Nabatean farm, founded by a local legend, the late Professor Eben Ari, just south of Sede Boqer in the Negev. In recent years the JNF has invested heavily in constructing reservoirs that now harvest some 7% of the country’s water resources from rains.
Statistics suggest that Israel’s drinking water quality has improved over the years and is potable, but a growing number of Israelis put their trust in bottled mineral waters.
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THE PALESTINIAN ENVIRONMENT In many ways, Palestinians face a ‘developing nation’s’ environmental profile. Quantities of available fresh water lag behind Western standards and existing infrastructure is often defective. For example, in many Palestinian cities, as much as half the water is lost to leakage. Drinking water purification is not uniform and the incidence of water-borne intestinal disease is high, especially among children. Sewage treatment in major cities, such as Hebron and Nablus, is virtually nonexistent, although grants from international donors are beginning the process of upgrading. The West Bank’s ecological situation, however, is quite reasonable compared with that of the Gaza Strip. Nitrate levels and salinity in Gaza’s aquifers were already excessive during the period of Egyptian control before 1967 and have reached crisis levels. Dozens of unlicensed wells, dug after Israel evacuated the region, exacerbate the massive seawater intrusion. Very little land that can be called open space remains in the Gaza Strip. Wadi Gaza, its only freshwater stream and wetland system, has largely become a garbage dump. In contrast to the general Palestinian economic destitution, some of the traditional fellah pastoralism and old agrarian culture still survives and makes for scenic vistas. Local architecture retains much of its traditional charm, with sensitively sited stone homes, flowing with the ancient lands. The olive tree remains more than a national symbol, but a cultural and economic resource. And the absence of heavy industrial infrastructure has an upside in terms of environmental health. Ongoing tensions have made it virtually impossible for Palestinian environmentalists and government agencies to meaningfully address their enormous environmental challenges. The present dynamics have left a perception that issues such as nature conservation and even air pollution are something of an irrelevant luxury. There are undoubtedly transboundary environmental aspects to the conflict. For example, disagreement over water rights to the mountain aquifer remain unresolved. (Much of the rain recharging the aquifers falls in the Palestinian West Bank, but the wells have historically been located in pre-1967 Israel.) Palestinian sewage contaminates Israeli streams and groundwater and Israeli air pollution wafts eastward to the West Bank. The separation wall being constructed by Israel has been criticised along ecological lines for fragmenting habitats. The unspoken demographic race between the Israeli and Palestinian nations creates population densities that are almost unbearable in Gaza and undermine progress elsewhere. The years of Israeli occupation have created a robust culture of nongovernment organisations, many of which do superb work in the environment. Most Palestinian universities have environmental science departments with highly qualified faculty. The Palestinian National Authority’s Ministry of Environment and Palestinian Water Authority have extremely meagre resources and their regulatory presence, predictably, is woefully insufficient. There is a strong sense that most Palestinian environmental problems will have to wait for a final resolution of the broader conflict. It is quite possible that negotiations surrounding a final settlement may produce environmental dividends, and there is a strong history of environmental cooperation between professionals on each side. Spurred on by years of creative funding by international aid and philanthropy, several collaborative environmental projects between Israelis and Palestinians, particularly in research, persist even during the worst periods of friction.
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DEVELOPMENT PERILS & SUCCESSES The population of Israel and the Palestinian Territories has grown by over a million people a decade since 1948, making today’s population roughly seven times larger than it was at the time of Israel’s independence. Simultaneously, Israel, initially a poor developing nation, has given rise to a moderately prosperous Western economy. The ensuing industrialisation, construction and enthusiasm for highways have generated pollution and sprawl comparable to those of other Western countries. However, because of the country’s small size, they are often felt more acutely. If Israel has been innovative in water management, it has fallen far behind in other areas. For example, air pollution in Israeli and Palestinian cities periodically reaches dangerous levels. On the solar energy front, little has improved since a 1970s building code required that all homes install solar panels to heat water, though the Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center at the University’s Sede Boqer campus offers a fascinating technological tour. (Reservations can be made by calling Shoshana Dann at x08-659 6934.) Local waste management is surprisingly ‘retro’, with recycling rates modest. Trash burial at inexpensive and municipal landfills is the default option, despite the dwindling reserves of real estate available for landfills. Sprawl has also emerged as a serious problem, as a more affluent Israel has begun to generate inefficient land-use patterns. In the past, most residential structures involved apartment buildings, but Israelis’ aspirations to move out into ‘villas’ have led to a proliferation of low-density communities based on two-cars-per-family lifestyles. Open spaces have given way to roads and suburbs. Environmentalists have fought hard to stop this trend, but with only isolated success. During the late 1990s, a major campaign to curb the construction that encroaches on the beaches produced results. A law now protects the coastline, banning construction within 300m of the sea and guaranteeing access along the beach. Israel’s environmental movement has grown more powerful in recent years. At local government level, green parties have begun to find a constituency, with deputy mayors in Haifa and Tel Aviv hailing from the local Greens. As the country begins to adopt European standards and many industries become more environmentally conscientious, progress is becoming more conspicuous. For example, shipping practices and oil tankers used to make swimming in the Mediterranean a dreadful experience, with bathers’ feet clogged by ubiquitous black tar. After 32 years of new standards and oversight, the problem has largely disappeared. However, the sheer increase in population continues to make sustainable development a critical national challenge.
ROAD MAP TO THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT This is a small percentage relative to that provided by reverse osmosis technology, which will soon manufacture 20% of Israel’s water supply. A breakthrough in the efficiency of the membranes through which sea water is filtered allowed for a substantial drop in prices. For 50¢, new drinkingwater plants along the Mediterranean coast can produce 1000L of water. The Ashkelon Desalination Plant, the world’s largest reverse osmosis facility, makes a fascinating visit but security is tight; groups can call the Israel Water Commission (x03-636 9710) in advance. The energy demands of these facilities are prodigious, and their discharged brine, which contains concentrations of chemicals and metals, may have its consequences when returned to the sea. Generally, there is prevailing optimism that innovation will resolve the chronic water scarcity and sustain the country’s agricultural community.
The following is a brief green ‘who’s who’ in Israel and the Palestinian Territories and how to find them on the internet. Depending on specific circumstances, most of these organisations are happy to accommodate volunteers. Adam Teva V’din (Israel Union for Environmental Defense; www.iued.org.il) Israel’s premier advocacy organisation takes advantage of the local court’s liberal standing policies to sue polluters and lethargic government agencies. Lots of information about pollution indicators and environmental health. Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem (www.arij.org/) An independent research institution with a strong advocacy bent, whose publications tend to be somewhat polemical, with an overtly anti-Israel orientation. Arava Institute for Environmental Studies (www.arava.org) This centre for teaching and research at the lovely oasis Kibbutz Ketura brings together young Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians. Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (http://bidr.bgu.ac.il/bidr/) The epicentre of research and training about desertification and sustainable living in the dry lands.
In the great Israeli tradition of shameless self-promotion… If you liked this chapter, you’ll love Alon Tal’s Pollution in a Promised Land: An Environmental History of Israel (2002), a comprehensive and inspirational ecological journey through Israel’s past century.
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GREEN TEAMS The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI; www.teva.org.il in Hebrew, www.aspni.org in English), which is charged with the conservation and protection of antiquities, wildlife and the environment, is an excellent source of information for travellers. At the main offices in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem you’ll find outdoor shops selling a range of nature and wildlife publications. The SPNI also runs field trips and tours, and operates 10 field schools, where enthusiastic specialists can provide information on local hikes, wildlife and accommodation. For a complete list of addresses, contact one of the main offices: SPNI Haifa (Map p196; x04-855 3858; 90 Jaffa Rd, Haifa) SPNI Jerusalem (Map pp114-15; x02-625 7682, 052-386 9485; 13 Heleni HaMalka St, PO Box 930, Jerusalem 96101) SPNI Tel Aviv (Map p162; x03-638 8653; 2 HaNegev Hashfela St, Tel Aviv 66183)
Friends of the Earth Middle East (www.foeme.org) This regional organisation has Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian offices; its website contains a variety of studies and position papers on transboundary ecological issues. Also see Dead Healthy? (p323). Galilee Society (www.gal-soc.org) Israel’s leading Arab-Israeli environmental activism group; it also maintains considerable public health initiatives. Heschel Center for Environmental Leadership (www.heschelcenter.org) This organisation has established itself as a unique think-tank for considering sustainability issues within Israel and innovative environmental education. House of Water & Environment (www.hwe.org.ps) An up-and-coming Ramalah-based NGO with strong professional staff and expertise in water. Israel Nature & National Parks Protection Authority (x02-500 5444; www.parks.org.il; Am Ve’olamo St, Givat Shaul, Jerusalem 95463) This authority manages the numerous national parks and archaeological sites in Israel. Jewish National Fund (www.kkl.org.il in Israel, www.jnf.org in the USA) Serving both as the Israeli forest service and as a sustainable development organisation, the JNF has a long history of fundraising for ‘land reclamation’ in Israel. Although it has a strong fundraising flavour, this website is still the best place to go if you want to plant a tree in Israel. Life & Environment (www.sviva.net) This umbrella group for some 90 environmental organisations has little to offer for the non-Hebrew speaker, but is a valuable portal for reaching dozens of Israel’s grassroots environmental groups. Ministry of Environment (www.sviva.gov.il) Founded in 1989, the ministry is responsible for the regulation of air, water, wastes and a variety of other topics. Its website, by far the most extensive in Hebrew, has an English component that is a treasure chest of information. Neuman Center (http://desert.bgu.ac.il) The Blaustein Institutes also oversees the Neuman Center, a virtual resource centre on the topic of deserts and desertification. Palestine Hydrology Group (www.phg.org/) A very professional, water-oriented NGO that conducts research and projects, primarily in the West Bank. English website contains periodic local hydrological news. Palestine Wildlife Society (www.wildlife-pal.org/index.htm) An educational and research centre with a particular expertise in birds, based in the West Bank, whose website largely describes organisational activities. Palestinian Ministry of Environmental Affairs (www.mena.gov.ps) Still largely under construction, but English menus promise to offer a major source of relevant information. An excellent database of other leading organisations and personalities working in the environmental field can be found at www.pal-efc.org/english/Institutions-Database.htm. Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) The largest and oldest of Israel’s environmental organisations, the SPNI began after local scientists failed to stop the draining of the Huleh swamp. Since then, literally hundreds of conservation campaigns and a strong educational network have made this organisation a household name. See Green Teams, above.
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Food & Drink PALESTINIAN MOTHERS MUST MAKE… Maqlubbeh: ‘Upside down’ chicken or lamb in rice with fried eggplant or cauliflower Mlukhiyeh: Lemonytasting chicken soup named for the leaves (Palestinian spinach), giving it a viscous consistency and tang
PALESTINIAN MOTHERS MUST MAKE… Mjadarah: Rice and lentils in one pot topped with sautéed onions Mahshi: Stuffed anything – eggplant, squash. the stuffing is hashweh
PALESTINIAN MOTHERS MUST MAKE… Msakhan: Sumac-laden chicken on flatbread with simmered onions Mensef: Lamb on rice served beside a salted broth of lamb stock and dissolved dried yogurt
In this region, food is home. It’s identity. It’s security. Considering the weight of those elements in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, it’s easy to see why inhabitants cleave to the familiar. Culinary surprises here are subtle. The repertoire of complex, time-honoured Middle Eastern dishes is adored worldwide, but Palestinian cuisine is not given to tremendous strides in the way of gustatory innovation. And with immigration playing a defining role in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, the result is an orchestra of uniquely tuned culinary instruments in search of unison on a new stage. Borrowing from the indigenous cuisine shared by Middle Eastern Jews and Arabs alike, contemporary Israelis swing from baba ghanooj to bagels and sometimes harmonise the two. Breaking the subject of Yahood food into bite-sized pieces means first identifying what is Sephardic (Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Jewish) and what is Ashkenazi (mainly eastern European and German Jewish). Historically, Palestinian Jews prepared essentially the same food as Palestinian Arabs, with the exception of pork occasionally eaten by Palestinian Arab Christians. Each religious group has always had its own holiday food traditions as well, but historically, these delicacies were shared across religious boundaries. With the influx of Jews from abroad, Israel’s food economy developed to accommodate the production of edibles associated with the cultures they came from. Blinis and blintzes, for example, are Russian, Polish and German crepes of various flours that are filled most often with cheese or fruity delights. Ashkenazi Jews have carried the European recipes with them. Hungarian Jews brought Hungarian goulash, for example. Even the USA with its cross-bred culinary identity has made its mark on Israeli commercial style, given the number of bi-national citizens calling both places home. Wherever pork is traditionally used in central and Eastern European recipes, observant Jewish cooks around the world use meat and fat replacements. Meanwhile, the Sephardim contributed the lemony aromatic preparations referred to broadly as ‘Mediterranean’ cuisine. Jews from Yemen have made a dramatic impression on the culinary landscape with their steamy sweet kubaneh bread and honeyed seasonings to accompany the ever-popular grilled meats of the region. While their ancient traditions are appreciated for their Levantine roots, the Yemenis have yet to perfect a locust recipe that appeals to most other Israelis. In the Palestinian Territories, traditional agrarian cultures still hold to the practice of making lunch the biggest meal of the day. But urban industrial work habits have altered that practice, so the idea of ‘main meal’ varies from village to city and from one household to another. Stewpots start clanging any time after breakfast and might still simmer after sundown. Because of the time involved in producing the traditional recipes of the region, much of the socialising among Palestinian women takes place in the kitchen, where an aunt or neighbour will share the burden of rolling cabbage or grape leaves or stuffing squash and eggplant. Modern working women, however, are leaning more towards the chicken-and-rice pot or simple salads, stews and baked meats. But you’re not a Palestinian mama if you can’t make a certain suite of dishes: maqlubbeh, mlukhiyeh, mjadarah, mahshi, msakhan and mensef. Mmmm...
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STAPLES & SPECIALITIES Reading the holy books set in this region will tell you what grows here. Olives and grapes not only sustain the people of the land but also provide beautifully scenic backdrops for some of the most oft-told allegories and historical accounts known. Romancing the markets today are seasonal crops including apricots, peaches, oranges, lemons, plums, almonds, berries, figs, pears, pine nuts, watermelons, apples, persimmons, bananas, pomegranates and dates. The low-budget, fast-food choice from the Arab cookbook that is enjoyed universally is felafel. Fried balls of mildly seasoned chickpea meal are stuffed into a pita (to use the anglo-familiar word for pocket bread) then doused with liquid sesame paste and a selection of salads. Those salads are the accoutrements to any Middle Eastern meal and include cucumber and tomato with lemon juice or sesame sauce, cabbage slaw, assorted pickles, brined turnips and the all-time favourite: hummus (which just means ‘chickpea’ in Arabic). Hummus doesn’t fit easily into the salad category, being a thick spread of mashed salted chickpeas with t’haniyeh or tahini (sesame seed paste), olive oil, lemon and garlic. But it is central to the array of small dishes that make up mazza or mezze, a meal in itself, huge in variety. Always included are olives and various preparations of eggplant or aubergine, some of which are closer to spreads than salads, such as mtabbal (aka baba ghanooj), which is roasted eggplant pureed with garlic and tahini. No mezze is complete without tabouleh or tabouli, chopped parsley with chips of tomato and dots of softened bulgar wheat moistened with olive oil and lemon. Hot red chilli sauce called shatta jazzes anything up nicely. Israelis make their green or red version and call it zhoug or hareef. The carnivore’s affordable sandwich is shwarma, which can be accompanied by any of the same salads and rolled in thin bread. A stack of salty seasoned meat is vertically skewered and spun slowly in front of a roaster. It is often beef with a layer of melting lamb fat dripping from the top, but turkey and lamb meat are popular, too. An alternative more often seen at Israeli sandwich stands is shakshuka, a Moroccan dish of eggs poached in tangy stewed tomatoes, which makes a good breakfast but is eaten any time. In fact, the foods that make up a meatless mezze also make a traditional breakfast of the region with the addition of goat’s-milk cheese in salty or mild variations, yogurt both dense and liquid, and eggs any style. Everything is eaten with brown or white flatbread. There are some snacks you might only find at someone’s home, although at some chic new restaurants in the West Bank they’ll bring it to the table with olives and pickles. One of these is zeit ou za’atar or douka. Sometimes it’s the simple things that hold the most appeal. Za’atar is a blend of dried wild thyme, salt and sesame seeds. Pinch off a swatch of fresh bread, dip it in a puddle of local olive oil, drag it through the greenish-brown powder, and you’re in the club. This with a steamy cup of sugared spearmint tea is a combination inspired by the douka divine.
DRINKS There is a minimum drinking age in Israel and the Palestinian Territories (18). Although alcohol abuse is not high on the list of illnesse, consumption of alcohol is on the rise, especially as the wine industry grows and wine production matures. Over the last decade, Israelis went from drinking 3.9L of wine per person annually to 8L or 9L per person. Compare
ISRAELI MOTHERS MUST MAKE… Chicken soup with matza balls: Like a security blanket, the salted broth and matza meal dumplings make it all better. Kreplachs: Same soup, different dumpling; High Holiday ravioli aka Jewish wontons.
ISRAELI MOTHERS MUST MAKE… Beef brisket: A mother from Italy might stir in mushrooms and wine, where a Moroccan mama prefers olives and tomatoes, but they all know the secret is slooooow.
‘Meat’ to a local means red meat, not chicken. ‘Barbecue’ implies grilled lamb chops, beef, chicken or kefta (seasoned ground meat) and possibly pigeon. Offal anyone? Organ meats are less available but popular.
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THE FAMILY TREE To a Palestinian family, their olive trees are like great aunts and uncles. It wouldn’t be surprising if the trees had names, given the centuries-old relationships that are formed with the life-yielding entities. Light and heat, soap and wood-art, food and oil all culminate with the harvest of zeitoun – olives. The Palestine Fair Trade Association (p296), recognising olive oil products as main ingredients in the local economy, has set up partnerships in the USA and Europe with distributors dealing in fairl trade products. Take part in the harvest or simply learn more at these websites. www.afsc.org/israel-palestine/Ziyarat-az-Zeitoun.htm www.afsc.org/pacificsw/middle-east.htm www.palestinefairtrade.org www.zatoun.com
Go to www.inmam askitchen.com and select Jewish Cooking. Contributors to this thoughtful site will take you from the history of the Diasporas to a recipe file that spans the globe.
The first kibbutz forced to privatise due to economic pressures and population decreases was Gesher Haziv in northern Israel. Most missed is the communal dining that gave way to shopping and cooking at home.
that to the USA (11.5L), England (7.5L) and France (60L). Scotch and tequila have become trends but not crazes. But it’s good stuff! In the early ’80s a revolution began with the planting in the Upper Galilee and Golan of Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and other popular varieties. Now prospectors have their collective eye on the Judean Hills. The first Sauvignon Blanc was released in 1984 to good reviews, and the efforts continue to pay off for Israeli winemakers, most of whom are trained in Europe and California. Of the hundreds of wineries that exist in Israel, most are boutique operations. But the largest puts out more than 10 million bottles per year. The top three producers are Carmel Winery (p209), started in the 19th century by Edmond de Rothschild, Barkan Wine Cellars and Golan Heights Winery (p274), producer of Yarden Wines. For more winery reviews, see A Connoisseur’s Delight (p274), the Judean Hills wine route (p147 ) and A Drop in the Desert (p329). Israeli kegs don’t share a shelf with the fanciest names in Bordeaux or California, but they’re on par with many respectable labels from Australia and parts of Italy. Not competitive but duly celebrated is the little wine that comes out of the Cremisan convent in Bethlehem-Beit Jala built on the site of a 7th-century Byzantine monastery (p298). The countless restaurant-bars in the West Bank have Cremisan on the menu as a matter of course, and even eateries with intelligent wine lists include it as the budget choice. Beer is another locally produced refreshment in both Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Israel’s Maccabee has won awards, but some prefer a can of the dark draught Goldstar. Nesher is the soft version of these alcoholic suds for the non-drinker. In the northern West Bank preservative-free Taybeh Beer is the native golden brew that also comes in light and malt-heavy dark varieties (see p303). Rumour has it that they also make a green-label, alcohol-free halal version in honour of Hamas. The Palestinians may have only one brewery, but they make up for it with the arak they produce, a powerful ouzo-like liquor made of grain or beets and flavoured with anis. Alcoholic beverages don’t always top the charts for what folks are requesting, even if Palestinian restaurants list prices for hard liquor by the glass or bottle. Juice stands in Israel and the Palestinian Territories squeeze up some delightful concoctions that give a vitamin thrill and fluid rush. Carrot juice is terrifically popular, but any fruit or vegetable that can be juiced is fair game. Also seen in markets and snack shops is a sweetened tamarind drink.
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More often than a liquid-produce treat, however, locals are sipping something hot. The cardamom-laced fine-grind coffee served in tiny shots is a time-honoured tradition as well as a pick-me-up. Known by Europeans as Turkish coffee, Arabs call it qahwah arabiya. For the superstitious, reading the muddy residue can be as true a telling of the future as tea leaves. Tea is drunk in two ways in the Territories, depending on the season. In summer, the sugared brew is touched with spearmint (na’ana). In winter, the mysterious aroma of sage (maramiya) infuses the air. When invited to these local customs, forget about how you like your tea at home. Unless you’re diabetic, let them sweeten it. You can always have your second cup a different way. Some Israeli coffeehouses will make you wonder if you’ve gone to Italy or France. Ordering there is a breeze if you come from any espressocharged culture. But ask around Ben Yehuda St in West Jerusalem for the place that serves hot chocolate that starts as a tall glass of steamed milk with big shards of chocolate bar tossed in. Not your everyday cocoa. In winter Palestinian street vendors offer hot soothing cups of sahlab, a thickened sweet milk with your choice of toppings including pistachios, almonds, cinnamon, raisins and shredded coconut.
CELEBRATIONS & SPECIAL OCCASIONS Israel
The Jewish Passover or Pesah is celebrated even by the non-devout, which comprises the majority of Israelis. As much for social traditions as spiritual significance, the holiday and all its rituals call people together and conjure happy memories. The prohibition of leavening in wheat products is only part of it. While two pieces of matzah (unleavened cracker bread) on the table are customary for the Sabbath, three are required for Passover so one can be broken at the start of the Seder meal, emblematic of the sustenance of downtrodden slaves who make their escape to freedom in too much haste for bread to rise. The number three also symbolises the portions it is believed Sarah baked for the three angels appearing to Abraham and the three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Candles are lit during the Passover Seder, and four glasses of wine are poured. Candles and wine are part of every Shabbat dinner as well, with the woman of the house doing the lighting. Attending a Shabbat dinner in Israel can be as easy as being invited by Jewish Israeli friends – as it is their spiritual imperative to do – or as difficult as finding a shop open in an ultraorthodox neighbourhood. There’s simply so much variety in the culture, while some grown children are on their way to their parents’ home for this weekly meal, others are renting a movie. A slowly cooked heavy stew called cholent is one Sabbath tradition widely enjoyed in Israel. Fatty meat, beans, grains, potatoes, herbs and spices stewed over hours in a big pot will heartily serve the family as well as their guests. Since work is not allowed on the Sabbath, slow cooking can begin on Friday for a midday meal on Saturday. Of course, Hanukkah is all about candles, and rededicating the temple comes with light from oil, and oil is good for frying, and what’s good to fry are latkes. The tradition of potato pancakes could stem from the unavailability of cheese for poor Jews in Eastern Europe who might have preferred cheese pancakes for poignant symbolism over potato. Historically, cheese represents the widow Judith’s commitment to keeping kosher by carrying the aged milk with her to the camp where she cut off Holofernes’ head and saved the town. On the lighter side, Israelis make special jelly doughnuts (soofganiot) during Hanukkah.
In 2001 an Armenian chef saw two Israeli chefs and two Palestinian chefs working together at a food event in Italy, and he got an idea: Chefs for Peace. Tens of culinary stars have joined to facilitate coexistence through special events and benefits. Contact chefs
[email protected].
Ha’aretz wine and restaurant critic Daniel Rogov is fond of saying, ‘Recipes cross borders far more easily than people.’ His factual frolic Rogues, Writers and Whores is a worldwide odyssey of culinary mythology. Grape enthusiasts count on the annual Rogov’s Guide to Israeli Wine.
Arrange a tasting and tour or take a course at Binyamina Wine Cellars (x04-638 8643; visitor@binyaminawines .com; h8am-5pm), named for the town south of Haifa. The visitors centre offers demonstrations of the winemaking process and looks at wine’s history in the region.
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Ringing in the High Holy Days and a new year with Rosh HaShanah means eating sweet foods like apples, carrots or braided challah bread dipped in honey. Then a substantial pre-fast meal is prescribed prior to the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. When Jews mourn the dead in Israel, as elsewhere, religious dictates urge them to sit shiva around the deceased for seven days and then have a solemn meal of such things as bread to signify sustenance and boiled eggs and lentils, which are round in shape and invoke a sense of the continuation of life.
Palestinian Territories Ramadan is the Muslim faithful’s fasting time, when the observant abstain from eating during the daylight hours of each day for an entire Mariam Shaheen and month (see p48). Many awaken before sunrise to have a meal, because George Baramki Azar they won’t eat again until the sun goes down. To make matters more paired up to create Palestempting, aromatic confections prepared especially for Ramadan waft tine: a Guide, a historical through the Palestinian marketplace in preparation for the iftar, the look at the crafting of breakfast at dusk, when everyone sits down to a satisfying meal at home Palestinian culture that or with relatives and friends. If you’re invited, find out the precise time includes food and cooking of sundown, and be politely punctual. with spectacularly The best-known treat of the season is qatayif, a pancake folded over tantalising photographs. a cluster of crushed nuts or small mound of cheese and drizzled with It’s available at the Educasugar syrup. For savoury significance, lamb is served during the feast of tional Bookshop (p84) in sacrifice Eid al-Adha. East Jerusalem. Sweets are passed out on many occasions, including births, marriages and circumcisions, which also call for baklaweh, known around the world as baklava. Christians and Muslims both celebrate the origins of their respective faiths with special sweets. In Christianity the occasions are Christmas and Epiphany, while in Islam, it’s the birth of the Prophet Mohammad and the start of the Islamic calendar. For Christians, lamb is a traditional Easter dish. Stuffed lamb or stuffed ribs can be accompanied by stuffed kibbeh, a pointed meatball encased in cracked wheat and fried, symbolising the spear that pierced Jesus’ side. During periods of mourning, bitter Arabic coffee replaces the sugared variety. Muslims may serve dates as well, while Christians bake rahmeh, a type of bun commemorating the soul of the departed. But traditions vary from one locality to another. For some, a North African Arab dish, named mughrabiyeh (from the Maghreb), is made when someone dies. Larger than couscous morsels, this Arab pasta is created by rolling wheat grains in flour until they form small round beads. Not only do the practices vary, but so do the names. This dish is also called marma’on or kesskesson. When a baby is born, relatives might prepare mughly for the mother Touching food directly and guests alike. It’s a rice pudding made with nuts and spices that is is proper form at mensef said to aid in lactation. (lamb-and-rice dish) For the big holidays and celebrations, certain things are givens: grainy feasts. A ball of rice is cookies made of buttery semolina stuffed with dates or nuts called formed with the fingers, ma’amoul. And a host of honeyed pastries baked with almonds, cashews, then flicked into the pistachios or walnuts in variously shaped millefeuille pastry (filo dough), mouth with the back of including baklava, are carried into host homes in wrapped bakery trays the thumb never touchby invited guests. ing the lips. Big celebrations call for big meals. If it has chicken and rice in it, it’s a party food. But the true sign of a special occasion is mensef. This lamband-rice dish is the ultimate memory maker. And the primo pastry to top off a Palestinian feast is the famed kunafa, most notably from Nablus. Some compare the warm stretchy cheese treat to pizza (only topped with
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NOT ONE MORE FELAFEL! A GUIDE FOR VEGETARIANS Experienced vegetarians know their way around a Middle Eastern menu. There’s no secret to finding a meatless meal in these parts. But some options are less obvious, such as the dairy restaurants sanctioned by Jewish religious law (see p69). Specifically with the vegetarian in mind, Tel Aviv has Taste of Life (p171), 24 Rupees (p173) and Buddha Burger (p173), and in West Jerusalem, there’s Village Green (p136). Gaza’s critically depressed economy has given rise to tasty recipes for meatless dishes such as all manner of lentil stew, including one with pumpkin and garlic (qare’a ma adas), one with chard (saliq wa adas), and one with potatoes (fukharit adas). A twist on hummus is bisara, puréed fava beans with dried Palestinian spinach, chilli pepper, garlic and dill seed. A salad known in these parts is dagga, a zesty combination of crushed garlic and tomatoes, hot chillies, dill, olive oil and lemon. If you’re in the Upper Galilee, check out Moshav Amirim (p283) for a total New Age experience, including an exclusively organic vegetarian culture. In the Negev, an African Hebrew Israelite community (see p334) goes beyond kosher with their vegan lifestyle, and some kibbutzim in that region specialise in growing organic produce. This book uses the vicon to let you know that a restaurant is exclusively vegetarian. If it’s also vegan, that’s indicated in the text.
a crispy layer of matted wheat shreds and laden with sugar syrup – and minus the tomato sauce and oregano). For a milder flavour and texture, find a bakery that sells warm mtabbak. The flaky triangular turnovers are filled with a custard-like cheese that is soft and delicate.
WHERE TO EAT At about the time fine wine came into play in Israel in the mid-80s, star chefs came into culinary orbit and raised the bar forever. Not previously known for its abundance of good restaurants, Israel has maintained its mediocre mainstream, but what had been the baseline has lost a notch on the aesthetic measuring stick to places in Tel Aviv where you can have risotto with smoked green wheat and imported prosciutto, but don’t tell the rabbi. Worth repenting for. Offend everyone and order the foie gras (fattened goose or duck liver). In general, restaurants in the region feel like restaurants in the West, minus the polish. The charm is in the one-of-a-kind aspect of each outfit. You rarely sense that there’s a corporation imbuing the place with prefabricated theme icons. By the same token, interiors are rarely the work of a professional decorator. Cafés are meant to be in these sunny climes, especially when evening conquers the relentless light of day. Posers and poets take their seats and sip away the hours casting aloof glances at the passing crowd. The air along pedestrian-dense commercial stretches carries aromatic invitations to stop for barbecued chicken or a shwarma sandwich. Felafel makes a good walking companion, too. A bread vendor might suggest you have your felafel with ka’ek, resembling an elongated sesame bagel. Yet in the Palestinian Territories chefs do best what chefs there have been doing for centuries. That is not to say that noteworthy novelty doesn’t exist. Palestinian restaurateurs who are native-born and educated abroad carry the concepts back home, gracing tables with gratis starter dishes that barely imply their local origins. In Ramallah, Darna (p301) makes a fork-tender clay-pot lamb stew with the intensity of slow home cooking, yet a gourmet flair befitting the white table cloth it’s served on. Menus that include everything from fajitas to felafel are usually overreaching. One exception is Al-Kala’a/Citadel (p295), a traditional but
During the week of Sukkot celebrating the autumn harvest, Israelis take their meals, when possible, in the sukkah, a frail structure outside the house representing uncertainty and divine protection.
Question: Why do Israeli grocers sell braided bread loaves every Friday? Answer: Because every Saturday is a national ‘challah’ day.
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Israeli Hours Kosher restaurants Noon to 11pm Sunday to Thursday, one hour before Shabbat Friday, after Shabbat Saturday. Non-kosher restaurants Same as above, but open seven days; some close Sunday when it’s slowest. Cafés Many cafés go past midnight, and a handful of Tel Aviv restaurants are open 24 hours.
Palestinian Hours Restaurants 11am to 10pm or later (or earlier for breakfast) seven days, though some Christian owners close on Sunday and Muslim owners may close at least part of the day on Friday, especially in Hebron and Gaza. Cafés Stay open until midnight in Ramallah; some later.
new restaurant in Beit Sahour’s old city. The renovated stone schoolhouse is atmospheric enough to be a good place to go just for drinks, but the Chinese choices are as satisfying as the excellent indigenous grilled meats and mezze. Nevertheless, if you come from a place with terrific taquerías (taco shops) or perfect Pad Thai, Israeli and PalestiVisit www.thisweekin palestine.com for articles nian restaurants eager to serve you those things more-often disappoint. Bethlehem’s only all-Chinese restaurant that does a reasonable job of it on Palestinian food life. has been confined into a dark crevice by the Separation Wall, so it will Issue 98 (June 2006) got rave reviews for its stories be surprising if it stays open. Israel’s urban centres have more ethnically themed restaurants; the more specialised the better. on subjects like the
CONTRADICTION CORNER The concentrated drinking-and-dancing scene in West Jerusalem winds down toward a Russian church for which the area gets its name: Maskoubiya, within the Russian Compound (p112). Mention that to a Palestinian ex-prisoner and the meaning shifts to the notorious detention centre across the street.
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spots combined with an almost Victorian reserve is at once provincial and dignified. You feel sexy on your own terms.
TIME TO EAT
aesthetics of Palestinian cuisine, and the food of Gaza. Search for it by month, year or edition in the archives.
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WHERE TO DRINK In Israel the after-hours drinking scene is much the same as in the UK, Europe, Australia or North America, only Shabbat shapes the week, starting at sundown on Friday. Thursday and to some extent Wednesday are the going-out nights for the urbane set, while Saturday is reputedly the suburbanite soirée. Discotheques, live-music venues, collegiate hangouts, wine bars and cafés are sprinkled throughout commercial districts and virtually garland the streets in certain concentrated areas of West Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. As for the pace of Palestinian life by day – Fridays are quiet, Saturdays throb and Sunday is a workday for many. So social calendars point to Thursday. In Ramallah, the Palestinian capital of nightlife, foreign workers and locals get together in understatedly glamorous settings. ‘Party’ is code for cutting loose – dancing and drinking, mixed company, internationals and Birzeit University students. Coffeehouses offer low-wattage leisure. International sporting events play on big screens in pleasure gardens and restaurant-cafés. Ramallah’s skin-loving nights mean delicious outdoor cocktail lounging in summer. Bethlehem is on the same social schedule, but the drinking destinations are more obviously in the context of an eating atmosphere, with the exception of the disco at Al-Zaytouna, the Olive Tree Tourist Village/Al-Zaytouna (see p297) in Beit Jala. In general, Palestinian nightlife is more low-key than that in Israel. It’s not your elbow-in-beer scene, and you won’t often find people stumbling out of an establishment with a song in their hearts. Everyone gets a place to sit even when it’s busy, because on those nights everyone makes a reservation. The shabab (single young men) are discouraged from arriving in groups without women. The hypeless swank of the West Bank’s night-
COSTS This book offers a budget breakdown when many locations are reviewed. Budget refers to basic restaurants, cafés and quick meals up to 30NIS, excluding tips and drinks. Midrange includes meals generally priced 30NIS to 60NIS. Top end is 60NIS and above. Gratuity is becoming more standardised. Cafés and casual spots are beginning to expect 10% to 12%, while fine restaurants are said to be fetching 15%. But it’s worth polling around to learn what people are doing.
An informal ‘fish joint’ in Israel is a dagia, an inexpensive way to enjoy a full meal of mezze, the small starters accompanying Middle Eastern meals, and seafood including fish and shellfish.
EATING WITH KIDS Middle Easterners like to feed and they know what satisfies. Children are not left out of that embrace. Only in the top-end Israeli restaurants might there be mixed reception, but even there, most visits go without a hitch unless the child is disturbing other diners. There may not be a special menu, however, as there would be at mass-market affairs such as Chocolate Bar (see p174) by the Bald Man, so ask for half portions. Ramallah is a particularly child-friendly Palestinian town, with playgrounds attached to so many business enterprises that you’ll come to expect it. The Plaza Mall in Al-Balu’a has a food court as well as a play yard. Even at high-end Darna and diplomat-dense Gemzo Suites (p300), a swing set or rocking horse is part of the tableau. Palestinian and Israeli children are accustomed to hummus and pita, but chicken fingers, burgers and fries are easy to find. If a when-in-Rome attitude is in order, turn your child onto Bamba. This vitamin-fortified crispy snack is the first word uttered by many native children, surely to their mothers’ dismay. But it is nut-based, so if allergies are a possibility, avoid it. For infants, powdered milk, formula and Gerber baby food are standard fare available at grocery stores and pharmacies. See also p387.
On ketchup: there is no surer way to ruin your chips than by dragging them through bad ketchup. Most in this region is abysmal. Look for Don. Industrial yet gourmet-tasting – better even than any of the internationally popular brands.
HABITS & CUSTOMS In mostly secular Israel, keeping kosher in restaurants is a matter of choice. Strict kashrut laws govern the handling of food in kosher establishments, including dairy restaurants, whether the type that serves fish or not. Since meat and dairy cannot mix in kosher tradition, dairy restaurants operating under the watchful eye of the rabbinic authority guarantee a compliant meal, even if they aren’t reputed to be the best eating experiences Israel has to offer. Because most Israelis only dabble in kosher habits, these restaurants draw devout Jews, vegetarians and people who like the milkshakes or pasta Alfredo. In kosher situations where meat is served, milk substitutes become important. As for seafood, bottom feeders are off the menu. That leaves out shellfish, so impostors abound. Fish is acceptable, as long as it’s of the variety that has scales. Some wine produced in Israel is kosher, even to the extent that the vintner deferentially pours some of the product on the ground or gives a percentage of the profits to charity. But it starts in the vineyards, where only grapes are to be grown, and where wine cannot be made until the fourth year with the fields left fallow during the seventh. Only observant men are permitted to handle the grapes, and some wineries pasteurise the wine. Because the Palestinian Territories are predominantly Muslim, food is handled according to halal standards universally, though Islamic food laws are somewhat less stringent than those of Jewish orthodoxy. But like compliant Jews, Muslims don’t eat pork, and some of the slaughtering
If pink is your colour, go for a tour-and-tasting at a rosé winery. But if you blush at politics, know that Chateau Golan (www.chateaugolan.com) gets its name from a controversial location in Israeli-occupied Syria.
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The Jerusalem School of Kosher Culinary Arts, the only Glatt Mehadrin Kosher cooking school in the world, offers mini-courses in the art of cooking according to kashrut laws (x02-642 9345; www.jskca.org.il).
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techniques are shared. For that reason, Muslims are said to incant: ‘Sleep with the Christians, but eat with the Jews’, a phrase you’ll be hard pressed to find a Muslim actually uttering, so it wouldn’t be nice to ascribe it to anyone. According to Islam, Muslims are not to drink alcohol. As a guest, knowing what to bring can be perplexing. Gauge the situation according to the host. Is it a couple having you over for Shabbat? Is it an apartment-dwelling expatriate? A Palestinian family? Is it Christmas or Ramadan? Bring some kosher chocolates or wine to a religious Jewish family. Flowers are always nice. But family affairs that engulf you don’t necessarily require that you come bearing gifts. However, an offering could fill a need, especially for people in compromised economic conditions. So if you would like to bring something, make it modest and practical. Decorative items are not as appreciated as useful ones or basic consumables. Circumstances and surroundings determine the pace of an eating occasion. Cigarettes can prolong a meal – or shorten it for someone who doesn’t like smoke. Since smoking is very much in vogue, restaurants have their sections, but few prohibit the habit.
EAT YOUR WORDS Here’s just enough linguistic information to get you into trouble. In the useful phrases section, the first entry is for Hebrew, the second, for Arabic.
Useful Phrases
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sausage/salami soup spicy turkey yogurt yogurt (thick)
naknik makak hareef hodu leben labaneh
salsees/nakanik maraka hareef habash laban labaneh
DRINKS
...with/without sugar beer coffee (black/with milk) hot chocolate juice grapefruit juice orange juice lemonade tea tea with milk tea with spearmint herbal tea Turkish/Arabic coffee water wine
...in/bli sukkar beera kafeh (shakhor/hafukh) shoko meets meets eshkoliot meets tapuzim limonada te te bekhalav te eem na’ana te tsmakhim kafeh turkee mayim yayeen
...ma sukkar/bidoun sukkar beera qahwah (samra/ma halib) shoko asseer aseer grefout aseer burtuqal limonada shai shai ma halib shai ma na’ana shai a’shab qahwah arabiya mayeh nabeethe
Do you have a menu in English? yesh tafreet beh angleet?
fee menu bil ingleezee?
I’m a vegetarian. ani tseemkhonee/tseemkhoneet (m/f )
ana bakulish lahem
Is there meat in this? zeh eem basar?
fi lahem?
I (don’t) want... ani (lo) rotze/rotza...(m/f )
ana (ma) bidee...
What time do you close? ala aeesa’a bitsakker?
matai atem sogreem?
Food Glossary English
Hebrew
Arabic
breakfast lunch dinner
arukhat boker arukhat tsara’im arukhat erev
iftar ghada a’sha
gvina gvina melukha off beitsa beitsa eem gvina keves shemen zeitim omelette peelpel khamutsim tapukhei adama melakh
jibneh jibneh nabilsiyeh jaj beid beid ma jibneh lahmet harouf zeit zeitoun omelette filfel mhalal batata meleh
FOOD
cheese cheese (goat; salty) chicken egg egg with cheese lamb oil olives omelette pepper/chilli pickled vegetables potato salt
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© Lonely Planet Publications 79
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Jerusalem اﻟﻘﺪس
JERUSALEM
JERUSALEM
78
ירושלים
People have been writing about Jerusalem for the better part of its 3000-year history, but still today your first glimpse inside the ancient walled city will leave you speechless. More than beautiful, however, Jerusalem is a spiritual centre, holy to the three great monotheistic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. That three religions have assigned so much importance to a solitary city makes Jerusalem one of the most fascinating places you’ll ever visit. Within a short walk of each other, you can find Christians quietly praying in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jews dancing by the Western Wall and Muslims prostrate before Al-Aqsa Mosque. Whatever your credence, it’s hard not to be swept up in the emotional tide that pulsates through these ancient streets. Defying warfare and time, Jerusalem’s architecture remains in remarkable shape – you could spend days (or weeks) getting lost in its labyrinth of alleys and bustling bazaars. The Old City is surrounded by relics of ancient and modern times. To the south lies the City of David (the original Jebusite city). Predominately Palestinian East Jerusalem is home to consulates, museums and the Garden Tomb (the possible crucifixion site), while West Jerusalem has the Israeli capital building and a patchwork of secular and religious neighbourhoods. Jerusalem, or Al-Quds as its known in Arabic, has an inevitably powerful effect on its visitors, breeding political activism, religious fanaticism or simply a greater appreciation of the magnificent tide of human history. A quick run through the main tourist sights won’t do it justice, so plan on staying a while, and see what it does to you.
HIGHLIGHTS Walking along the sacred Via Dolorosa (p126), long considered the final path of Jesus on his way to Calvary Gazing at the architectural magnificence of the Dome of the Rock (p95), Jerusalem’s most recognisable symbol Sauntering through the extensive Israel Museum (p119), one of the richest collections of artefacts in the Middle East
Via Dolorosa Israel Dome of Museum the Rock Western City of Wall David
Feeling the spiritual power of the Western Wall (p96), Judaism’s holiest place Making like Indiana Jones and crawling through the water-filled tunnels in the City of David (p107)
TELEPHONE CODE: 02
POPULATION: 693,000
ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ Ὀ ὈὈ ὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ὈὈὈ Ὀ ὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈ Ὀ ὈὈ ὈὈ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈὈ Ὀ ὈὈ Ὀ ὈὈ Ὀ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ὈὈ Ὀ ὈὈ ὈὈὈ Ὀ Ὀ Ὀ ᝲᝲ Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈ ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ Ὀ lonelyplanet.com
Greater Jerusalem
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GREATER JERUSALEM A
B
C
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E
F
Ramot Beth
G i v' a t Shapira
60
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in
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1 mile
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ley
Ye he zk el St
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13
Bet hle hem
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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES To Biblical `A l e p h' Zoo (400m) EATING Church of St John........................6 A4 7 A5 Church of the Visitation............... Bistro.........................................17 A5 Ir Herzl Museum............................. Manahat G a n i m 8 C4 (M a l k h a) ENTERTAINMENT Herzl's Grave...............................9 C4 Jerusalem Bowling Centre........(see 21) Gill...........................................(see 20) Ir Ganim 20 Jerusalem Pool...........................10`GF5 Haoman 17................................ 18 E6 i m e l' Teddy Kollek Stadium................ 11 C6 Yellow Submarine......................19 E6 11 1 Yad Vashem...............................12 B4 SHOPPING Jerusalem Malcha SLEEPING Jerusalem Mall........................... 20 C6 Train Station A Little House in Bakah..............13 F6 Kanyon Talpiot...........................21 F6
ich
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t Ze'ev Jabotinsky S
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Mount of Olives
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INFORMATION British Council..............................1 French Consulate.........................2 3 Hadassah Hospital....................... tta nrie Magen DavidHeMedical Centre......4 Kiryat 5 Yad Sarah Organisation...............
Gonen
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Botanical Garden
fa
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New City
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4
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East Jerusalem Garden Tomb n St ma Suley St
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Givat Ram Prime Minister's Office
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Augusta Victoria Hospital
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lah
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See Inner Jerusalem Map (pp86–7)
ue
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shalayim Yeru
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t ero
Mt Tamor
Mt Menukhot
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16
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M a' a l o t M o r i a h
6
JERUSALEM
Greater Jerusalem
J E R U S A L E M • • G re a t e r J e r u s a l e m 81
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Shu'afat
JERUSALEM
80 J E R U S A L E M • • G re a t e r J e r u s a l e m
HISTORY
First Temple The first settlement on the site of Jerusalem was on the Ophel Ridge, immediately to the southeast of the present-day Jewish Quarter. This was a small Jebusite (pre-Israelite tribe) city, mentioned in Egyptian texts of the 20th century BC, which was conquered in 997 BC by the Israelites. They were led by their king, David, who brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and made the city his capital. Under Solomon (the son of David) the boundaries of the city were extended north to enclose the spur of land that is now the Haram ash-Sharif/Temple Mount. The construction of the First Temple began in 950 BC. After Solomon’s death, some 17 years later, the city became the capital of Judah as the 12 tribes of Israel divided. In 586 BC Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and the city and the Temple were destroyed. The people of Jerusalem were exiled to Babylonia until three years later, when the king of Persia, Cyrus, allowed them to return.
Second Temple The Second Temple was constructed around 520 BC, and around 445 BC the city walls were rebuilt under the leadership of Nehemiah, Governor of Judah. The next notable stage in the history of Jerusalem came with Alexander the Great’s conquest of the city in 331 BC. On his death in 323, the Seleucids eventually took over until the Maccabean Revolt 30 years later. This launched the Hasmonean dynasty, which re-sanctified the Temple in 164 BC after it had been desecrated by the Seleucids.
Romans Under the leadership of General Pompey, Jerusalem was conquered by the Romans around 63 BC. Some 25 years later they installed Herod the Great to rule what they called the Kingdom of Judea. Upon the death of Herod, the Romans resumed direct control, installing a procurator to administer the city. Pontius Pilate, best known for ordering the crucifixion of Jesus around AD 30, was the fifth procurator. Another 36 years later came the First Revolt by the Jews against the Romans, but after four years of conflict, the Roman gen-
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eral Titus triumphed. With the Second Temple destroyed and Jerusalem burnt, many Jews became slaves and more fled into exile, marking the start of the Diaspora. Jerusalem continued as the capital but Emperor Hadrian decided to destroy it completely in AD 132 due to the threat of renewed Jewish national aspirations. This provoked the unsuccessful Second Revolt led by Simon Bar Kochba, after which Jews were forbidden to enter Aelia Capitolina, the new city built on the ruins of Jerusalem. Aelia Capitolina is the foundation of today’s Old City.
Holy City In AD 331 Christianity was legalised by Emperor Constantine, founder of the Eastern Roman Empire, and his mother visited the Holy Land searching for Christian holy places. This sparked off the building of basilicas and churches, and the city quickly grew to the size it had been under Herod the Great. The Byzantine Empire was defeated by the Persians, who conquered Jerusalem in 614. Their rule lasted just 15 years before the Byzantines succeeded in retaking the city. That victory, however, was short-lived, for within another 10 years an Arab army, led by Caliph Omar under the banner of Islam, swept through Palestine. Omar’s entry into Jerusalem was to instigate almost 1300 years of Muslim supremacy in what had been first a Jewish city, then a Christian city and now a city of Islam. In 688 the Dome of the Rock was constructed on the site of the destroyed Temple. Under the early Islamic leaders, Jerusalem was a protected centre of pilgrimage for Jews and Christians as well as Muslims, but this came to an end in the 10th century. Under Caliph Hakim, non-Muslims were cruelly persecuted and churches and synagogues were destroyed, finally provoking the Crusades 90 years later.
From Crusaders to Mamluks to Ottomans The Crusaders took Jerusalem in 1099 from the Fatimids, who had only just regained control from the Seljuks. After almost 90 years the Latin Kingdom was defeated by Saladin (Salah ad-Din) in 1187. This was to be the most effective administration so far. Under Saladin, Muslims and Jews were allowed to resettle in the city. From the 13th to the 16th centuries, the Mamluks con-
J E R U S A L E M • • C l i m a t e 83
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structed a number of outstanding buildings dedicated to religious study. Although a Muslim academic centre, Jerusalem became a relative backwater. In 1517 the Ottoman Turks defeated the Mamluks, adding Palestine to their large empire. Yet although they, too, are remembered for their lack of efficiency in local administration, their initial impact on the city is still much admired today. The impressive Old City walls that you see now were built by their second sultan, Süleyman the Magnificent. After Süleyman, Jerusalem’s rulers allowed the city, like the rest of the country, to decline. Buildings and streets were not maintained, and corruption among the authorities was rife. As a result of the Turkish sultan’s 1856 Edict of Toleration for all religions, Jews and Christians were again able to settle in the city. In the 1860s, inspired and largely financed by an English Jew, Sir Moses Montefiore, Jewish settlement outside the city walls began. As Jewish immigration rapidly increased, these settlements developed into what is now the New City.
The Divided City After WWI, Jerusalem, which had been captured by General Allenby’s forces from the Turks, became the administrative capital of the British Mandate. In these times of fervent Arab and Jewish nationalism, the city became a hotbed of political tensions. Jerusalem was always the most sought-after area of the country for both the Arabs and the Jews, and the city was the stage for terrorism and, occasionally, open warfare. After the British withdrew from Palestine, the UN became responsible for supervising the situation. Its subsequent partition plan was accepted in principle by the Jews, but it was rejected by the Arabs. Jerusalem was to be internationalised, surrounded by independent Arab and Jewish states. In the 1948 Arab-Israeli War the Jordanians took the Old City and East Jerusalem, while the Jews held the New City. Patches of no-man’s-land separated them and the new State of Israel declared its part of Jerusalem as its capital. For 19 years Jerusalem was a divided city, and Mandelbaum Gate became the official crossing point between East Jerusalem and the New City for the few who were permitted to move between them. The Six Day War in
1967 saw the reunification of the whole of Jerusalem, and the Israelis began a massive program of restoration, refurbishment and landscaping.
Controversial Capital Controversy continues to surround the status of Jerusalem, and most countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv. Both Israelis and Palestinians see the city as their own capital and even though the Palestinian Authority (PA) is based in Ramallah, it hopes to one day move to East Jerusalem. Israel is determined to never let that happen and has been playing a cautious game of geopolitics to seal the city off from the Palestinian lands. In the latest move, the Jewish settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, the last barrier between Jerusalem and the West Bank, was incorporated into the city.
CLIMATE At 809m above sea level, Jerusalem is slightly cooler and drier than Tel Aviv. Summer months are dry as a bone with average daily temperatures between 20°C and 25°C. Winter is surprisingly cool and wet, with rain, the odd snow storm, and temperatures down to 8°C to 10°C.
ORIENTATION Jerusalem is a relatively small city but navigation can be complicated by the rolling topography and winding roads, not to mention the labyrinth of alleys in the Old City. In the New City, the main artery is Jaffa Rd, which links the bus station, Zion Sq and the Old City. The main areas of shopping and commerce are located on King George V, Ben Yehuda and Ben Hillel Sts. Further east, Hel Handasa Rd runs north (becoming HaShalom Rd) from the Old City towards Ramallah. This road marks the former Green Line that until 1967 divided Israel and Jordan. The Old City is a world unto itself and even a good sense of direction is of little use when trying to navigate its narrow passages. It’s easy to get lost, but just walk one or two minutes in any direction and you eventually reach a familiar landmark or street. Egged Rte 99 Circular Line, which makes a loop around the city while providing commentary in English, is a good way to orient yourself upon arrival.
JERUSALEM
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82 J E R U S A L E M • • H i s t o r y
Maps There are several good maps available of Jerusalem and one of the best is the Jerusalem Visitors Map, available for free from the tourist information office. One side shows greater Jerusalem while the other has a 1:4,250 map of the Old City.
INFORMATION BOOKSHOPS
Educational Bookshop (Map p110; x628 3704;
22 Salah ad-Din St; h8am-8pm) East Jerusalem’s best bookshop has an excellent range of books pertaining to the Arab–Israeli conflict, as well as a good selection of magazines and Palestinian music CDs. Moriah Bookshop (Map pp90-1; x628 5267; 40 Misgav Ladach St, Jewish Quarter; h10am-8pm, except Shabbat) Moriah has the largest selection of books on Judaism in the city; it’s also endowed with souvenirs, CDs and books on current events of the Jewish state. Sefer VeSefel (Map pp114-15; x624 8237; 2 Ya’vets St) This Jerusalem institution houses floor-to-ceiling new and secondhand fiction and nonfiction titles. It’s upstairs in an alley linking Jaffa Rd with Mordechai Ben Hillel St.
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Steimatzky Jaffa Rd (Map pp114–15; x625 0155;
39 Jaffa Rd); Ben Yehuda St (Map pp114–15; 7 Ben Yehuda St); Central Bus Station (see Map pp86–7); Jerusalem Mall (see Map pp80–1) Chain bookshop with several branches around town. T’mol (Map pp114-15; x623 2758; www.tmol-shilshom .co.il; 5 Yoel Salomon St; h8.30am-midnight Sun-Thu, 8.30am-4pm Fri, 8pm-midnight Sat) Bohemian café and used bookshop; this place often hosts poetry readings or lectures by authors and journalists. Check its website for upcoming events. CULTURAL CENTRES
Alliance Française (City Centre Map pp114-15; x624
3156;
[email protected]; Kikar Safra; h2-6pm Sun & Thu, 1pm-7.30pm Mon, 11am-6pm Tue-Wed, 10am-1pm Fri; East Jerusalem Map p110; x628 2451; 21 Salah ad-Din St; h10am-1pm & 2-6pm Mon-Tue, 2-6pm Wed-Sat) This cultural centre has French language books and newspapers, and free internet. American Cultural Centre (Map pp120-1; x627 5777 ext 330; 19 Karen HaYesod; h10am-4pm Sun-Thu, 10am-1pm Fri) Offering cool respite, this cultural centre has a library and internet access.
JERUSALEM IN… Two Days Seeing all the sights of Jerusalem would take a week or more, so on a short visit you’ll need to be a little selective. Spend your fist day visiting the highlights of the Old City, including the Temple Mount (p93), the Western Wall (p96), the Via Dolorosa (p126) and the Citadel (Tower of David) (p97). Don’t miss the tour of the Western Wall Tunnels (p96), for which you need a pre-booking. When you get hungry, take a break at the historic restaurant Amigo Emil (p136) before a shopping trip on David St. On day two, utilise Egged Rte 99 Circular Line (p128) to explore the major sites in West Jerusalem, including Yad Vashem (p123), Mt Herzl and the Herzl Museum (p123), and the Israel Museum (p119). Egged No 99 will also give you a peek into East Jerusalem and Mt Scopus. Make some time for Mahane Yehuda Market (p116) before an evening around the shops and cafés of Ben Yehuda St and Rivlin St. Four Days With a third day, see the sights of the Kidron Valley (p106), including the City of David and the Tomb of the Virgin Mary, before moving onto nearby East Jerusalem (p109) where you can stop for lunch at the sumptuous Arabesque (p139) at the American Colony Hotel. In the afternoon, try to squeeze in the Museum on the Seam (p111) and the Garden Tomb (p111). Come evening, check out a theatrical performance at one of the city theatres or live-music venues (p140). Save day four for any sights you’ve left behind, notably Mt Zion (p105), the Mount of Olives (p108) or Mea She’arim (p112). A nice way to wrap up Jerusalem is to take the Ramparts Walk (p93) on the Old City walls, from Jaffa Gate to Lion’s Gate. During your stay make sure you take advantage of some of Jerusalem’s unique cultural activities. A highlight is to visit the Western Wall on Friday evening to watch the masses welcome Shabbat. And if you get a chance, don’t miss an opportunity to join a local family for a Shabbat dinner, which can be arranged through the Jaffa Gate Tourist Office. Dances at the International Cultural Centre for Youth building (p140) also make for a one-of-a-kind Jerusalem experience.
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British Council (Map pp80-1; x640 3900; www
.britishcouncil.org/israel; Agudat Sport Maccabee St; h2-7pm Mon-Tue & Thu, 11am-4pm Wed, 10am-1pm Fri) Large collection of DVDs, videos and books. Located opposite the Jerusalem Mall. See also Courses, p128. EMERGENCY
Fire (x102) First aid (x101) Police (Map pp86-7;x100, 539 1360; 107 Jaffa Rd;
h8am-4pm Sun-Thu) This police station has a lost property office. Tourist police (x100) One station is near the Citadel (Tower of David) in the Old City (see Map pp90–1). The second is in the Russian Compound in the New City (Central Police Station; Map pp114–15). These are the best police stations for tourists to use.
WI-FI ACCESS Most cafés in Jerusalem offer wi-fi access, including the chains such as the Coffee Bean and Café Hillel. Another great place to sit down with a laptop is T’mol (p137). There is an outdoor ‘hotspot’ on Ben Yehuda St (on the benches outside Burger King). Most hotels are also equipped with wi-fi.
LIBRARIES
The American Cultural Centre, Alliance Franćaise and the British Council (see Cultural Centres, opposite) all have small libraries open to the public. Gerard Behar Centre (Map pp114-15; x625 1139; 11 Bezalel St) Contains a small library and reading room.
INTERNET ACCESS
If you are hanging around the central bus station, internet terminals (per 30 min 9NIS) are located on the 4th floor. El Dorado Café (Map p110; x626 0993; 19 Salah
ad-Din St; per hr 15NIS; h9am-8pm Sat-Thu) Internet café in East Jerusalem. Freeline (Map pp90-1; x627 1959; 8th station, 51 Aqabat al-Khanqah St; per hr 8NIS; h10am-midnight) Internet Café (Map pp114-15; x622 3377; 31 Jaffa Rd; per hr 12NIS; h9.30am-4am) Several computers; located near the top of Shlomzion HaMalka. Mike’s Centre (Map pp90-1;x628 2486; www .mikescentre.com; 9th Station, 172 Souq Khan as-Zeit St; per hr 8NIS; h9am-10pm) In the Old City, this all-in-one tourist stop has internet, international phones and laundry services. Mike also runs tours to the Dead Sea (see p410 for details). St Raphael@Internet (Map pp90-1; x626 4645; Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Jaffa Gate; per hr 15NIS; h9am-10pm Mon-Sat) INTERNET RESOURCES
www.gojerusalem.com Useful website with everything from car rental and bus schedules to hotel reviews and festival dates. www.jerusalem.muni.il Run by the municipality, this website has thorough and up-to-date pages on events and festivals. It also has a list of art exhibits and cultural institutes. LAUNDRY
In the Old City, try Mike’s Centre (see above), which washes 3kg of laundry for 30NIS. Laundry Place (Map pp114-15; x625 7714; 12 Shamai St; h8.30am-8pm Sun-Thu, 8.30am-3pm Fri)
MEDIA
The Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com) is an excellent source of local news and events listings. On Friday, the Post includes an extensive ‘What’s On’ weekend supplement. The Jerusalem Time Out, published monthly, contains listings of restaurants, bars, sights and activities. You can get a copy for free at most upscale hotels. MEDICAL SERVICES
Dr E Reichenberg (Map pp114-15; x645 2033 or 050-
873-6889;
[email protected]; 2 Hillel St) Recommended dentist in the City Centre. Hadassah Hospital (Map pp80-1; x684 4111) On Mt Scopus. There’s another Hadassah Medical Centre above Ein Kerem (x677 7111). Magen David Medical Centre (Map pp80-1; x652 3133; 7 Himem Gimel St, Romema; h24hr) Five minutes’ walk from the central bus station. Orthodox Society (Map pp90-1; x627 1958; Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Rd; h8am-3pm Mon-Fri, 8am1pm Sat) In the Old City’s Christian Quarter, the Orthodox Society operates a low-cost medical and dental clinic that welcomes travellers. MONEY
The best deals for changing money are at the private commission-free change offices all over the New City and East Jerusalem. In the Old City you’ll find exchange bureaux near Damascus Gate and Jaffa Gate. In the City Centre there are many near Zion Sq. Some moneychangers, especially around Ben Yehuda St, will also change travellers cheques. Note that they close early on Friday
JERUSALEM
JERUSALEM
84 J E R U S A L E M • • I n f o r m a t i o n
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Inner Jerusalem
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Nashashibi St
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St Stephen's Church 25
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Talbiyeh
Liberty Bell Gardens
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Rd
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(The German Colony) HaMoshava HaGermanit
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See Rehavia, German Colony & Talbiyeh Map (pp120–1)
Train Station (Disused)
el
INFORMATION British Consulate.......................1 F1 Israel Youth Hostels Hinnon Valley Association......................(see 33) Police Station...........................2 C2 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Absalom's Pillar....................... 3 Ben Yehuda House..................4 Bible Lands Museum................5 Bloomfield Science Museum.... Ab u Tor 6 Church of All Nations.............. 7 Church of Dominus Flevit........ 8 Church of St Peter of Gallicantu.............................9
G4 D3 A4 A4 G4 G4 F5
ansuriya El-M Mount of Olives
3
Et Tur 10
7
8
11 Carmelite Convent
24
3
15 26
lo ah
Ha Sh i
Church of the Ascension........ 10 Church of the Pater Noster.... 11 Silwan Ethiopian Church................... 12 Garden of Gethsemane..........13 Grave of Oskar Schindler........14 Grotto of St James................. 15 Israel Museum.......................16 Knesset..................................17 Mahane Yehuda Market........18 Monastery of the Cross..........19 Mosque of the Ascension...... 20 Rockefeller Museum...............21 Russian Chapel of the Ascension.......................... 22 (Russian) Church of Mary Magdalene.........................23 Tomb of Jehoshaphat............ 24 Tomb of the Virgin Mary....... 25
22
20
23
Rd
ph
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Gihon Spring
Hezekiah's Tunnel
Pool of Shiloah
s
ru
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l ha
Warren's Shaft
See Old City Map (pp90–1)
9
'im
at
Rd
St
on
ay
Ha
St
Ha
ek
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Mt Zion
Em
Tchernichowsky
Shikun Rassco
Chopin
Ha
Yemin Moshe
Rd
6
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St vid
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t gS
dS
Ha
iH ilw a
St
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Dung Gate
Car Park
Zion Gate
Ha
Da
Nayot
zo
Armenian Quarter
Hat
ren
Jewish Quarter
The Citadel
Ka
Neveh Granot
er
Western Wall
Jaffa Gate
h lek
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St
Me
i Rd
s Na
Kiryat Shmuel
a M
ek
Ha
19
Av
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t iS
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Balfour St
Khay'in Hazaz Ave
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Billy Rose Sculpture Garden
Ra
Clore Gardens
Neveh S h a' a n a n
5
mban St
Em
13
Beit Paggi
4
27
Lookout
Jericho Rd
St Ussishkin
pp
Ru
5
Ha
HaMelekh David
17
Old City
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Mamilla
Gan Ha'Atzmaut (Independence Park) St n ro Ag
Haram ash-Sharif/ Temple Mount Golden Dome of Gate the Rock
Christian Quarter
Valley of Jeh oshaphat
New Gate
S h a' a r e i Hessed
ho
St Stephen's/ Lions Gate
Wad
t
nS
pla
Ka
4
ric
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Wahl Rose Park
Kiryat Wolfson
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fa R
Nahalat Ahim
leh
Ave
Jaf
Muslim Quarter
Damascus Gate
Morasha
Nahalat S h i v' a
Herod's Gate
St
Ma'A
eo
gG
Ben Yehu
Givat Ram
6
an
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Supreme Court
Kin
Ben Zvi
Bank of Israel
N a h l a' o t
l St
Rd
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Rab'a
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sR
34
Bez
Adaya
Es-Suwaneh
HaNev
Mahane Yehuda
3
el Ben
El'Ad awiy eh
12
Shmu
El-Muqd a
St
el
'Is ra
iY
ivt e
Sh
Strauss St
4
ia S
Mahane Yehuda
St
See City Centre Map (pp114–15)
t
35
Rd
vi'im
18
Mea She'arim
in S
HaNe
d-D
Klal Building/ Arkia
Rd
ha
fa
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Jaf
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iop Eth h rit Bnei B
ripp 37 as St
Khayim
Ag
2
B a b E z' Z a h r a
East Jerusalem
HaShalom
33
r
2
be
She'a
Zichron Moshe
Bu
Rashi St
Wad El-Joz
rtin
u
rda
B e i t Y i s r a' e l
Ma
Mea
Mt Scopus
American Colony
St
G e' u l a
Mekor Baruch
See East Jerusalem Map (p110)
asen
Van Pa
Sachs
1
Nah a
Nahalat S h i m' o n
Rd
a isr
i Yis
an
Hebrew University (Mt Scopus)
Nablus
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30
No
Ze
iY
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Sa
Zalman
Ma
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28
36 Jaffa Rd
Kerem Avraham
32 31
St
Romema
Bukharan Quarter
Bar Ilan St
Yir
HaShalom Rd
hu miya
Ye he ske lS t
1
z
Shikun Habad
Ha
JERUSALEM
86 J E R U S A L E M • • I n n e r J e r u s a l e m
Seven Arches Hotel
Jewish Cemetery
Tomb of Zechariah................ 26 G4 Tombs of the Prophets.......... 27 H4 Uzi Eli..................................(see 18)
H4 H4 D2 G3 E5 G4 A5 A4 C2 B5 H4 F2
Ras El-Amud SLEEPING Allenby 2 B&B.......................28 A2 Ambassador Hotel..................29 F1 Caesar Hotel Jerusalem..........30 B2
EATING Askadinya...............................31 E1 Chandra..............................(see 18) DRINKING Borderline...............................32 E1 ENTERTAINMENT Binyanei Ha'Umah Conference Centre...............................33 A2 Pargod Theatre......................34 B3
H4 G4 G4 G3
5
TRANSPORT Arkia......................................35 C2 Central Bus Station................36 A2 Rochvim Bikes........................37 B2
6
and remain closed all day Saturday. Banks with ATMs, such as Mizrahi and Leumi, are found on every block in the City Centre. American Express (Map pp114-15; x624 0830; 18
Shlomzion HaMalka St) Replaces lost travellers cheques. Mizrahi Bank (Map pp114-15; cnr Jaffa Rd & Shlomzion HaMalka St) ATM access. POST
DHL (x557 3850; www.dhl.com) FedEx (x651 2693; www.fedex.com) Main post office City Centre (Map pp114-15; x624
4745; main section, 23 Jaffa Rd; h7am-7pm Sun-Thu, 7am-noon Fri); City Centre branch (Map pp114–15; cnr Bezalel & Shilo Sts); Old City branch (Map pp90–1; Omar ibn al-Khattab Sq) Close to Jaffa Gate; East Jerusalem (Map p110; cnr Salah ad-Din & Sultan Suleyman Sts) The main post office in the City Centre is the place to pick up poste restante. TOURIST INFORMATION
Alternative Information Centre (Map pp114-15; x624 1159; www.alternativenews.org; 2nd fl, 4 Shlomzion HaMalka St; h9.30am-8pm) Political group that provides information dealing with the Arab–Israeli conflict. There are several books, magazines and DVDs for sale, many created by the staff members at the centre. The centre is a also a good point of contact to start from if you want to be in touch with NGOs or volunteer groups working in the country. Christian Information Centre (Map pp90-1; x627 2692; www.cicts.org; Omar ibn al-Khattab Sq; h8.30amnoon Mon-Sat) Opposite the entrance to the Citadel; provides information on the city’s Christian sites. They also give out handy maps that detail walking tours around the Old City. Daila (Map pp114-15; x624 5560; 4 Shlomzion HaMalka St; h4pm-midnight) Daila is another activist centre where you can pick up literature on political events and organisations in Israel. Jaffa Gate Tourist Office (Map pp90-1; x627 1422; www.tourism.gov.il; Jaffa Gate; h8.30am-5pm Sun-Thu) Offers free maps and can arrange informal meetings with Christian, Orthodox Jewish and Muslim families. Jewish Student Information Centre (Map pp90-1; x628 2634, 052-286 7795; www.jeffseidel.com; 5 Beit El St) Committed to providing young Jews with an appreciation of their heritage, this centre organises free walking tours of Jewish sites around the Old City. TRAVEL AGENCIES
ISSTA HaNevi’im St (Map pp114-15; x625 7257; 31
HaNevi’im St) Organises inexpensive flight tickets; Herbert Samuel St (Map pp114-15; x621 1888; 4 Herbert Samuel St) Its second branch is near Zion Sq. Mazada Tours (Map pp114-15; x623 5777; www .mazada.co.il; Pearl Hotel bldg, 15 Jaffa Rd) Operates tours and buses to Cairo.
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DANGERS & ANNOYANCES Demonstrations and marches are pretty common in Jerusalem and while they are usually peaceful, it’s still a good idea to remain vigilant in case things get rowdy. The Mount of Olives has not always been the friendliest area to walk and some female travellers walking there alone have been hassled by locals. If possible, visit the area in pairs. For more general tips on staying safe in Israel and the Palestinian Territories see p387.
SIGHTS Jerusalem’s major sights can be broken down into a few different areas, with the highest concentration in the Old City. The Kidron Valley (which contains the City of David) and Mt Zion are both within walking distance of the Old City, but touring the area involves lots of walking, much of it uphill. West Jerusalem contains a number of sights, including the Israel Museum, Mt Herzl, Yad Vashem and Ein Kerem, but these are spread out and are best reached by bus or taxi. East Jerusalem receives fewer visitors, with the exception of those heading for the Rockefeller museum or the Garden Tomb; the area can be reached on foot from the Old City but it’s not well connected to West Jerusalem so consider taking a cab to save time. Because there is so much to see in Jerusalem, it’s a good idea to prioritise the sights you want to visit before setting off on the tourist track. Your game plan should also include setting up a few appointments as some of the most popular attractions require prebooking (such as the Western Wall Tunnels Tour and the Herzl Musuem).
Old City In the late afternoon, with the sight of golden light bleaching the ancient stone buildings, the sound of church bells clanging in the distance, the smell of spices wafting out of the bazaars and a distinct awareness of tension in the air, the Old City (Map pp90–1) really is a feast for the senses. Within its mighty walls you can sleep in 700-year-old edifices, haggle over everything from souvenir T-shirts to ancient artefacts and taste the delectable food of the Levant. But far from being merely ancient and spectacular, the Old City is above all a holy place, containing a number of sites sacred to Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
J E R U S A L E M • • S i g h t s 89
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THE JERUSALEM SYNDROME Each year tens of thousands of tourists descend on Jerusalem to walk in the footsteps of the prophets, and a handful come away from the journey thinking they are the prophets. This medically recognised ailment, called the Jerusalem Syndrome, occurs when visitors become overwhelmed by the historical significance of the Holy City and come to the conclusion that they are biblical characters or that the Apocalypse is near. The ailment was first documented in the 1930s by Jerusalem psychiatrist Dr Heinz Herman, who identified, for example, an English Christian woman who was certain that Christ’s Second Coming was imminent and regularly climbed Mt Scopus to welcome Him back to earth with a cup of tea. In more recent times, there were reports of a Canadian Jew who, claiming to be Samson, decided to prove himself by smashing through the wall of his room to escape. Or there was the elderly American Christian woman who believed she was the Virgin Mary and went to Bethlehem to look for the baby Jesus. In the most serious case so far, in 1969 an Australian Christian fanatic set fire to Al-Aqsa Mosque, causing considerable damage. He believed that he had to clear the Haram ash-Sharif of non-Christian buildings to prepare for the Messiah’s Second Coming. Doctors estimate that the Jerusalem Syndrome affects between 50 and 200 people per year, and although many have a recorded history of mental aberration, about a quarter of recorded cases have no previous psychiatric record. You can occasionally see these people standing on Ben Yehuda St, dressed in colourful garb or wearing togas, and holding placards that describe soon-to-be-occurring events of an apocalyptic nature. Most sufferers are taken to the state psychiatric ward, Kfar Shaul, on the outskirts of West Jerusalem. Patients are monitored and then sent home. Doctors explain that the syndrome generally lasts a week and when the patient resumes his or her old self, they become extremely embarrassed, and prefer not to speak of the incident. Doctors at Kfar Shaul have found it virtually pointless to try to persuade the deluded that they are not who they claim to be. The hospital cites the example of two patients, both claiming to be the Messiah. Put together, each accused the other of being the impostor.
The Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre are a camel’s spit from each other. It’s also a living city, where families live, work and play – the ancient paving stones bear witness to unknown generations of Jerusalemites. Most visitors enter through Jaffa Gate, where it’s downhill to everything. Roads circle the Old City, so you could take a taxi to any of the gates, including Damascus Gate for the Muslim Quarter and Dung Gate for the Western Wall and Temple Mount. WALLS & GATES
The walls as they exist today are the legacy of Süleyman the Magnificent, who oversaw their construction between 1537 and 1542. The northern wall, including Damascus Gate, was built first and then extended south, at which point it was delayed by a dispute over whether or not Mt Zion and the Franciscans’ monastery should stand inside or outside the wall. To save time and expense the builders decided against looping
the wall around the monastery, leaving the Franciscans out in the cold. Popular legend has it that when news reached Süleyman of the miserly cost-cutting exercise, he was furious and had the architects beheaded. There were seven gates in his walls and, in the late 19th century, an eighth was added. All but the Golden Gate on the southern side of the Haram ash-Sharif/Temple Mount are accessible and, time permitting, you should try to make a point of entering or leaving the Old City by each of them. The following begins with the Damascus Gate and continues clockwise around the wall. Damascus Gate
The scene in front of Damascus Gate (Map pp90–1) is a microcosm of the Palestinian world – vendors heave goods in and out of the Old City, families picnic on the steps and Israeli soldiers tap their truncheons. You’ll also spot elderly women from the villages trying to sell herbs and produce; most of
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Batei Mahseh St
Disused Mosque
Chamber of the Holocaust
Old City
J E R U S A L E M • • S i g h t s 91
them wear intricately embroidered dresses that are a part of their dowry and identity. The gate itself dates in its present form from the time of Süleyman the Magnificent, although there had been a gate here long before the arrival of the Turks. This was the main entrance to the city as early as the time of Agrippas, who ruled in the 1st century BC. The gate was considerably enlarged during the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian. A column erected by Hadrian once stood in the square, leading to the alternative name for the gate: Bab al-Amud (Gate of the Column). Herod’s Gate
It was just 100m east of this gate (Map pp90–1) that the Crusaders breached the city walls on 15 July 1099. The name was derived from a mistaken belief held by 16th- and 17th- century pilgrims that a nearby building was at one time the palace of Herod Antipas. In Hebrew the gate is Sha’ar HaPerahim and in Arabic, Bab asZahra (Flower Gate). St Stephen’s Gate (Lions Gate)
This is the gate that gives access to the Mount of Olives and Gethsemane and, from their positions on that biblically famed hillside, Israeli paratroopers fought their way in through this gate on 7 June 1967 to capture the Old City. Although Süleyman called it Bab al-Ghor (the Jordan Gate), the name never stuck and it became known as St Stephen’s Gate (Map pp90–1) after the first Christian martyr, who was stoned to death at a spot nearby. The Hebrew name, Sha’ar Ha’Arayot (Lions Gate), is a reference to the two pairs of heraldic lions carved either side of the archway. Golden Gate
Car Park
hse
Ma tei
Sh alo m
alay i m Rd
34
5
51
Hativat Zion Rd Catholic Cemetery Armenian Cemetery
Old City
Jerusalem Archaeological Park & Davidson Centre
Jewish Quarter
Batei Jewish Mahseh Sq Quarter
Christian Cemetery
Non-Muslim entrance to the Haram 16
Dung Gate
5
88
Haram ash-Sharif/ Temple Mount
3
4
59
Western Wall Plaza Bab al-Maghariba
leh
Armenian Quarter
49
18
Hativat Yerush
See Rehavia, German Colony & Talbiyeh Map (pp120–1)
Armenian Garden
Ararat St
Armenian Compound
Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate Rd
5
2
The Cardo
19
60
Ticket Kiosk
Public Toilets
57
St Maria Public 20 85 of the Toilets ret Isr Germans 32 Hurva ael St Sq 62 82 86 42 8
36
Court Museum
55
66
Tife
Armenian Quarter Old Yishuv
68
33 St Lakhot Shone Ha 9 41
12
50
81
Jewish Quarter
Dome of the Rock
46
Public Quarter Toilets St -Silsila Bab as
Ma' A
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Christian Quarter
15
11
iya El-Khalid
53 Public Toilets
David St St Mar 74 52 k's 65
Haram ash-Sharif/ Temple Mount
Souq al n Qattani
Muslim
21
Christian Quarter
25
Golden Gate
Tariq Bab al-Hadad St
Misgav Ladach St
1 23 13
56
37
Habad St Jewish Quarte r Rd
14 78 Omar ibn 67 al-Khattab Sq 83
27
Yerushalay
HaSaraya
St Stephen's/ Lions Gate
Muslim Cemetery
Rd
St
Jaffa Gate
73 iya D Tak
Muristan
Pool of Hezekiah
Sha'ar Al-Ghazali Sq
Tariq Bab an-Nazir St
44
Al-Wad
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6
St
38
54 at-Takiya
Ha-Kari
Em
Rd 70 Exchange Bureau 4 43
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See City Centre Map (pp114–15)
4
Omar Mosque
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Rd
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La Pa tin tria rch a
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Muristan Rd
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Christian Quarter
Souq Khan as-Zeit
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Salahiya
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Shad
See Haram Ash-Sharif/ Temple Mount Map (p94)
tat
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Damascus Gate
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Muslim Quarter
Laqlaq Burj
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Sha'a
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Taxi stand
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Dror Eli'el Rd
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lonelyplanet.com
Uncertainty surrounds this sealed entrance to the Haram ash-Sharif/Temple Mount. The Jewish Mishnah mentions the Temple’s eastern gate and there are Herodian elements in the present structure. Some believe it to be where the Messiah will enter the city (Ezekiel 44:1-3). The gate (Map pp90–1) was probably sealed by the Muslims in the 7th century to deny access to the Haram ash-Sharif/Temple Mount to non-Muslims. A popular alternative theory is that the Muslims sealed it to prevent the Jewish Messiah from entering the
JERUSALEM
ὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈ 90 J E R U S A L E M • • O l d C i t y
INFORMATION Christian Information Centre...... 1 David Tours................................ 2 Freeline.......................................3 Jaffa Gate Tourist Office.............4 Jewish Student Information Centre.................................... 5 Mike's Centre............................. 6 Moneychanger........................... 7 Moriah Bookshop....................... 8 Moross Community Centre........ 9 Orthodox Society......................10 Police........................................ 11 Post Office............................... 12 Post Office............................... 13 St
[email protected] Zion Walking Tours.................. 15
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C4 C5 C3 B4 D5 C3 C2 D5 D4 B3 C5 D4 C4 B4 C4
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Al-Aqsa Mosque.......................16 E4 Armenian Church..................... 17 D3 Armenian Museum .................. 18 C6 Ben Zakai Synagogue..............(see 51) Broad Wall............................... 19 D4 Burnt House............................. 20 D5 Butchers' Market...................... 21 C4 Chapel of the Flagellation..........22 E2 Christ Church........................... 23 C4 Church & Monastery of the Dormition............................. 24 C6 Church of St John the Baptist... 25 C4 Church of the Holy Sepulchre... 26 C3 Citadel......................................27 B4 Discovery Centre...................... 28 D5 Ecce Homo Convent of the Sisters of Zion........................29 D2 Entrance to City of David..........30 E5
Ethiopian Monastery................. 31 C3 Hurva Synagogue..................... 32 D5 Israelite Tower.......................... 33 D4 Jerusalem Archaeological Park & Davidson Centre................34 E5 King David's Tomb................... 35 C6 Last Ditch Battle of the Jewish Quarter Museum.................. 36 C5 Lutheran Church of the Redeemer............................. 37 C4 Ottoman-era Sabil.................... 38 D3 Palace of the Lady Tunshuq...... 39 D3 Pool of Bethesda.......................40 F2 Rachel Ben-Zvi Centre.............. 41 D4 Ramban Synagogue................. 42 D5 Ramparts Walk Entrance...........43 B4 Ribat Bayram Jawish................. 44 D3 Room of the Last Supper........(see 35) Royal Quarter (Area G).............45 F5 Sabil Suleyman......................... 46 D4 St Alexander's Church.............. 47 C3 St Anne's Church......................48 F2 St James' (Jacques') Cathedral.. 49 C5 St Mark's Chapel ..................... 50 C4 Sephardic Synagogue............... 51 D5 Stairs to Rooftop Promenade.... 52 C4 Stairs to Rooftop Promenade.... 53 D4 Tomb of the Lady Tunshuq...... 54 D3 Tomb of Turkan Khatun............55 E4 Tower of David Museum.......... 56 B4 Viewpoint................................ 57 D4 Warren's Shaft..........................58 F6 Western Wall............................59 E4 Western Wall Tunnel Entrance............................... 60 E4 Western Wall Tunnel Exit..........61 E2 Wohl Archaeological Museum .. 62 D5
Haram. The Golden Gate is known as Sha’ar ha-Rahamim (Gate of Mercy) in Hebrew and either Bab al-Rahma or Bab al-Dahriyya (Eternal Gate) in Arabic. Dung Gate
In Hebrew it’s Sha’ar HaAshpot. The popular theory as to how these two unflattering appellations came about is that at one time the area around the gate (Map pp90–1) was the local rubbish dump. Its Arabic name is Bab al-Maghariba (Gate of the Moors) because North African immigrants lived nearby in the 16th century. Presently the smallest of the city’s gates, at one time it was even more diminutive. The Jordanians widened it during their tenure in the city in order to allow cars through. You can still make out traces of the original, narrower Ottoman arch. Zion Gate
This gate (Map pp90–1) had to be punched through to give access to the Franciscan
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SLEEPING Austrian Hospice...................... 63 D3 Casa Nova Pilgrims' Hospice.....64 B3 Christ Church Guest House.....(see 23) Citadel Youth Hostel................ 65 C4 Dr Bachi's Guesthouse.............. 66 D4 East New Imperial Hotel............67 B4 El Malak................................... 68 C5 Faisal Hostel..............................69 C1 Gloria........................................70 B4 Golden Gate Inn....................... 71 C3 Hashimi Hotel...........................72 C3 Hebron Youth Hostel................73 C3 Lutheran Guest House.............. 74 C4 Notre Dame de Zion................. 75 D2 Old City Youth Hostel.............. 76 C4 Palm Hostel...............................77 C1 Petra Hostel.............................. 78 C4
only made in 1898 in order to permit the visiting Kaiser Wilhelm II and his party to ride with full pomp into the city. Just inside the gate, on the left as you enter, are two graves said to be those of Süleyman’s architects, beheaded for leaving the Mt Zion monastery outside the walls. The Arabic name for the gate is Bab alKhalil (Gate of the Friend), which refers to the holy city of Hebron (Al-Khalil in Arabic). In Hebrew it is Sha’ar Yafo because this was the start of the old road to the historical port of Jaffa.
EATING Abu Shukri............................... 79 Amigo Emil............................... 80 Armenian Tavern...................... 81 Bonker's Bagels........................ 82 Moses Art Café........................ 83 Pizzeria Basti............................. 84 Quarter Café............................ 85 Tzaddik's New York Deli ......... 86
The New Gate (Map pp90–1) is the most modern of all the gates, opened in 1887 by Sultan Abdul Hamid to allow direct access from the newly built pilgrim hospices to the holy sites of the Old City’s Christian Quarter. In Hebrew it’s ha-Sha’ar He-Chadash, and in Arabic, al-Bab al-Jadid.
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SHOPPING Aweida Gallery......................... 87 C3 Cardo....................................... 88 C5 TRANSPORT Arab Bus Station....................... 89 D1
monastery left outside the walls by Süleyman’s architects. During the 1948 ArabIsraeli War, Israeli soldiers holding Mt Zion also tried to burst through here in a desperate attempt to relieve the besieged Jewish Quarter. First they tried to dynamite the wall at a spot 100m east of the gate (it still bears the scar), and when that failed they launched an all-out assault, which ended disastrously. A memorial plaque to the fallen is inset within the gate while the bullet-eaten façade gives some indication of how ferocious the fighting must have been. To the Jews, the gate is Sha’ar Ziyyon, while in Arabic it’s Bab Haret al-Yahud (Gate of the Jewish Quarter). The actual gate (Map pp90–1) is the small block through which the doglegged pedestrian tunnel passes (the dogleg was to slow down any charging enemy forces – you’ll find the same thing at the Damascus and Zion Gates); the breach in the wall through which the road now passes was
New Gate
RAMPARTS WALK
The Ramparts Walk (Map pp90-1; x627 7550; adult/child 16/8NIS; h9am-4.30pm Sat-Thu & Sat) is a 1km jaunt along the top of the city wall – from Jaffa Gate north to Lion’s Gate, via New, Damascus and Herod’s Gates, and Jaffa Gate south to Dung Gate, via Zion Gate. It isn’t possible to do a complete circuit of the wall because the Haram ashSharif/Temple Mount stretch is closed for security reasons. To begin the walk, head up the stairs just inside Jaffa Gate. ROOFTOP PROMENADE
For some great views of the Old City, climb the metal stairway on the corner of Habad St and St Mark’s Rd or the steep stone stairs in the southwestern corner of the Khan asSultan, both of which lead onto the rooftops (Map pp90–1) around the David St and Al-Wad markets. Come up during the day for a peek through the ventilation ducts at the bustle below but also make a nighttime visit to appreciate the Old City in its moonlit silhouette. HARAM ASH-SHARIF/TEMPLE MOUNT
A walk up to the Temple Mount (Map pp90-1; x628 3313; www.noblesanctuary.com, www.templemount .org; admission free; h7.30-11am & 1.30-2.30pm Sat-Thu)
is a time-honoured privilege sanctified by the thousands of pilgrims who have trod be-
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fore you. An open plaza of cypress trees and ancient paving stones, the architecture that exists today dates back to the first Muslim conquest, around 1400 years ago, including the unmistakable Dome of the Rock. But the history of the Mount goes back much further, with the first Jewish Temple having been built here a thousand years before Christ. There are few patches of ground as holy, or as disputed, as this one, and as such it’s one of the required stops on a visit to the Old City. The Temple Mount, known to Muslims as the Haram ash-Sharif, has been headlining news events for quite a few millennia. It all started with a large slab of rock protruding from the ridge Mt Moriah. According to Jewish lore, this rock was identified as the foundation stone of the world. The Talmud (see p31 for more information) states that it was here that God gathered the earth that was used to form Adam, and it was here that Adam, Cain, Abel and Noah all performed ritual sacrifices. The most wellknown such event occurred when Abraham nearly sacrificed his own son Isaac in a test of faith. (In the 11th hour an angel spared Isaac and replaced him with a ram). As a holy place, it was here that Solomon built the First Temple. It took seven and a half years to complete but for reasons unknown it stood unused for 13 years. When finally consecrated, Solomon placed the Ark of the Covenant inside and celebrated with a sevenday feast. After weathering a number of raids, the temple was destroyed in 586 BC by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon. A second temple was erected in 515 BC, and King Herod later improved the site by building a wall around the mount and filling it with rubble, levelling off the enormous plaza we can identify with today. Any civic improvements were for naught, however, as the second temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 66. Despite the destruction they had wrought, the Romans too felt a spiritual affinity for the Mount and erected a temple to Zeus, which was later turned into a Christian church. Fast forward to the mid-7th century in Mecca, where the prophet Mohammed is believed to have announced to his fellow Meccans that in a single night he had travelled to Jerusalem, and led other prophets in prayers at the Temple Mount. This was called the isra (night journey), and was followed by the miraj (ascension to heaven), where he joined
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Allah. Mohammed’s isra sealed the Temple Mount’s importance for Muslims and it is now Islam’s third holiest place after Mecca and Medina. Immediately following the Six Day War, Israeli commander Moshe Dayan handed over the Temple Mount to Jerusalem’s Muslim leaders. Their control of the Mount has never gone down well with Jewish extremists and there have been a number of protests and incidents of violence, including failed plots to blow up Muslim holy sites. For the uninvolved visitor, the Temple Mount is a relaxing contrast to the noise and congestion of the surrounding narrow streets. It’s a flat paved area the size of a couple of adjacent football fields, fringed with
some attractive Mamluk buildings and with the Dome of the Rock positioned roughly in the centre. There are nine gates connecting the enclosure to the surrounding narrow streets, but although you can leave the compound by any of them, non-Muslims are only allowed to enter at the Bab alMaghariba (Gate of the Moors), reached from the Western Wall plaza. Line up early for security checks and bear in mind that the Mount closes on Muslim holidays. It’s best to visit early in your trip in case you don’t get in on the first try. Modest dress is required. The self-appointed guides will offer their services and will provide commentary as you walk around the grounds. If you choose
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to hire one, negotiate a price before you set off. Al-Aqsa Mosque
The name Al-Aqsa means ‘farthest mosque’ and is in reference to the isra Mohammed is believed to have made on his way to heaven to join Allah. While the Dome of the Rock serves more as a masthead than a mosque, Al-Aqsa (Map pp90–1) is a functioning house of worship, accommodating up to 5000 praying supplicants at a time. Believed by some to be a conversion of a 6th-century Byzantine church, Muslims maintain that Al-Aqsa was built from scratch in the early 8th century by the son of Abd al-Malik, patron of the Dome. Clarification of the issue is complicated because nothing much remains from the original structure, which was twice destroyed by earthquakes in its first 60 years. The present-day mosque is a compendium of restorations, with columns donated, strangely enough, by Benito Mussolini and the elaborately painted ceilings courtesy of Egypt’s King Farouk. The intricately carved mihrab (prayer niche indicating the direction of Mecca), however, does date from the time of Saladin, as did an equally magnificent carved wood pulpit that was lost in a 1969 fire started by a deranged Australian Christian.
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Jerusalem Archaeological Park & Davidson Centre
* Non-Muslims may only enter the Haram by Bab al-Maghariba
Haram Ash-Sharif / Temple Mount
Dome of the Rock
The jewel in the Temple Mount crown is the gold-plated Dome of the Rock (Map pp90–1; Qubbet al-Sakhra in Arabic), the enduring
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symbol of the city and undoubtedly one of the most photographed buildings on earth. As its name suggests, the dome covers the slab of stone sacred to both the Muslim and Jewish faiths. It was here that Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son and from which, according to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Mohammed launched himself heavenward to take his place alongside Allah. The building was constructed between AD 688 and 691 under the patronage of the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik. His motives were shrewd as well as pious – the caliph was concerned that the imposing Christian Church of the Holy Sepulchre was seducing Arab minds. In asserting the supremacy of Islam, Abd al-Malik had his Byzantine architects take as their model the rotunda of the Holy Sepulchre. But not for the Muslims the dark, gloomy interiors of the Christian structures or the austere stone façades; instead, their mosque was covered, both inside and out, with a bright confection of mosaics and scrolled verses from the Quran, while the crowning dome was covered in solid gold that shone as a beacon for Islam. A plaque was laid inside honouring alMalik and giving the date of construction. Two hundred years later the Abbasid caliph al-Mamun altered it to claim credit for himself, neglecting to amend the original date. During the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent what remained of the original interior mosaics were removed and replaced, while the external mosaics were renewed in 1963. Essentially, however, what you see
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today is the building as conceived by Abd al-Malik. The gold dome also disappeared long ago, melted down to pay off some caliph’s debts. The present convincing anodised aluminium dome has been financed by Gulf State Arab countries. Inside, lying central under the 20m-high dome and ringed by a wooden fence, is the rock from which it is said Mohammed began his night journey (his footprint is supposedly visible in one corner). Tradition also has it that this marks the centre of the world. Steps below the rock lead to a cave known as the ‘Well of Souls’ where the dead are said to meet twice a month to pray. Unfortunately it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to enter the building. At the time of our visit it was only open to Muslims but some non-Muslim tourists have reported being let inside for a fee. WESTERN WALL
The builders of the Western Wall (Map pp90–1; HaKotel) could never have fathomed that one day their modest creation would become the most important religious shrine for the Jewish people. Indeed, when it was built some 2000 years ago it was merely a retaining wall supporting the outer portion of the Temple Mount, upon which stood the Second Temple. But following the destruction of the temple in AD 70, Jews were sent into exile and the precise location of the temple was lost. Upon their return they purposely avoided the Temple Mount, fearing that they might step on the Holy of Holies, the ancient inner sanctum of the temple barred to all except high priests. Instead they began praying at an exposed outer wall; according to rabbinical texts, the Shechina (divine presence) never deserted the wall and it’s regarded as the most holy of all Jewish sites. The Wall grew as a place of pilgrimage during the Ottoman period and Jews would come to mourn and lament their ancient loss – hence the term the Wailing Wall. At this time, houses were pressed right up to the Wall, leaving just a narrow alley for prayer. In 1948 the Jews lost access when the whole of the Old City was taken by the Jordanians. Nineteen years later when Israeli paratroopers stormed in during the Six Day War, they fought their way directly to the Wall and the first action on securing the Old City was to bulldoze the neighbour-
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ing Arab quarter to create the plaza that exists today. The area immediately in front of the Wall now operates as a great open-air synagogue. It’s divided into two areas, a small southern section for women and a more active, larger northern section for men. Here, the blackgarbed Hasidim rock backwards and forwards on their heels, bobbing their heads in prayer, occasionally breaking off to press themselves against the Wall and kiss the stones. To celebrate the arrival of Shabbat there is always a large crowd at sunset on Friday and students from the nearby Yeshiva HaKotel head down there to dance and sing. The Wall is also a popular site for bar mitzvahs, held on the Shabbat or on Monday and Thursday mornings. Notice the different styles of stonework. The huge lower layers are the Herodian stones, identifiable by their carved edges, while the strata above that, which are chiselled slightly differently, date from the time of the construction of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Also visible at close quarters are the wads of paper stuffed into the cracks in the stone wall: it’s a belief that prayers inserted into the Wall have a better than average chance of being answered. On the men’s side of the Wall a narrow passage runs under Wilson’s Arch, which was once used by priests to enter the Temple. Look down the two illuminated shafts to get an idea of the Wall’s original height. Women are not permitted into the room. The Wall is open to all faiths, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Modest dress is recommended and a kippa is required (paper kippas are available if you don’t have one). Be discreet when taking photos, and don’t take any photos at all during Shabbat. Up-tothe-minute live shots can be viewed at www .aish.com/wallcam. Western Wall Tunnels
For a different perspective on the Western Wall, join a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels (Map pp90-1; x627 1333; www.thekotel.org; adult/child 25/15NIS; h8am-6pm Sun-Thu, 8am-12.30pm Fri), a
488m passage that follows the northern extension of the wall. Dug out by archaeologists, the tunnel burrows down to the original street level (nicknamed Market St by tour guides because it was believed to have been a shopping area). The foundation stones here
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are enormous – one is a 570-ton monster the size of a small bus. You can only visit the tunnels on a guided tour, which takes about 75 minutes and must be booked in advance. Try to book at least a week ahead of time – these tours are very popular and fill up fast! Jerusalem Archaeological Park & Davidson Centre
On the southern side of the Western Wall, the recently renovated Jerusalem Archaeological Park & Davidson Centre (Map pp90-1; x627 7550;
www.archpark.org.il; adult/child 30/16NIS; h8am-5pm Sun-Thu) is a peek into the history of the
Temple Mount and its surrounding areas, displaying the remains of streets, columns, walls and plazas exposed by modern archaeologists. Byzantine and Arab structures are among the ruins, as well as finds from the Herodian period. As you enter you’ll notice on your left the remains of an arch protruding from Herod’s wall. This is a Robinson’s Arch (named after a 19th-century American explorer), which was once part of a bridge that connected the Temple Mount and the main commercial area. Towards the back of the complex, you’ll find a long, wide staircase that was once the main entry for pilgrims headed to the Temple Mount. Near the bottom of the steps you can spot ancient ritual baths that Jewish pilgrims used to purify themselves before they walked to the temple complex. The Davidson Visitor’s Centre, in an underground vault near the entrance, has a multimedia presentation and virtual tour of the Temple Mount as it looked 2000 years ago.
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One of the highlights is a detailed largescale model of Jerusalem, made in the late 19th century and discovered almost 100 years later, forgotten in a Geneva warehouse. It’s displayed in an underground chamber reached from the central courtyard garden. For blind visitors, there is also a series of relief aluminium models of the city at several stages of its history. The Citadel started life as the 1st-century palace of Herod the Great. A megalomaniacal builder, Herod furnished his palace with three enormous towers, the largest of which was reputedly modelled on the Pharos of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The chiselled-block remains of one of the lesser towers still serve as the base of the Citadel’s main keep. Following Herod’s death the palace was used by the Roman procurators as their Jerusalem residence until it was largely destroyed by Jewish rebels in AD 66. The Byzantines, who came along some 250 years later, mistook the mound of ruins for Mt Zion and presumed that this was David’s palace – hence the name Tower of David. They constructed a new fortress on the site. As Jerusalem changed hands, so did possession of the Citadel, passing to the Muslim armies and then to the Crusaders, who added the moat. It took on much of its present form in 1310 under the Mamluk sultan Malik an-Nasir, with Süleyman the Magnificent making further additions between 1531 and 1538. Süleyman is responsible for the gate by which the Citadel is now entered, and it was on the steps here that General Allenby accepted the surrender of the city on 9 December 1917, ending 400 years of rule by the Ottoman Turks.
THE CITADEL (TOWER OF DAVID)
The Jaffa Gate area is dominated by the Crusader Citadel, which includes Herod’s Tower and the Tower of David minaret. It’s occupied by the highly worthwhile Tower of David Museum (Map pp90-1; x 626
5333; www.towerofdavid.org.il; adult/child/student 30/ 15/20NIS; h10am-5pm Mon-Thu & Sat, 10am-2pm Fri May-Sep, closes one hr early Oct-Apr), which tells
the entire history of Jerusalem in a concise and easily digestible format. Revolving art exhibits in the halls and gardens add an especially pleasant angle. There are also good views of the city from the highest ramparts.
CHRISTIAN QUARTER
Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter (Map pp90–1) is an attractive blend of clean streets, souvenir stalls, hospices and religious institutions belonging to 20 different Christian sects. At its centre stands the Holy Sepulchre, and everyone, tourists and pilgrims alike, tends to be drawn towards it. As you enter from Jaffa Gate, the first two streets to the left – Latin Patriarchate Rd and Greek Catholic Patriarchate Rd – indicate the tone of the neighbourhood, named as they are after the offices there. The roads lead to St Francis St and in this quiet
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area around New Gate the local Christian hierarchy resides in comfort. Heading straight across Omar ibn alKhattab Sq you’ll find a narrow passage that leads down David St, a brash tourist bazaar dedicated to filling up the travellers’ suitcases with glow-in-the-dark crucifixes and ‘Don’t Worry Be Jewish’ T-shirts. Everything is overpriced and it’s expected that you’ll bargain. Towards the bottom end, David St switches over to food – a row of cavernous vaults on the left with fruit and vegetable stalls inside date from the Second Crusade. David St ends by crashing into a trio of narrow streets which, if followed to the left, converge into Souq Khan as-Zeit St, one of the main thoroughfares of the Muslim Quarter, while to the right they become the Cardo and lead into the Jewish Quarter. The first of the narrow alleys leading to the Muslim Quarter is Souq al-Lahamin, the Butchers’ Market. Church of the Holy Sepulchre
While the Dome of the Rock glistens and the Western Wall wails, the holiest Christian site in the Old City, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Map pp90-1; x627 2692; h4.30am-8pm) passes quietly through the centuries in sombre reflection of the last hours of Jesus. The church, somewhat huddled in the Christian Quarter between otherwise insignificant edifices, is considered by Christians to be the biblical Calvary (Latin for skull), or Golgotha, the place where it is said Jesus was nailed to the cross, died and rose from the dead. For the past 16 centuries Christian pilgrims have arrived at this spot from every corner of the globe, and while it may not look as regal as even the most average church in Europe, their tears, laments and prayers have done much to sanctify it. The decision to place the church here was made 300 years after the death of Christ by Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine. While on pilgrimage in the Holy City, she took note of Hadrian’s pagan temple to Venus and Jupiter (built in AD 135), and believed it had been placed here to thwart early Christians who had worshipped at the site. Excavations at the site revealed the grave of Joseph of Arimathea, as well as three crosses, leading Helena to declare the site of Calvary. Work on Constantine’s church commenced in AD 326 and it was dedicated nine years later. If you are a little confused as
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to why Jesus was said to have been crucified in the middle of the city, bear in mind that 2000 years ago this was an empty plot of land outside the former city walls. Shrines and churches were built on the site from the 4th century, occasionally destroyed by invading armies and rebuilt. When his armies took the city in AD 638, Caliph Omar was invited to pray in the church but he refused, generously noting that if he did his fellow Muslims would have turned it into a mosque. Instead, in 1009 the church was destroyed by the mad Caliph Hakim – which no doubt wouldn’t have happened if Omar had prayed there all those years before. Unable to afford the major repairs necessary, the Jerusalem community had to wait until 1042 when the Byzantine Imperial Treasury provided a subsidy. It wasn’t enough to pay for a complete reconstruction of the original church so a large part of the building was abandoned, but an upper gallery was introduced into the rotunda and an apse added to its eastern side as a sort of compensation. This was the church that the Crusaders entered on 15 July 1099 as the new rulers of the city. They made significant alterations and so the church as it exists today is more or less a Crusader structure of Byzantine origins. A fire in 1808 and an earthquake in 1927 did cause extensive damage; however, due to the rivalry between the different Christian factions who share ownership it took until 1959 for a major repair program to be agreed upon. For this reason the keys to the church have been in the possession of a local Muslim family since the Ottoman period and it’s their job to unlock the doors each morning and secure them again at night. Visitors to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre should dress modestly – the guards are very strict and refuse entry to those with bare legs, shoulders or backs. The main entrance is in the courtyard to the south and can be reached by two points: via Christian Quarter Rd or Dabbaga Rd, running from Souq Khan as-Zeit St past Muristan Rd. Another two possible entry points are via the roof (see the Ethiopian Monastery, p100).
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x627 7727; Omar ibn al-Khattab Sq) was the Holy Land’s first Protestant church, consecrated in 1849. It was built by the London Society for Promoting Christianity Among the Jews (known today as CMJ: the Church’s Ministry Among the Jews). The society’s founders were inspired by the belief that the Jews would be restored to what was then Turkish
Christ Church
Located just across from the Citadel in the Jaffa Gate area, Christ Church (Map pp90-1; Church of the Holy Sepulchre
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Palestine, and that many would acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Messiah before He returned. In order to present Christianity as something not totally alien to Judaism, Christ Church was built in the Protestant style with several similarities to a synagogue. Jewish symbols, such as Hebrew script and
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the Star of David, figure prominently at the altar and in the stained-glass windows. Later the compound became the first British Consulate in Palestine. It now serves as a Christian hospice and a café. There is also a museum featuring old documents and models of the city. Among the more interesting relics are a Syriac New Testament from 1664 and, amazingly, a guidebook of Jerusalem printed in 1595. Below the museum is an ancient cistern that is still in the process of excavation. St Alexander’s Church
On a corner just east of the Holy Sepulchre, St Alexander’s Church (Map pp90-1; admission free; h9am-1pm & 3-5pm Mon-Thu) is the home of the Russian mission in exile. The attraction for visitors is a much-altered triumphal arch that once stood in Hadrian’s forum, built here in AD 135. Through the arch and to the left at the top of the steps you can see a section of the pavement that was once part of the platform of Hadrian’s temple to Aphrodite. Ring the bell to enter. Ethiopian Monastery
Located on the northwestern corner of the Holy Sepulchre complex, the Ethiopian Monastery (Map pp90-1; admission free; hdaylight hr) houses a few monks who live among the ruins of a medieval cloister erected by the Crusaders where Constantine’s basilica had been previously. The cupola in the middle of this roof section admits light to St Helena’s crypt below. Once inside you may find monks and nuns praying or prostrating. Around the walls are paintings of Ethiopian saints, the Holy Family and the Queen of Sheeba during her visit to Jerusalem. It was during this visit that the Queen of Sheeba, together with King Solomon, produced heirs to both royal houses, one of whom (according to Ethiopian legend) brought the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia. To find the monastery, follow the route to the 9th Station of the Cross: up the steps off Souq Khan as-Zeit St, at the point where the street to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre turns to the right, there is a small grey door directly ahead that opens onto a roof of that church. The cluster of huts here has been the Ethiopian Monastery since the Copts forced them out of their former building in one of the many disputes between the various Christian groups.
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Access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is possible via two nearby points. One is through the Ethiopian Chapel and the other way is to go left out of the Ethiopian monastery and through the Copts’ entrance. Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
Dominating the Old City skyline with its tall white tower, the present Lutheran Church of the Redeemer (Map pp90-1; h9am-1pm & 1.30-5pm MonSat) was built in 1898 on the site of the 11thcentury church of St Mary la Latine. The closed northern entrance porch is medieval, decorated with the signs of the zodiac and the symbols of the months. The tower is popular for its excellent views over the Old City. Church of St John the Baptist
The oldest church in Jerusalem, the Church of St John the Baptist (Map pp90-1; Christian Quarter Rd, Muristan) is rather hidden by the Christian Quarter homes that surround it. The signposted entrance leads you into the courtyard of a more recent Greek Orthodox monastery where a monk will usually be present to open the church for you. Originally built in the mid-5th century, it was restored after the Persians destroyed it in AD 614. In the 11th century the merchants of Amalfi built a new church, which became the cradle of the Knights Hospitallers, using the walls of the earlier building. The present façade with the two small bell towers is a more recent addition, along with a few other alterations made to ensure the building’s stability. MUSLIM QUARTER
Strolling does not come easy in the Muslim Quarter (Map pp90–1) – visiting the sights here is more a matter of dodging, weaving and ducking. You’ll need agility as heavily laden carts go trundling past, children zip by with reckless abandon and merchants manhandle you into their shops. Challenging as it may seem, the hustle and bustle of the Muslim Quarter is relieved by the fragrance of the spice shops, the sight of colourful headgear bobbing amid the crowd and the joy of a hot tea taken on the roof of a guesthouse, with the Dome of the Rock dominating every view. The Muslim Quarter runs from Damascus Gate east and south towards the Temple Mount. Enter the melee at permanently congested Damascus Gate. About 100m in,
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the street forks, and there is a busy felafel stall wedged between the two prongs. Bearing to the left is Al-Wad Rd, lined with vast showrooms of brass items such as coffee pots and trays, in among sweet shops, vegetable stalls and an egg stall. This route leads directly to the Western Wall, along the way crossing the Via Dolorosa. Bearing to the right at the fork is Souq Khan as-Zeit St, which is even busier than Al-Wad Rd. Its name means ‘Market of the Guesthouses and Olive Oil’ – you’ll find both, plus shops selling fruit, vegetables, sweets, hardware, oriental spices and nuts. St Anne’s Church
Surrounded by trees and rubble from bygone eras, St Anne’s Church (Map pp90-1; admission 8NIS; h8am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-Sat Apr-Sep, 8am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Sat Oct-Mar) looks like a lost archaeo-
logical site in the midst of the Old City. Traditional belief holds that this was once the home of Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary, while next to the church are the impressive ruins surrounding the biblical Pool of Bethesda. Aside from its biblical ties, St Anne’s Church is also the finest example of Crusader architecture in Jerusalem. It was built in 1140, at the same time as a small adjacent chapel with a stairway leading down to the pool where Jesus is supposed to have healed a sick man (John 5:1-18). The building is unusually asymmetrical – columns, windows and even steps all vary in size and dimension. When Jerusalem fell to the armies of Saladin, St Anne’s became a Muslim theological school – an inscription still to be seen above the church’s entrance testifies to this. Successive rulers allowed the church to fall into decay so that by the 18th century it was roof-deep in refuse. In 1856 the Ottoman Turks presented the church to France in gratitude for its support in the Crimean War against Russia, and it was reclaimed from the garbage heap. Apart from its architectural beauty, the acoustics in the church are excellent, prompting not a few Christian pilgrims to break out into song (soprano and tenor voices sound particularly good here). You can sing too, but house regulations require that you pare your playlist down to religious songs only.
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Ecce Homo Convent of the Sisters of Zion This convent (Map pp90-1; admission free; h8.30amnoon & 2-5pm Mon-Sat) is named for the Ecce
Homo arch that crosses the Via Dolorosa outside. The arch (part of which has been enveloped by the wall of the convent) was at one time thought to be the gate of Herod’s Antonia Fortress and therefore believed to be the spot that Pontius Pilate took Jesus out and proclaimed, ‘Ecce Homo’ (Behold, the man!). Researchers now dispute this as the arch is now considered to be a 2ndcentury triumphal arch built by the Roman emperor Hadrian. Inside the convent, and down in the basement, is a cistern with a barrel-vault roof, a likely creation of Hadrian. You can also find here the stone pavement (lithostratos) etched with the games played by Roman guards, including the ‘Kings Game’, the goal of which was to execute a mock king. Mamluk Buildings
Overshadowed by the splendours of the Haram ash-Sharif/Temple Mount, and clustered outside its northern and western walls, are some excellent examples from the golden age of Islamic architecture (see Map pp90–1). This area was developed during the era of the Mamluks (1250–1517), a military dynasty of former slaves ruling out of Egypt. They drove the Crusaders out of Palestine and Syria and followed this up with an equally impressive campaign of construction, consolidating Islam’s presence in the Levant with masses of mosques, madrassas (theological schools), hostels, monasteries and mausoleums. Their buildings are typically characterised by the banding of red-and-white stone (a technique known as ablaq) and by the elaborate carvings and patterning around windows and in the recessed portals. All of these features are exhibited in the Palace of the Lady Tunshuq (Map pp90–1), built in 1388 and found halfway down Aqabat atTakiya – 150m east of the Hebron Hostel. The façade is badly eroded; however, the uppermost of the three large doorways still has some beautiful inlaid marblework, while a recessed window is decorated with another Mamluk trademark, the stone ‘stalactites’ known as muqarnas. The palace complex now serves as workshops and an orphanage. Opposite the palace is the Tomb of the Lady Tunshuq (1398).
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Continue downhill to the junction with Al-Wad Rd, passing on your right, just before the corner, the last notable piece of Mamluk architecture built in Jerusalem, the Ribat Bayram Jawish (1540), a one-time pilgrims’ hospice. Compare this with the buildings on Tariq Bab an-Nazir St, straight across AlWad, which are Jerusalem’s earliest Mamluk structures, built in the 1260s before the common use of ablaq. This street is named after the gate at the end, which leads through into the Haram ash-Sharif/Temple Mount, but non-Muslims may not enter here. Some 100m south on Al-Wad Rd is Tariq Bab al-Hadad St; it looks uninviting but wander down, through the archway, and enter a street entirely composed of majestic Mamluk structures. Three of the four façades belong to madrassas, dating variously from 1358 to 1440, while the single-storey building is a ribat, or hospice, dating from 1293. Back on Al-Wad Rd, continuing south the road passes the Souq al-Qattanin (see below) and then, on the left, a sabil (drinking fountain dating from Ottoman times), Sabil Suleyman. It terminates in a police checkpoint at the mouth of the tunnel down to the Western Wall plaza. However, the stairs to the left lead up to the busy Bab as-Silsila St and the Bab as-Silsila Gate (which leads to the Temple Mount). Just before the gate is the tiny kiosk-like Tomb of Turkan Khatun (1352) with a façade adorned with uncommonly asymmetrical carved geometric designs. Look out also for the restored Khan asSultan (Map p94), which is a 14th-century caravanserai (travellers’ inn and stables) at the top end of Bab as-Silsila St. A discreet entrance just up from the large ‘Gali’ sign leads into a courtyard surrounded by workshops, and from a staircase tucked in the left-hand corner as you enter you can climb up to the Old City rooftops. Souq al-Qattanin
The recently renovated Souq al-Qattanin (Map pp90–1; market of the cotton merchants) was originally a Crusader market improved by the Mamluks in the mid-14th century. Almost 100m long, it has 50 shops on the ground floor with residential quarters above. About halfway down is a gate that leads to the Al-Quds University Jerusalem Studies Centre. If it’s open, climb up to the roof for a spectacular view of the
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Temple Mount. The market also included two hammams (public baths), which have been closed for years but are one of many city projects planned for renovation. JEWISH QUARTER
Unlike its more bustling neighbours to the north, the Jewish Quarter (Map pp90–1) is decidedly residential, with scrubbed stone, proper rubbish collection and the occasional children’s playground. This is due largely to the fact that the area was flattened during the fighting in 1948 and most of the quarter had to be rebuilt from scratch. While few historic monuments above ground are in evidence, there are a number of interesting archaeological finds below street level, some of which date back to the time of the First Temple (around 1000 to 586 BC). One of the better exhibits is the recently renovated Burnt House. The Jewish Quarter is the only part of the old city that is fully equipped to accommodate wheelchair users. A designated route for wheelchair users begins at the car park south of Hurva Sq. Call x628-3415 for details. The Cardo
Cutting a broad north–south swathe, this is the reconstructed main street of Roman and Byzantine Jerusalem, the Cardo Maximus (Map pp90–1). At one time it would have run the whole breadth of the city, up to what’s now Damascus Gate, but in its present form it starts just south of David St, the tourist souq, serving as the main entry into the Jewish Quarter from the Muslim and Christian areas. As depicted on the 6th-century Madaba map of the Old City, a copy of which is displayed here, the Cardo would have been a wide colonnaded avenue flanked by roofed arcades. A part of it to the south has been restored to something like its original appearance, while the rest has been reconstructed as an arcade of expensive gift shops and galleries of Judaica. There are wells to allow visitors to see down to the levels beneath the street where there are strata of a wall from the days of the First Temple and the Second Temple. Close to the large menorah near the southern end of the Cardo, there is the Last Ditch Battle of the Jewish Quarter Museum (Map pp90-1; x628 8141; admission free; h10am-3pm Sun-Thu, 9am-
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1pm Fri), which documents the 1948 campaign for control over the city. Broad Wall
Just east of the Cardo and north of Hurva Sq, looking like a derelict lot between blankfaced apartment blocks, is a stretch of crumbling masonry known as the Broad Wall (Map pp90–1). This is actually an exposed portion of the remains of a fortified stone wall dating from the time of King Hezekiah (c 701 BC). Israelite Tower & Rachel Ben-Zvi Centre
Buried beneath a modern apartment block on Shone HaLakhot St and reached by a short flight of steps, the Israelite Tower (Map pp90-1; x628 8141; hby appointment) is a gate tower from the time of the Babylonian siege and destruction of the First Temple (roughly 580 BC). Across from the Israelite Tower, the Rachel Ben-Zvi Centre (Map pp90-1; x628 6288; admission 20NIS;h 9am-4pm Sun-Thu, 9am-1pm Fri), also on Shone HaLakhot St, exhibits a scale model of Jerusalem in the First Temple period, which shows archaeological findings from the period of King David and his followers. The centre’s other exhibits include an audiovisual history of the city from 1000 to 586 BC. Hurva Square & Synagogues
Hurva Sq (Map pp90–1) is an uncommon patch of open space set in the middle of the Jewish Quarter. Its western side is bordered by the remains of the Hurva Synagogue, which was Jerusalem’s major synagogue in the late 19th century. The property for the synagogue was purchased by a group of Jewish immigrants from Poland following their arrival in the Holy Land in the 1700s. In the midst of construction a mob of Arabs burned the synagogue and a new name was bequeathed on what was left, Hurva (the ruin). Lithuanian Jews built a new synagogue here in 1864 and fitted it with 12.8m-high (42ft) high arched windows and an 24.9m-tall (82ft) domed ceiling. During the 1948 war Jewish soldiers used the synagogue as a bunker until it was captured by the Arab Legion of Jordan, who subsequently dynamited the building. In 2005 city authorities, armed with a budget of US$6.2 billion, began efforts to
rebuild the synagogue. Work is expected to be completed by 2009. Adjoining the Hurva Synagogue is the Ramban Synagogue (Map pp90–1), its name is an acronym for Rabbi Moshe Ben Nahman. The synagogue was established on this site in the year 1400 in a stable bought from an Arab landlord, but problems were later caused by the construction of a neighbouring mosque (the minaret of which still stands). The upshot was that in 1588 the Jews were banned from worship and the synagogue was converted into a workshop. It was reinstated as a house of worship only in 1967, some 380 years later. South of Hurva Sq, on HaTupim St, are four Sephardic synagogues (Map pp90-1; www .sephardiccouncil.org/tour; h 9.30am-4pm Sun-Thu, 9.30am-noon Fri), two of which date back as far
as the 16th century. In accordance with a law of the time stating that synagogues could not be taller than neighbouring buildings, this grouping was sunk deep into the ground – a measure that certainly saved the buildings from destruction during the bombardment of the quarter in 1948. Instead, the synagogues were looted by the Jordanians and then used as sheep pens. They have been restored using the remains of Italian synagogues damaged during WWII and are back in use for morning and evening services. If you only have time for one, visit the 400year-old Ben Zakai Synagogue (Map pp90–1), which is named after a rabbi who escaped Roman persecution at the time of the Second Temple. Inside, a window high above the floor contains a shofar (rams’ horn) and a flask of olive oil. The purpose of the shofar is to announce the coming of the Messiah and the oil is there to anoint him upon his arrival in the synagogue. Legend has it that a tunnel was once built from the synagogue all the way to the Temple Mount so that the Messiah could easily walk there without the hindrance of street traffic. Burnt House
One of the more interesting sights of the Jewish Quarter is the Burnt House (Map pp90-1; adult/child/student 25/12/20NIS; Tiferet Israel St; h9am5pm Sun-Thu, 9am-1pm Fri), located below the
Quarter Café. The house, buried under rubble for centuries and only recently excavated, dates back to the Roman period, evidenced by the many Roman coins found
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Armenian Compound
St Mark’s Chapel
KING DAVID’S TOMB
Down a narrow alleyway east of Hurva Sq is the impressive Wohl Archaeological Museum
St James’ (Jacques’) Cathedral
The venerable St Mark’s Chapel (Map pp90-1; h7am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Sat) is the home of the Syrian Orthodox community in Jerusalem, whose members here number about 200. (There are only about three million worldwide, of whom two million are in Malahar in central India.) The Syrian Orthodox believe the chapel, on Ararat St, occupies the site of the home of St Mark’s mother, Mary, where Peter went after he was released from prison by an angel (Acts 12:12). The Virgin Mary is claimed to have been baptised here, and according to their tradition this, not the Cenacle on Mt Zion, is where the Last Supper was eaten. One thing to look out for is the painting on leather of the Virgin and Child attributed to St Luke.
A Crusader structure erected two millennia after his death, the Tomb of King David (Map
Wohl Archaeological Museum
About 1200 Armenians now live in what used to be a large pilgrims’ hospice. The Armenian Compound (Map pp90–1) became a residential area after 1915 when refugees from the Turkish massacres settled here. The empty, wide courtyards are a rare sight in the Old City. It is usually open to visitors during daylight hours, but it can close without notice, so its best to call ahead (x628 2331) or ask at the entrance to St James’ Cathedral to make an appointment for a visit.
here. Its destruction occurred in AD 66 when the Romans put the city to the torch (hence the name of the house). Aside from the coins, a spear was found here, as well as the skeletal remains of a woman and a stone weight with the name ‘Kathros’ on it (Kathros was a priestly family living in the city at this time). Piecing together history, the museum has created a well-made multimedia presentation shown in a number of languages, including English.
(Map pp90-1; x628 8141; admission 15NIS; h9am5pm Sun-Thu, 9am-1pm Fri), which features a
1st-century home and several Herodian archaeological sites, plus interpretive displays. The museum details the lavish lifestyle enjoyed in the Jewish neighbourhood of Herod’s city. Exhibits include frescoes, stucco reliefs, mosaic floors, ornaments, furniture and household objects. ARMENIAN QUARTER
Somewhat shuttered behind high walls and enormous wooden doors, the Armenian Quarter (Map pp90–1) of Jerusalem plods along unnoticed, as it has for centuries. If the very presence of an Armenian Quarter strikes you as a bit odd, consider that Armenia was the first nation to officially embrace Christianity when their king converted in AD 303. They established themselves in Jerusalem sometime in the following century. The Kingdom of Armenia disappeared at the end of the 4th century and Jerusalem was adopted as their spiritual capital. They have had an uninterrupted presence here ever since. The core of the quarter is actually one big monastic compound. The Armenian presence in Jerusalem was traditionally purely religious but a large secular element arrived earlier this century following Turkish persecution. That persecution escalated in 1915 to an attempted genocide in which over 1.5 million Armenians were killed. The community today, which numbers about 1500, is still very insular, having its own schools, library, seminary and residential quarters discreetly tucked away behind stone parapets. The gates to this city within a city are closed early each evening.
The glowing lamps that hang from the ceiling and richly pattered carpets strewn across the floors give St James’ Cathedral (Map pp90-1; Armenian Orthodox Patriachate Rd; admission free; h6.30-7.15am & 2.45-3.30pm Mon-Fri, 2.30-3pm Sat & Sun) a palpable aura of mystery lacking in
many other Christian sites of Jerusalem. It was the Georgians in the 11th century who first constructed a church here in honour of St James, on the site where he was beheaded and became the first martyred disciple. The Armenians, in favour with the ruling Crusaders, took possession of the church in the 12th century and the two parties shared restoration duties. The tiles date from much later, from the 18th century, and they were imported from Turkey. The cathedral is only open for services; the most impressive are held on Sunday when nine hooded Armenian priests take part. There is quite a bit of toing and froing around the altar area from the numerous helpers and there is impressive choral chanting from a 20-person choir – all in Armenian. Armenian Museum
Originally a theological seminary (1843), with an attractive courtyard enclosed by arched colonnades on two levels, the building that houses the Armenian Museum (Map pp90-1; x628 2331; admission 5NIS; h10am4pm Mon-Sat) is a lot more fascinating than
most of the exhibits it presents. It’s reasonably well stocked and the displays are in English. There is a detailed display of the Armenian genocide that took place in 1915. Look out for the large Armenian globe dating from 1852 in the Paul Bedoukian Hall.
Mt Zion An eclectic mix of histories, Mt Zion (Map pp86–7) contains sites holy to Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The last supper possibly occurred here, as well as the eternal sleep of the Virgin Mary. It is also the site of David’s tomb. Although once encompassing the entire ridge of the upper Old City (including the Citadel), Mt Zion is now defined as the stern hill south of the Old City beyond Zion Gate. The name change came in the 4th century, based on new interpretations of religious texts. GRAVE OF OSKAR SCHINDLER
Among the ancient sites on Mt Zion is one relatively new site, the grave of Oskar Schindler (Map pp86-7; h8am-5pm Mon-Thu, 8am1pm Fri), the Austrian industrialist who saved more than 1200 Jews from the gas chambers (and whose story was captured by film-maker Stephen Spielberg). From Zion Gate in the Old City walk directly ahead, downhill, bearing left at the fork to go past the Chamber of the Holocaust, around the bend and head across the road to the entrance of the Christian cemetery in which he’s buried. Once inside the cemetery head down the stairs that lead to the lower section. Schindler’s grave is not well marked, but it is about four rows from the end of the cemetery, more or less in the middle and to your right. Ask the guard for directions if you really get lost.
pp90-1; admission free; h8am-6pm Sun-Thu, 8am-2pm Fri) provides little spectacle. What’s more,
the authenticity of the site is highly disputable – the likelihood is that David is buried under the hill of the original Mt Zion, east of the City of David. However, this is one of the most revered of the Jewish holy places, and from 1948 to 1967, when the Western Wall was off-limits to Jews in Jordanianheld territory, the tomb was the stand-in main centre of pilgrimage. It still serves as a prayer hall. The sombre room is divided into sides for men and women, both leading to the stone cenotaph draped in velvet. Behind is a small alcove that researchers believe is a synagogue dating back to the 5th century AD. To get to the tomb head south from Zion Gate, bear right at the fork and then left. Modest dress is required. ROOM OF THE LAST SUPPER
Venerated as the room where Jesus and his disciples had their final meal together, the Room of the Last Supper (Map pp90-1; admission free; h8am-5pm Sun-Thu, 8am-1pm Fri) is considered to be the fourth most holy place in the Christian world. Also known as the Coenaculum (Latin for dining hall), the room is also believed to be the place where the disciples received the Holy Spirit on the Pentacost and started speaking in ‘foreign tongues’ (Acts 2). The original building was the site of the first Christian Church but was destroyed twice before being rebuilt in its current form by the Crusaders – to the right of the entrance there is a pair of faded Crusader coats of arms. In the Middle Ages the Franciscans acquired it but were later expelled by the Turks. Today the Last Supper is one of the most familiar icons of Christianity, captured in artwork most famously by Leonardo Di Vinci. Under the Turks the room became a mosque, and Christians were barred from entering, just as Jews were kept from King David’s Tomb, located in the room below. The southern wall still bears the niche hollowed by the Muslims as a mihrab when they converted the chapel into a mosque. At the time of research, the Vatican was hoping to gain stewardship of the room, and was negotiating with the Israeli government
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to take it over in exchange for the historic Jewish synagogue in Toledo, Spain. The room is reached via a discrete stairway from the courtyard of King David’s Tomb. Many visitors mistake the first large room for the real thing but you need to walk across the hall to enter the much smaller chamber beyond, which is where Jesus is believed to share the Last Supper. CHURCH & MONASTERY OF THE DORMITION
The beautiful Church & Monastery of the Dormition (Map pp90-1; x565 5330; admission free; h8amnoon & 2-6pm) is one of the area’s most popular landmarks and is the traditional site where the Virgin Mary died, or fell into ‘eternal sleep’; its Latin name is Dormitio Sanctae Mariae (Sleep of Holy Mary). The current church and monastery, owned by the German Benedictine order, was consecrated in 1906. It suffered damage during the battles for the city in 1948 and 1967 when its tower overlooking Jordanian army positions on the Old City ramparts below was occupied by Israeli soldiers. The church’s interior is a bright contrast to many of its older, duller peers nearby. A golden mosaic of Mary with the baby Jesus is set in the upper part of the apse; below are the Prophets of Israel. The chapels around the hall are each dedicated to saints: St Willibald, an English Benedictine who visited the Holy Land in 724; the Three Wise Men; St Joseph, whose chapel is covered with medallions that feature kings of Judah as Jesus’ forefathers; and St John the Baptist. The floor is decorated with names of saints and prophets and zodiac symbols. The crypt features a stone effigy of Mary asleep on her deathbed with Jesus calling his Mother to heaven. The chapels around this statue were donated by various countries. In the apse is the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, with the Holy Spirit shown coming down to the Apostles. CHURCH OF ST PETER IN GALLICANTU
Almost hidden by the trees and the slope of the hill, the Church of St Peter of Gallicantu (Map pp86-7; admission free; h8am-11.45am & 2-5pm) ‘at the Crowing of the Cock’ is the traditional site of the denial of Jesus by his disciple Peter (Mark 14:66-72) – ‘before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice’.
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Built on the foundations of previous Byzantine and Crusader churches the modern structure is also believed to stand on the site of the house of the high priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was believed to have been taken after his arrest (Mark 14:53). A cave beneath the church is said to be where Christ was incarcerated. Whatever your beliefs, the view from the balcony of the church across to the City of David, the Arab village of Silwan and the three valleys that shape Jerusalem is reason enough to justify a visit. The church is reached by turning east as you descend the road leading from Mt Zion down and around to Sultan’s Pool. Roman steps lead down from the church garden to the Gihon Spring in the Kidron Valley.
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for the impressive frieze above its entrance. Just in front of the Tomb of Jehoshaphat is Absalom’s Pillar, the legendary tomb of David’s son (II Samuel 18:17). Just beyond Absalom’s Pillar is the Grotto of St James, where St James is believed to have hidden when Jesus was arrested nearby. It is probably the burial place of the B’nei Hezirs a family of Jewish priests. Next to the grotto, carved out of the rock, is the Tomb of Zechariah, where Jewish tradition believes the prophet Zechariah is buried (II Chronicles 24:25). Despite their names, it’s doubtful that any biblical-type characters were interred here – the tombs most likely belong to wealthy noblemen of the Second Temple period. CITY OF DAVID
Kidron Valley
The oldest part of Jerusalem, the City of David (Map pp90-1; x626 2341; www.cityofdavid.org
Historically the oldest section of Jerusalem, the Kidron Valley (Map pp80–1) has archaeological remnants that date back more than 4000 years. This is the site of the legendary City of David, which was actually a city long before David slung any stones. There are also a number of graves and tombs in the area, particularly in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Steep topography has isolated the valley from the rest of the city (the best access is via the Dung Gate or the Lion’s Gate in the Old City), but it’s definitely worth trekking down here for a morning of exploration.
was the Canaanite settlement captured by Kind David some 3000 years ago. The excavations are the result of work, still ongoing, that started in 1850. There is much to see here, and quite a bit of walking is involved, so set aside a good part of your morning. From the Dung Gate, head east (downhill), take the road to the right (just past the car park). The City of David entrance is on the left. At the visitors centre you can watch a 3D movie about the city.
VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT
Royal Quarter (Area G)
The word Jehoshaphat in Hebrew means ‘God shall judge’, and this narrow furrow of land, located between the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives, is where it is said that the events of the Day of Judgement are to take place. According to belief, all of humanity will be assembled together on the Mount of Olives, with the Judgement Seat on the Haram opposite. Two bridges will appear, spanning the valley, one made of iron and the other made of paper. According to God’s judgement each person will be directed to cross one or the other. But there’s no suspense, the Bible gives the ending away: the iron bridge will collapse and those sent across it die, while the paper bridge holds up with the promise of eternal life. At the southern end of the Valley of Jehoshaphat are a series of tombs. The northernmost is the Tomb of Jehoshaphat (Map pp86–7), a 1st-century burial cave notable
Area G, also called the Royal Quarter (Map pp90–1) was first constructed in the 10th century BC, most likely as a fortification wall for a palace on the ridge. During the First Temple period an aristocrat’s home (Achiel’s House) was built against the wall but was destroyed along with the temple in 586 BC. Judean and Babylonian arrowheads found at the site are vivid reminders of the bloody battle waged here. Archaeologists have also located here 51 royal seals (in ancient Hebrew script), including one belonging to Gemaryahu Ben Shafan, the scribe of the prophet Jeremiah, who is mentioned in the book of Jeremiah 36:10. The seals were all located in one chamber, indicating that the room served as an ancient office.
.il; admission 23NIS; h9am-5pm Sun-Thu, 9am-1pm Fri)
Warren’s Shaft
The long, sloping Warren’s Shaft (Map pp90–1) was named after Sir Charles Warren, the
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British engineer who re-discovered it in 1867. The tunnel, which runs underneath the City of David to the Spring of Gihon, allowed the Jebusites to obtain water without exposing themselves to danger in times of siege. It’s just inside their city’s defence wall and is possibly the tunnel that David’s soldiers used to enter and capture the city, as mentioned in II Samuel 5. Modern archaeologists, however, tend to doubt this theory, suggesting the invaders used a different tunnel. From Warren’s Shaft, you can then proceed down to Hezekiah’s Tunnel at the bottom of the hill. Hezekiah’s Tunnel
The highlight of a visit to the City of David complex is Hezekiah’s Tunnel (Map pp90–1), a 500m-long underground passage of waistdeep water that ends at the Pool of Siloam, where it is said that a blind man was healed after Jesus told him to wash in it. The purpose of the tunnel was to channel water flowing from the Gihon Spring, a temperamental source of water that acts like a siphon, pouring out a large quantity of water for some 30 minutes before drying up for several hours. Gihon, appropriately, means ‘gushing’ and the spring is the main reason why the Jebusites settled in the valley rather than taking to the adjacent high ground. There is believed to be enough water to support a population of about 2500 people. The tunnel was constructed in about 700 BC by King Hezekiah to bring the water of the Gihon into the city and store it in the Pool of Siloam. Its purpose was to prevent invaders, in particular the Assyrians, from locating the city’s water supply and cutting it off (II Chronicles 32:3). Although narrow and low in parts, you can wade through it; the water is normally about half a metre to a metre deep. Due to the siphon effect it does occasionally rise, but only by about 15cm to 20cm. About 20m into the tunnel, the cavern turns sharply to the left, where a chest-high wall blocks another channel that leads to Warren’s Shaft (this can be visited near the City of David excavations). Towards the tunnel’s end the roof rises. This is because the tunnellers worked from either end and one team slightly misjudged the other’s level. They had to lower the floor so that the water would flow. A Hebrew inscription was found in the tunnel, and a copy can be seen in the Israel Museum. Carved by
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Hezekiah’s engineers, it tells of the tunnel’s construction. You enter the tunnel at the Gihon Spring source on HaShiloah Rd down in the Kidron Valley and just south of the resthouse. Turn left as you get to the foot of the hill from Warren’s Shaft. The entire walk takes about 30 minutes; wear shorts, suitable footwear, and bring a torch (flashlight).
Mount of Olives Offering visitors a big slice of biblical history, along with some of the most spectacular views over Jerusalem, is the Mount of Olives (Map pp86–7). According to the Book of Zechariah, this is where God will start to redeem the dead when the Messiah returns on the Day of Judgement. In order to get a good place in the line, Jews have always preferred to be buried here and to date some 150,000 people have been laid to rest on these slopes. Aside from being the world’s oldest continually used cemetery, there are many churches commemorating the events that are believed to have led to Jesus’ arrest and his ascension to heaven. Most of the Mount’s churches and gardens are open in the morning, closing for at least two hours towards noon and reopening again in the mid-afternoon. However, the real draw and what makes a visit to the Mount of Olives a must is the panoramic view it affords of the Old City. Up at the top, in front of the Seven Arches Hotel (the cause of much controversy as it was built by the Jordanians over part of the ancient Jewish cemetery) is a promenade for snap-happy visitors. The best light is in the early morning. You can walk from East Jerusalem or from St Stephen’s Gate in the Old City, or otherwise take the bus to avoid what most find to be quite a strenuous walk; Arab bus No 75 runs from the station on Sultan Suleyman St. CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION
Sanctity aside, perhaps the best reason to visit the Church of the Ascension (Map pp86-7; h8am-5.30pm Mon-Sat) is to walk the flight of steps to the top of the 45m-high tower for some spectacular views across the Judean Desert. The church itself, free to visit, features some notable mosaics, paintings and masonry work. The church is next to Au-
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gusta Victoria Hospital, and Arab bus No 75 stops outside. RUSSIAN CHAPEL OF THE ASCENSION
Marked by a needle-point steeple – the tallest structure on the Mount of Olives – the Russian Chapel of the Ascension (Map pp86-7; h9am-noon Tue & Thu) is built over the spot from which the Russian Orthodox Church claims Jesus made his ascent to heaven. It’s hard to find, so look for a narrow alleyway leading off from the main street, in among the shops and cafés. MOSQUE OF THE ASCENSION
Sometimes confusingly referred to as the Church of the Ascension, the Mosque of the Ascension (Map pp86-7; admission 5NIS) is a Muslimadministered building in an odd little octagonal Crusader reconstruction of an earlier Byzantine structure. Saladin authorised two of his followers to acquire the site in 1198 and it has remained in Muslim possession since. Hours are irregular but someone is usually around most mornings to open it up. Islam recognises Jesus as a prophet. The stone floor bears an imprint said to be the footstep of Jesus. Perhaps the reason for its unconvincing appearance today is that pilgrims in the Byzantine period were permitted to take bits of it away. CHURCH OF THE PATER NOSTER
Beside the cave in which Jesus is believed to have spoken to his disciples, Queen Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine of Rome, constructed the Church of the Pater Noster (Map pp86-7; admission free; h8.30-11.45am & 3-4.45pm Mon-Sat). The church, also known as the Church of the Eleona – a bastardisation of the Greek word elaionas, meaning ‘olive grove’, was destroyed by the Persians in 614. The site later became known as the place where Jesus is believed to have taught the Lord’s Prayer, a belief that inspired the Crusaders to construct an oratory among the ruins in 1106. The most interesting things here are the attractive tiled panels on which are inscribed the Lord’s Prayer in over 100 languages. They are on a high wall on a bend around 200m before the Seven Arches Hotel. As you enter the gate, turn left and then right. The tomb is that of Princess de la Tour d’Auvergne, who purchased the property in 1886 and built the neighbouring
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Carmelite convent. The actual cave can be reached by going around the cloister to the left, down some stairs and through the first door on the right. TOMBS OF THE PROPHETS
Slightly to the north and below the viewing promenade are the Tombs of the Prophets (Map pp86-7; admission free; h8am-3pm Sun-Fri), a set of ancient tombs in which are buried the three prophets Haggai, Zachariah and Malachi, who lived in the 5th century BC. CHURCH OF DOMINUS FLEVIT
Built in the 1950s, the Church of Dominus Flevit (Map pp86-7; admission free; h8.30-5pm) is one of
the latest additions to the Mount of Olives. The original church on this site was built by medieval pilgrims who claimed to have found the rock on the Mount of Olives where Jesus had wept for Jerusalem (Luke 19:41) – hence, Dominus Flevit, meaning ‘the Lord wept’. When the present-day tear-shaped church was being built, excavations unearthed a 5th-century monastery, the mosaic floor of which is on display. Also uncovered was a large cemetery dating back to about 1500 BC. The cemetery has since been recovered but some of the tombs are still visible. The view of the Dome of the Rock from the window of the altar is particularly attractive. (RUSSIAN) CHURCH OF MARY MAGDALENE
Although badly tarnished by the weather, the golden onion domes of the Church of Mary Magdalene (Map pp86-7; admission free; h10am-noon Tue, Thu & Sat) are still one of Jerusalem’s most attractive and surprising landmarks. Built in 1888 by Alexander III in memory of his mother, the church is now a convent and has one of the city’s best choirs. A section of the Garden of Gethsemane is claimed to be within the church’s grounds. CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS & GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE
Glistening golden mosaics mark the façade of the classically styled Church of All Nations (Map pp86-7; admission free; h8.30-11.30am & 2.304pm), designed by prolific architect Antonio
Barluzzi and dedicated in 1924. The mosaic depicts Jesus assuming the suffering of the world, hence the church’s alternative name of the Basilica of the Agony.
Despite the name, not all nations are represented, but you can see the seals of the 12 countries that financed the project. The seal of England is in the middle line, nearest to the door, the USA is in the first dome on the right and Canada is one past the USA. The church is the successor to two earlier churches; the first was erected in the 4th century but destroyed by an earthquake in the 740s, and the second was an oratory built over the ruins by the Crusaders but abandoned in 1345 for reasons unknown. Around the church is the popularly accepted site of Gethsemane (Map pp86-7; h8amnoon & 2-6pm), the garden where Jesus is believed to have been arrested (Mark 14:32-50). The garden has some of the world’s oldest olive trees (in Hebrew gat shmanim means ‘oil press’), three of which have been scientifically dated as being over 2000 years old, making them witnesses to whatever biblical events may have occurred here. The entrance is not from the main road but from the narrow, steeply inclined alleyway that you’ll find leading up behind the church. TOMB OF THE VIRGIN MARY
One of the holiest sites in Christianity, the Tomb of the Virgin Mary (Map pp86-7; admission free; h6am-noon & 2.30-5pm) is a dim and somewhat forlorn place, hung with ancient brass lamps and infused with a millennium of must. On her death, sometime in the middle of the 1st century, Mary was supposedly interned here by the disciples. A monument was first constructed in the 5th century but was repeatedly destroyed. The current structure dates back to the Crusader period of the 12th century, built on Byzantine foundations. It is now owned by the Greek Orthodox Church, while the Armenians, Syrians and Copts have shares in the altar. On the main road beside the stairs down to the tomb, the small cupola supported by columns is a memorial to Mujir ad-Din, a 15th-century Muslim judge and historian.
East Jerusalem Predominately Arab East Jerusalem occupies the land that before 1967 belonged to Jordan. The old border between Israel and Jordan was HaShalom Rd (aka the Bar-Lev Line). East of the line, the major roads running north and south are Nablus Rd and Salah adDin St; in this area you’ll find the Rockefeller
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Museum, the Garden Tomb, the Museum on the Seam and St George’s Cathedral, among other sites. During your rambles, make sure to visit the American Colony Hotel (Map p110; 23 Nablus Rd), one of the top hotels in Jerusalem and a historic attraction. Legend has it that when the Ottomans finally surrendered the city to British rule, the Turkish governor of
Jerusalem snatched a sheet from one of the beds (it was a hospital at the time) and used it as a flag to surrender. The ‘flag’ is now in the Imperial War Museum in London. ROCKEFELLER MUSEUM
Archaeology buffs who could not get their fill at the Israel Museum should also visit
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DRINKING Cellar Bar.......................................(see 10) ENTERTAINMENT Al-Kasaba Theatre..........................(see 14) tuta Al-Masrah Centre Ibn for Ba Palestine Culture & Art................................14 B2
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x 628 2251; www.imj.org.il/eng/branches/rockefeller; Sultan Suleiman St; adult/student 26/16NIS; h10am-3pm Sun-Thu, 10am-2pm Fri & Sat) The historic, octagonal-
shaped building was set up with a gift of US$2 million donated by the Rockefeller family in 1927, and in its heyday was the leading museum of antiquities in the region. Highlights include the carved beams from Al-Aqsa Mosque, the stone ornamentation recovered from Hisham’s Palace (see p305), and the famed ‘Lachish Letters’ that describe the last days of the Kingdom of Judah (6th century BC). GARDEN TOMB
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East Jerusalem’s Rockefeller Museum (Map pp86-7;
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Herod's Gate
The slightly incongruous walled patch of green in the middle of East Jerusalem is the Garden Tomb (Map p110; x627 2745; www.gardentomb .com; admission free; h2-5.30pm Mon-Sat), a site considered as an alternative to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. While enjoying little support for its claims, it is appreciated by many for its tranquillity and charm. As one Catholic priest is reported to have said, ‘If the Garden Tomb is not the true site of the Lord’s death and resurrection it should have been’. Biblical significance was first attached to this location by General Charles Gordon (of Khartoum fame) in 1883. Gordon refused to believe that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre could occupy the site of Golgotha, and on identifying a skull-shaped hill just north of Damascus Gate he began excavations. The suitably ancient tombs he discovered under the mound further strengthened his conviction that this was the true site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. Archaeologists have since scotched the theory by dating the tombs as coming from the 5th century BC. Several cynics suggest that the continued championing of the Garden Tomb has more to do with the fact that it’s the only holy site in Jerusalem that the Protestants, its owners, have any stake in. To get there from Sultan Suleyman St head north along Nablus Rd and turn right at Schick St. MUSEUM ON THE SEAM
Conflict, prejudice, racism and (occasionally) coexistence are on display at the Museum on the Seam (Map p100; x628 1278; www
.coexistence.art.museum; 4 Hel Handasa St; adult/senior/
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student 25/10/20NIS; h9am-5pm Sun-Thu, 9am-2pm Fri, to 1pm Fri in winter), a powerful multimedia
exposition that deals with these themes through the use of art and expression. In the words of the curator, this is not an ‘amusing museum’. It does not have a happy ending and it probably raises more questions than it answers. The message is depressingly realistic, but it’s designed to provoke thought and discussion, making it very much in step with the politics of the city. The location for such a museum could not be more appropriate. It sits on the former Green Line that once divided East and West Jerusalem (and the Arab and Jewish armies). It also lies between the ultraorthodox community of Mea She’arim and the secular neighbourhoods of West Jerusalem. Inside, the clash of cultures and religions is played out on TV screens and in artwork in a series of revolving exhibits. But the museum does not target any one group, instead suggesting a collective complicity in prejudice and hate crimes. (They don’t charge you for guilt). The building itself is known to most locals as the Tourjeman Post, and served as a forward military position by the Israeli army in the 1948 and 1967. Still today the façade bears the scars of war. Just outside the door was the Mandelbaum Crossing, the former gate between Jordan and Israel. Some of the videos are graphic in their displays of violence and the museum is not suitable for children under 14 (your kids can wait on the rooftop promenade). Visits are usually by guided tour, so it’s a good idea to call ahead. If you enjoy the museum, come back for one of the weekly lectures held on the roof every Thursday at 7pm (July to September). Just as stimulating as the discussion is the cold beer that is provided free of charge. ST GEORGE’S CATHEDRAL
Named after the patron saint of England, who is traditionally believed to have been martyred in Palestine early in the 4th century, St George’s Cathedral (Map p110; admission free; hvariable) belongs to the Anglican Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East. Consecrated in 1910, the Turks closed the church and then used the bishop’s house as their army headquarters during WWI. After the British took Jerusalem in 1917, the truce was signed here in the bishop’s study. The
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cathedral has two congregations, Arabic- and English-speaking, and the complex includes a popular guesthouse (see p133) and school. The church compound is a piece of the British Mandate frozen in time, featuring many symbols of the British presence in Jerusalem, including a font given by Queen Victoria, memorials to British servicemen, a royal coat of arms, an English oak screen and the tower built in memory of King Edward VII. The cathedral is just south of the junction of Salah ad-Din St and Nablus Rd.
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traditional local Christian art, as well as a café and library.
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RUSSIAN COMPOUND
The City Centre, or the New City as it’s sometimes called, is the area northwest of the Old City. Its central axis is Jaffa Rd, running from Zahel Sq to the Mahane Yehuda Market area. To the south of Jaffa Rd is the main shopping and dining area of the city. In Hebrew it’s called Nahalat Shiv’a. To the north are the residential suburbs of Mea She’arim. Despite its status as Jerusalem’s downtown, the area is pleasantly devoid of traffic and busy thoroughfares, making it easy to get around on foot or bicycle.
Between Jaffa Rd and HaNevi’im St and dominated by the green domes of the Church of the Holy Trinity, the Russian Compound (Map pp114–15) was acquired by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1860. In addition to the cathedral, facilities were constructed here for the many pilgrims from Russia who visited the Holy Land until WWI. The cathedral (closed to the public) occupies the site where the Assyrians camped in about 700 BC, and in AD 70 Roman legions assembled here during the Jewish Revolt. In front of the cathedral, the 12m-high Herod’s Pillar is believed to have been intended for the Second Temple; however, it cracked during chiselling and was abandoned here. Nicknamed ‘Bevingrad’ by the Jews during the British Mandate, after the reviled British foreign secretary Ernest Bevin, the compound is home today to the central police station and law courts.
NOTRE DAME
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Who knows what the Roman Catholic Assumpionist Fathers had in mind when they set about building the Notre Dame de France Hospice (Map pp114-15; x627 9111; www.notredame center.org; 3 Paratroopers Rd) in 1884. Whether it’s the predominant use of stone or the result of a paranoiac defensiveness that comes from having so many different creeds and sects vying for influence in one place, much of the city’s religious architecture has a distinct bastion-like appearance. This reaches an apotheosis in the Notre Dame, a hostelry for French pilgrims that takes the form of a vast, imposing fortress that even manages to dominate the Old City walls. Reinforcing the muscular imagery, up on the roofline stands a 5m-high statue of Mary flanked by two crenulated turrets. It’s fitting that between 1948 and 1967, when Jerusalem was divided, the south wing of the Notre Dame was used as an IDF bunker and frontier post. As a result the building suffered heavy battle damage but it underwent major renovation in the 1970s and now Notre Dame operates as a busy international pilgrim centre. It also has an arts centre promoting
Walk northeast from Zion Sq and you’ll soon enter a neighbourhood with squat stonefronted buildings, balconies strewn with drying laundry, bearded figures in black and long-skirted mums pushing shopping carts and trailed by a gaggle of smartly dressed children. If you have the sense that you’ve stumbled upon an Eastern European shtetl (ghetto) of the 1880s then you are probably standing near the corner of Kikar Shabbat, the central intersection of Mea She’arim (Map pp86–7). A throwback to older times, Mea She’arim was developed by ultraorthodox Eastern European immigrants who modelled their Jerusalem home like the ones they remembered back in Poland, Germany and Hungary. Despite their transition to the Holy Land, residents have maintained the customs, habits and dress of 18th-century Eastern Europe. This includes conservative dress, black fedoras for men and floor-scraping dresses for women. Even in the height of the Middle Eastern summer it’s still customary to wear thick padded coats and fur hats. In a few of the most traditional families, women shave their heads and wear
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In 2000, a group of leading Orthodox rabbis condemned the internet as being ‘1000 times more dangerous than TV’, and banned it from religious homes. But a peek into any Jerusalem cybercafé would indicate that their holy proclamation has gone somewhat unheeded. Congregating among computer screens of one downtown café, the black-hatted young men view websites that would probably not conform to the strict Halakha laws of Jerusalem’s Rabbinate. A young hared (ultraorthadox Jewish) man reads up on World Cup scores while in another cubicle a group of teenage haredim boys contemplate Shakira’s victory in a music video contest. A few seats away another is deeply involved in a chat-room discussion. Entry into cyberspace by Israel’s hared community has been frowned upon by concerned parents and local rabbis, but that does not seem to prevent curious ultraorthodox Jews from exploring this un-kosher form of entertainment. But haredim Jews are not so Amish-like in their opposition to technology; they permit themselves the use of cars, computers, telephones and other modern devices, so long as these wonders are used for purposes that do not stray from their conservative traditions. The trouble, it seems, is how to monitor how the web and other forms of modern entertainment are used. One way of dealing with the internet, the religious have found, is through tightly monitored servers like yeshiva.net, an internet service provider that restricts usage to email and kosher websites such as www.koogle.com, a parody of Google that searches Jewish-related websites. Mobile phones are also problematic because users can browse the web or SMS members of the opposite sex, which could lead to clandestine relationships that threaten the tradition of matchmaking. One local network, MIRS, has cleverly introduced a kosher phone that blocks such usage. The phone carries a stamp signifying its approval of the rabbinical hierarchy. Controversy over the use of technology is nothing new within haredim circles. In the middle of the 19th century ultraorthodox rabbis protested the printing of Jewish newspapers. One hundred years later it was the transistor radio that came under attack. But times change and now the haredim print newspapers and deliver sermons over legal and pirate radio frequencies. Wireless kosher cafés may not be headed towards Mea She’arim anytime soon, but it’s clear that even the most religious-minded hared can find a place in cyberspace.
wigs covered by a beret. Yiddish is the preferred language on the street as the ultraorthodox believe Hebrew to be a language only fit for religious purposes. Days are often spent in prayer and business is of a secondary pursuit – religious study is frequently financed by fellow ultraorthodox communities abroad. Families are typically large and this fact has made Mea She’arim one of the fastestgrowing neighbourhoods in Jerusalem, as well as contributing to the increasingly religious nature of the city. As it is a religious neighbourhood, visitors are expected to dress and act in a conservative manner – rules stating as much are posted on banners that hang from buildings. Residents request that visitors not take pictures or speak to children. Do not walk arm in arm or even hand in hand with anyone, and kissing is definitely taboo. Disobeying local customs will lead to verbal or symbolic objections or even stone throwing.
Friday is perhaps the liveliest day to visit as you’ll see families heading to and from market in their preparations for Shabbat. Neighbourhood bakeries are open all night on Thursday, baking challah for Shabbat. On Friday nights the streets are awash with people taking a break from their filling Shabbat dinners. Another interesting time to visit is during the days leading up to Passover, when you can find local residents steamcleaning their dishes on the footpaths. Mea She’arim is a few minutes’ walk from both Damascus Gate and the Jaffa Rd/King George V St junction. ETHIOPIA ST
Tucked away on narrow, leafy Ethiopia St is the impressive blue-domed Ethiopian Church (Map pp86-7; admission free; h9am-1pm & 2-6pm). Built between 1896 and 1904, the church’s entrance gate features the carved Lion of Judah, an emblem believed to have been presented by Solomon to the Queen
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INFORMATION Alliance Française....................... 1 G3 Alternative Information Centre....2 F3 American Consulate....................3 E5 American Express........................4 F4 Central Police Station..................5 F2 Daila.......................................(see 75) Dr E Riechenberg........................ 6 C2 Ethiopian Consulate.....................7 F1 French Consulate........................ 8 G6 Gerard Behar Centre................... 9 A2 Hebrew Union College..............10 F5 Internet Café.............................11 F2 ISSTA........................................12 E2 ISSTA.........................................13 F1 Jerusalem Open House............. 14 D2 Kla'im........................................15 E2 Laundry Place............................16 E2 Main Post Office.......................17 F3 Mazada Tours.......................... 18 H4 Ministry of the Interior..............19 F3 Mizrahi Bank.............................20 F3 Post Office................................ 21 A2 Sefer VeSefel............................ 22 D1 SPNI Jerusalem..........................23 F2 Steimatzky................................24 E2 Steimatzky................................ 25 D2 T'mol......................................(see 61)
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Wolfson Museum...................(see 28) YMCA....................................(see 45) SLEEPING Beit Shmuel Hostel................... 34 David Citadel............................ 35 Eldan Hotel...............................36 Holiday 2000 Apartments......... 37 Hotel Habira..............................38 Hotel Kaplan.............................39 Hotel Noga...............................40 Hotel Palatin.............................41 Jerusalem Hostel & Guest House....................................42 King David Hotel.......................43 Lev Jerusalem........................... 44 YMCA Three Arches Hotel........45 Zion Square Hotel..................... 46
G5 G5 F6 D2 E2 E2 B3 D1 E2 F6 C2 F6 D2
EATING 1868.........................................47 F5 Adom........................................48 E3 Babette......................................49 E2 Barud........................................50 F3 Cavalier.....................................51 F3 Ceilo.........................................52 F4 Darna........................................53 F2 El Gaucho..................................54 E3 Focaccio Bar............................. 55 D3 Hamarakia.................................56 F3 Little Jerusalem..........................57 E1 New Deli...................................58 E3 Pinati........................................ 59 D2 Sakura.......................................60 F3 T'mol........................................61 E2 Village Green............................62 E2 YMCA Three Arches Hotel.....(see 45)
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Church of the Holy Trinity........ 26 G2 Giraffe...................................... 27 D2 Great Synagogue....................(see 28) Heichal Shlomo........................ 28 D6 Kabbalah Centre....................... 29 D2 Museum of Italian Jewish Art & Synagogue............................30 E3 Notre Dame de France Hospice.. 31 H3 Ticho House..............................32 E1 DRINKING Time Elevator............................33 F3 Bolinat...................................... 63 D2
of Sheba, Ethiopia’s queen, when the queen visited Jerusalem. The gate also has inscriptions in Ge’ez, an ancient language of Ethiopia. Visitors are asked to leave their shoes at the door before entering. Opposite the church is the Ben Yehuda house (Map pp86–7) where the great linguist lived and did much of his work on the revival of the Hebrew language. A plaque marking the house was stolen by ultraorthodox Jews, who strongly disapprove of the language’s everyday use. On your left as you leave Ethiopia St and descend HaNevi’im St towards the Old City is the Ethiopian consulate (Map pp114–15), with its mosaic-decorated façade. MAHANE YEHUDA MARKET
All walks of Jerusalem life converge at the bustling Mahane Yehuda Market (Map pp86-7; h8am-sunset Sun-Thu, 9am-2pm Fri), a fascinating spectacle for the first-time visitor and a bar-
Bonita........................................64 Café Hillel................................. 65 Coffee Bean..............................66 Geyser.......................................67 Gong.........................................68 Open....................................... 69 Shoshan................................... 70 Sol............................................ 71 Uganda.....................................72 Yankee's Bar.............................73 Zolli's........................................74
E3 C3 F2 E3 E2 G4 G3 G4 F2 E3 E3
ENTERTAINMENT Beit Shmuel.............................(see 34) Daila..........................................75 F3 Dublin...................................... 76 D3 Mike's Place..............................77 E2 SHOPPING Agfa Photo Shwartz................. 78 Altogether 8..............................79 Arman Darian............................80 Daniel Azoulay..........................81 Gabrieli.....................................82 Green Vurcel.............................83 Kippa Man................................84 Lametayel..................................85
D2 E2 F3 E2 E2 E3 E2 E2
TRANSPORT Avis..........................................86 F6 Budget......................................87 F6 El Al.......................................... 88 D3 Eldan......................................(see 36) Hertz.........................................89 F6 Memsi.......................................90 B3 Nesher Service Taxis (for the Airport)................................. 91 C2 Sherut (Service Taxi) for Tel Aviv.................................92 E2
gain emporium for city residents. Squeeze past the narrow, carefully guarded entrance and dive into a marketplace crammed with fresh fruit, oils, nuts, vegetables and just about anything else grown or picked from the Israeli soil. Spices abound and the smell of cinnamon, pesto, paprika and black pepper fills the air. There is also plenty of imported coffee and teas, not to mention fresh fish hauled up from the Mediterranean. The market is fast becoming gentrified and some of the stalls have been converted into bohemian-esque coffeeshops; look for these along Agos and Tuut Sts. The best we found was Chandra (x624 4242; 9 Agos St), a tiny Indian place that serves vegetarian thali (25NIS) and lassis (8NIS). Also look out for the Uzi Eli (cnr Agos & Tuut), an organic drink and medicine stall with an enthusiastic owner who will give you a spritz of citron treatment on your face whether you want it or not. His treatments
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TRIGGER HAPPY HAREDIM When the newly formed IDF unit Nahal Haredi asked for its first volunteers in 1999, all of 30 hands shot up. The haredim (ultraorthodox Jews) who were asked to join may have been wary at first but the crack unit has since swelled to 800 battle-hardened warriors. The IDF opened the unit in order to show religious Jews that their sons could serve in the military without sacrificing devotion to the Torah. It went well out of its way to cater to the young recruits’ religious needs, allowing time off for prayers and religious lessons. It also built a new, female-free barracks complete with a glatt kosher mess hall. The Ministry of Defense helped out by creating a special department to find and recruit yeshiva (religious or Talmudic school) dropouts. There was much backlash from high-ranking rabbis, whose verbal assault on the unit prevented many youngsters from joining. In order to make up the numbers, the unit recruited not just hared youth, but also religious Zionists. Foreign haredim from the USA, the UK and France also joined, making up around 15% of the unit. In their desperation, Nahal Haredi also enlisted members of the outlawed Kach movement (ultra-nationalists), a decision that went awry when the soldiers were caught stoning Palestinians in their cars. Besides the stone-throwing incidents, there have been other mishaps. In 2005 two unit soldiers were caught planting a fake bomb in the Jerusalem central bus station as a protest about the disengagement from Gaza. Then in 2006 one American-born soldier committed suicide in a mosque in the Jordan Valley – there is speculation that the death might have been a botched attempt to kill praying Muslims. Despite an obvious lack of discipline, Nahal Haredi has also earned respect in the IDF for its success in securing the Jordan Valley and several missions around Jericho. In 2006 they were among the first units to engage Hezbollah in Lebanon.
are based on Yemenite traditional medicine and methods developed by the 12thcentury Spanish doctor Rambam. The market is at its most bustling best on Thursday and Friday during the pre-Shabbat scramble. TIME ELEVATOR
If you prefer to have your history delivered to you in a Disney-type format, check out the Time Elevator (Map pp114-15; x625 2228;
www.time-elevator-jerusalem.co.il; Beit Agron, 37 Hillel St; admission 48NIS; h1-5.30pm), a cross between
a museum, a theatre and a carnival ride. Once inside the theatre, spectators are jolted around in their seats along with the onscreen action as Chaim Topol (former star of Fiddler on the Roof) leads them through Jerusalem’s equally moving history. Rides take place every half-hour and it’s especially recommended if you have children.
by an Arab dignitary. It was purchased in 1924 by Dr Abraham Ticho, an Austrianborn ophthalmologist who ran the mansion as an eye clinic, saving hundreds of Palestinian Arabs from blindness. Following his death, his wife Anna donated the building as an art centre and museum, for which it is still used to today. Among the exhibits are Dr Ticho’s study and some documents and letters of interest, in particular those dealing with his work for the Arabs, as well as his collection of Hanukkah (Festival of Lights) lamps. Anna was also an artist and some of her work is on display. However, the appeal of the museum is secondary to the popularity of its charming ground-floor café, the tables from which spill out onto a terrace overlooking a large, tranquil garden. For details, see p136.
TICHO HOUSE (BEIT TICHO)
MUSEUM OF ITALIAN JEWISH ART & SYNAGOGUE
The grand stone edifice surrounded by a lush garden of pine trees and roses, now called the Ticho House (Map pp114-15; x624 5068;
This museum (Map pp114-15; x624 1610; admission 15NIS; 27 Hillel St; h9am-5pm Sun, Tue & Wed, 9am-2pm Mon, 9am-1pm Thu-Fri) contains a rich collection
9 HaRav Kook St; www.imj.org.il; admission free; h10am5pm Sun, Mon, Wed, Thu, 10am-10pm Tue, 10am-2pm Fri),
was originally built in the late 19th century
of tapestries, Torah arks and other Judaica brought here from Italy in the 1950s. The entire interior of the building, in fact, originally
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comes from an 18th-century synagogue in Conegliano Vento (near Venice), which was transported across the Mediterranean and rebuilt here in Jerusalem. It now serves the needs of Italian Jews in Jerusalem and is the only synagogue outside Italy where the ancient Italian liturgy is performed. HEICHAL SHLOMO & THE GREAT SYNAGOGUE
The seat of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel is Heichal Shlomo (Map pp114-15; x623 0628; 58 King George V St), a vast complex designed in the 1960s and styled along the lines of Solomon’s Temple – Heichal Shlomo literally means ‘Solomon’s Mansion’. The Wolfson Museum (Map pp114-15; x624 7908; admission free; h9am-3pm Sun-Thu) housed inside the massive building features presentations of religious and traditional Jewish life. Next door to Heichal Shlomo, and part of the same complex, is the Great Synagogue (Map pp114–15). The building has been condemned by many as an extravagant waste of money, but attendance at a Shabbat service here is, nevertheless, recommended.
Mamilla The most refined piece of real estate outside the Old City is Mamilla (Map pp114–15), a lump of land due west of Jaffa Gate that is dominated by the King David Hotel. The area includes parks, gardens, some of the best hotels in the city and rows of affluent homes overlooking the golden walls of the Old City. Mamilla was developed in the mid-19th century as the first residential neighbourhood outside the Old City walls. Commerce was brisk and expansion went unabated until 1948 when war broke out and a line was drawn between Arabs and Jews. For 19 years the valley between east and west Jerusalem was a sniper-targeted no-man’s-land. The unification of the city had Mamilla back in the sights of developers and the area has been given an air of exclusivity. HaMelekh David St, which runs south from the New City centre down to the railway station, escaped the fighting relatively unscathed and has several important landmarks, including the architecturally noteworthy Hebrew Union College building, the King David Hotel and the YMCA.
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YEMIN MOSHE & THE MONTEFIORE WINDMILL
The small Yemin Moshe neighbourhood can be identified immediately by its windmill (Map pp120–1), actually one of the first structures to be built outside the secure confines of the Old City. It was part of a scheme developed by Sir Moses Montefiore, an English Jewish philanthropist who visited the Holy Land seven times in the mid-19th century. Hoping to aid the Jews residing in Jerusalem, and seeking to ease overcrowding within the city walls, Montefiore built a block of 24 apartments, a development known as Mishkenot Sha’ananim (Tranquil Dwellings). The windmill was built in 1857 to provide the basis for a flour industry. The scheme failed and the Montefiore windmill is now an eccentric landmark serving as a museum (Map pp120-1; h9am-4pm Sun-Thu, 9am-1pm Fri) dedicated to the life and work of Montefiore. ST ANDREW’S CHURCH
Also known as the Scottish Church, St Andrew’s Church (Map pp120-1; 1 David Remez St) was built in 1927 to commemorate the capture of the city and the Holy Land by the British in WWI. Based on the design of one Clifford Holliday, the buildings are an intriguing mix of Western and Oriental influences; take note of the exquisite Armenian tiles outside the entrance to the guesthouse and church (these were designed in a workshop on the Via Dolorosa). The floor features an inscription to the memory of Robert the Bruce, who requested that his heart be buried in Jerusalem when he died. Sir James Douglas made an attempt at fulfilling Bruce’s wish but en route he was killed in Spain, fighting the Moors. The heart was recovered and returned to Scotland where it’s now buried at Melrose.
The German Colony Lounging in a coffee shop, sipping lattes and reading Ha’aretz newspaper seems to be the main daily activity for residents of Jerusalem’s German Colony (Map pp120–1). The pleasant, tree-lined neighbourhood of Arab villas and European homes was built in the late 19th century and has always carried an air of affluence. It continues to attract a mix of moneyed foreign investors and students looking for a nook in a cof-
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fee shop to work on their studies. Evenings (with the exception of Friday) are a pleasant time to stroll here and experience some of the best restaurants in the city.
Rehavia & Talbiyeh Built in the earlier part of this century by wealthy Christian Arabs (Talbiyeh) and Jewish intellectuals (Rehavia), these are among the city’s more fashionable neighbourhoods – although the increase in the number of ultraorthodox Jewish residents is said to be changing that. The official residences of the prime minister and president are here and many of the impressive properties display nameplates of medical and legal professionals. The northern end of Gaza (Aza) Rd is particularly attractive, and its cafés and restaurants get lots of student traffic. The name of the street has been threatened in the past as right-wing Jewish groups have voiced opposition to a street name so closely linked to Palestine, but despite their objections the name has thus far survived. At the southern fringe of Rehavia, close to the Presidential Palace, the LA Mayer Museum for Islamic Art (Map pp120-1; x566 1291; www .islamicart.co.il; 2 HaPalmach St; adult/student 20/13NIS; h 10am-3pm Sun-Mon & Wed-Thu, 10am-6pm Tue, 10am-2pm Fri & Sat) showcases art from Islamic
cultures from Spain to India. The museum and research centre, completed in 1974, was founded as a way to bridge the cultural divide between Jews and their Arab neighbours. Exhibits include jewellery, carpets, brassware, glasswork and paintings; there are guided tours in English upon request (call ahead). Talbiyeh, also known as Kommemiyut, has some wonderfully self-indulgent architecture; take a look at 17 Alkalay St, a house called Beit Jalad (Map pp120–1), built by an Arab contractor with a fondness for the imagery of The Thousand and One Nights. These neighbourhoods lie south of Ramban St and west of Keren HaYesod St.
Talpiot The main reason to venture down to Talpiot is to walk along the Haas Promenade (Map pp80–1), a garden-fringed walkway that offers spectacular views over the Old City. To get here take bus No 8 from Jaffa Rd and get off at the Kiryat Moriah stop.
Givat Ram & Museum Row The political seat of the Israeli government, along with its accompanying government buildings, is located in the rather forlorn area of Givat Ram (Map pp86–7), south of the central bus station. There is no great plaza and roads run haphazardly around the area, seemingly in circles. It’s home to the Knesset (the seat of the Israeli parliament) and several museums, and is also the site of the prime minister’s office. Across the road is the Bank of Israel headquarters and the Supreme Court building. You can get here from Jaffa Rd on bus No 9, 24 or 28 (to the university). ISRAEL MUSEUM
Consider the Israel Museum (Map pp86-7; x670 8811; www.imj.org.il; adult/child/student 40/20/30NIS; h10am-4pm Mon, Wed & Sat, 4-9pm Tue, 10am-9pm Thu, 10am-2pm Fri) to be a road map for your travels throughout the country. By visiting early in your stay you’ll get a good grounding on the 5000 years of history that you are about to explore. Note that your ticket is also good for seven days to visit the Rockefeller Museum (see p110). Don’t forget to pick up a complimentary audio guide from the visitors centre. Heading out the back of the visitors centre, take your first right to the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are kept. The distinctive pot lid–shaped roof is meant to symbolise the pots in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were kept. The scrolls, totalling 800 in all, were found in 1947 and date back to the time of the Bar Kochba Revolt (AD 132–35). They deal with both secular and religious issues and were thought to have been written by an ascetic group of Jews called the Essenes, who inhabited the area for about 300 years. The most important of the Dead Sea Scrolls is the Great Isaiah Scroll, the largest and best preserved. It is the only biblical scroll that has survived in its entirety, and takes centre place in the room. The 54 columns of the scroll contain all 66 chapters of Isaiah without an apparent division between what modern scholars regard as First and Second Isaiah. It predates the previously oldest biblical document ever found by about 1000 years. Close to the Shrine of the Book is a huge 1:50 scale model of Jerusalem as it was in AD 66, at the end of the Second Temple era. The model was moved here from the Holy Land
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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES er Basketball Courts..........................2 -N G4vemb e o Beit Jalad.....................................B3 D3 ENTERTAINMENT 4 B4 13 LA Mayer Museum for Islamic Art.. Cinematheque........................... t af Te 5 G2 HaOzen HaShlishit.....................14 Montefiore KWindmill.................... Prime Minister's Residence...........6 C1 International Cultural Centre for St Andrew's Church...................(see 9) Youth.....................................15 Hathe Tsfira Jerusalem Centre for SLEEPING Performing Arts......................16 Avissar House.............................. 7 H2 Khan Theatre.............................17 Inbal Jerusalem.............................8 F2 Lab............................................ 18 St Andrew's Guesthouse.............. 9 H4 Train Theatre..............................19
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hotel in 2006. A paved promenade leads from the Shrine of the Book to an Art Garden holding sculptures by Moore, Rodin and Picasso. Inside the main building, the Judaica wing includes three complete synagogues brought from various locations and reconstructed. Of the three, the Vittorio Veneto Synagogue is the most impressive. It dates from 1700 and was transported from Vittorio Veneto in Italy in 1965. The second part of this exhibition focuses on Jewish ethnography. Foremost among the exhibits are a Jewish bride’s outfit from San’a in Yemen, which dates back to the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, a Druze woman’s apparel from Galilee dating back to the late 19th century, and richly embroidered Palestinian costumes from Bethlehem of the 1930s. Look out also for costumes from Jewish communities in Ethiopia and Kurdistan. In the Archaeology Wing look out for the ‘House of David’ Victory Stele – a fragmentary monumental inscription from the First Temple period and the only extra-biblical reference to the Davidic dynasty to have come to light so far. Other notable artefacts from this period include a curious ivory pomegranate and an unusual pottery stand decorated with clay musicians, from the late 11th to early 10th century BC. The Roman period is well represented by Jewish sarcophagi, ossuaries and some impressive statues including a bronze bust of Hadrian from the 2nd century AD. Found at Beit She’an, it is considered one of the finest portraits of Hadrian ever discovered. The highlight of the Arts Wing is the section on impressionist and postimpressionist art, containing work by Renoir, Pissaro, Gauguin, Matisse and Van Gogh. One of the most arresting displays is a complete French Salon from the 18th century (viewed from two entrances leading off from the postimpressionist art gallery). Israeli art is well represented in the Israeli Art pavilion, with striking paintings by Reuven Rubin and Yosef Zaritsky, and less conventional work by Igael Tumarkin (see his odd exhibit made of wood, textiles, iron, a stretcher and paint, entitled ‘Mita Meshunah – Unnatural Death’). The Youth Wing serves as the education department of the museum. Children can enjoy hands-on educational activities such as playing with model houses conveniently positioned at children’s eye level. Groups of
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schoolchildren are given guided tours and art classes are offered to interested parties. BIBLE LANDS MUSEUM
This museum (Map pp86-7; x561 1066; www.blmj .org; 25 Granot St, Givat Ram; adult/student/child 28/15/18; h9.30am-5.30pm Sun-Tue & Thu, 9.30am-9.30pm Wed in summer, 1.30pm-9.30pm Wed in winter, 9.30am-2pm Fri, 11am-3pm Sat) chronologically reveals the history of the Holy Lands with a wealth of well-displayed artefacts and background information. The museum was founded by Dr Elie Borowski, a Polish-born academic who fought the Nazis in Germany and later moved to Switzerland, where he became known as one of the leading dealers of art from the antiquities. In his fascination for biblical times, Elie had it in mind to establish an institute where people of different faiths could join together and return to the morals and ethics laid out by the Bible. This museum is the result of his work. Exhibits date from 6000 BC to AD 600 and include some 2000 artefacts ranging from mosaics and other art pieces, seals and bronzes to household items from all over Asia, Europe and Africa. The unusual organisation of artefacts can be a little confusing so take the free guided tour, daily at 10.30am. KNESSET
Israel’s 120 lawmakers convene at the Knesset (Map pp86-7; x675 3333; www.knesset.gov.il; admission free; Ruppin Blvd), a squat building whose bland exterior hardly personifies the rousing atmosphere inside its hallowed halls. Belonging to the multistorey car park school of architecture, the building was inaugurated in 1966 – previously the parliament had met in an unobtrusive building on King George V St. The present-day Knesset is at least a lot more attractive inside than out and it has a foyer decorated with three tapestries and a mosaic by Marc Chagall. The building is open to the public on Sunday and Thursday from 8.30am to 2.30pm, when free guided tours are given. Call ahead to sign up for a tour in English and don’t forget to bring your passport. You can also see the Knesset in session on Monday or Tuesday from 4pm to 7pm, and Sunday and Thursday from 11am to 7pm. The proceedings are conducted mainly in Hebrew and occasionally in Arabic.
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Next to the bus stops opposite the Knesset is a bronze menorah, a gift from British supporters of the State of Israel. It’s decorated with panels representing important figures and events in Jewish history. BLOOMFIELD SCIENCE MUSEUM
Filled with hands-on exhibits that enlighten on everything from atom smashers to the exploration of Mars, the kid-friendly Bloomfield Science Museum (Map pp86-7; x654 4888;
www.mada.org.il; Hebrew University, Givat Ram, Ruppin Blvd; adult/child 27/15NIS; h10am-6pm Mon, Wed & Thu, 10am-8pm Tue, 10am-1pm Fri, 10am-3pm Sat) makes
for a good break from Jerusalem’s mass of ancient history. Visiting here also gives you a chance to look around the grounds of the Hebrew University campus. MONASTERY OF THE CROSS
In any other city, the Monastery of the Cross (Map pp86-7; Rehavia Valley; admission 10NIS; h9am4pm Mon-Fri) would be a major tourist attrac-
tion. In Jerusalem it falls through the cracks, partially because of its isolated location in a valley below the Israel Museum. The fortresslike structure was founded in the early 4th century AD by King Bagrat of Georgia to commemorate the tradition that the tree from which Jesus’ cross was believed to have been made grew here. Persians laid waste to the building in 614 and Muslims destroyed the replacement in 1009. Construction began again in 1038, although various additions have been made since then, including a Spanish-style rococo tower in the mid19th century. The Greek Orthodox Church purchased the complex in 1685. The interior of the church, thankfully devoid of religious overstatement, contains some interesting 17th-century frescoes, a bit of 6th-century mosaic floor in the chapel and a small museum. The frescoes are said to be the finest of their kind in Israel and are noted for their expressive portraits and intense colouring. Note the small, whitebearded fellow in the red robe (at the feet of the two church fathers); this is Shota Rustaveli, the famed Georgian poet who came to this monastery in the 12th century and lived here until his death. The monastery can be reached by walking through Rehavia along Ramban St, crossing Hanasi Ben Zvi and following the path down the hillside. From the City Centre
take bus No 31 or 32; from Jaffa Gate, take bus No 19. Get off at the first stop on Harav Herzog St and follow the path down.
Har Hazikaron On the far western fringe of the city, between rows of housing blocks and the Jerusalem forest, quietly sits Har Hazikaron (the Mount of Memory; see Map pp80–1). This high ground of wooded slopes and spectacular views includes Mt Herzl, the military cemetery and Yad Vashem, the memorial to victims of the Holocaust. The area is close to Ein Kerem (see p124) so for the sake of convenience, try visiting both areas in one trip. MT HERZL & THE HERZL MUSEUM
Named after the mild-mannered newspaper reporter turned ultra-Zionist, the cedarand pine-clad Mt Herzl (Map pp80–1) is an important place of remembrance for founding fathers of the state of Israel. The history of the Zionist dream is detailed in the newly renovated Herzl Museum (Map pp80-1; x643 3266; www.herzl.org.il; adult/child 20/15NIS; h9am-3.30pm Sun-Thu, 9am-12.30pm Fri) a multimedia journey
into the life of Theodore Herzl. The tour is by appointment only. Herzl’s story began in Paris, where he was working as a correspondent for a Vienna newspaper. After witnessing violent outbreaks of anti-Semitism in the wake of the 1894 Dreyfus treason trial he dedicated himself to the creation of a Jewish state where Jews would not be subject to such crimes. Three years of campaigning for such a cause culminated in the first World Zionist Congress, held in Basel, Switzerland. He spent the next seven years campaigning until his death in 1904. Herzl’s simple grave, a black marker with his name etched upon it, is on a small knoll west of the museum. Nearby are the graves of several Israeli prime ministers and presidents, including Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin, Menachem Begin and Levi Eshkol. A short walk north leads to the military cemetery or you can continue west, down a dirt path that leads to Yad Vashem. YAD VASHEM
The effects which the Holocaust wrought on the Jewish people still reverberate strongly in the Diaspora and, especially, Israel. It was a tragedy from which grew the modern state of
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Israel and its legacy has defined the national psyche for more than half a century. In 1953 the Knesset set forth a plan to memorialise the six million Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis, and honour those who tried to save them. The result was Yad Vashem (Map pp80-1; x644 3565; www.yadvashem.org; admission free; h9am-5pm Sun-Thu, 9am-2pm Fri), a vast land-
scaped complex with a visitors centre, a museum and a dozen memorials scattered over 45 acres of the Mount of Remembrance. The centrepiece of Yad Vashem (taken from Isaiah 56:5, meaning ‘A Memorial and a Name’) is a new prism-like history museum, dedicated in March 2005 in the presence of leaders from 40 countries, plus UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Jewish architect Moshe Safdie explains that the triangular design represents the bottom half of a Star of David, because the population of Jews worldwide was cut in half as a result of the Holocaust. The US$40 million building is 180m long and contains 10 underground chambers holding photos, art, personal effects, multimedia shows and testimonies by 90 Holocaust survivors. Each chamber is devoted to a different chapter in the history of the Holocaust. Towards the end is the Hall of Names, the physical repository for the Pages of Testimony – forms filled out by friends and family of Holocaust victims; three million have so far been collected. The hole dug out of the floor honours those victims whose names will never be known. As you exit there is a literal ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ with a view over the Judean Hills. Closer to the visitors centre is the Children’s Memorial, also designed by Safdie, and dedicated to the 1.5 million Jewish children who died in the Holocaust. Dug into the bedrock, the sombre underground memorial contains a solitary flame reflected infinitely by hundreds of mirrors. Recorded voices read the names of perished children. Pathways lead around the other memorials of Yad Vashem; make sure to take a map from the visitors centre to find them all. As you walk along the path, known as the Avenue of the Righteous, you see trees dedicated to the Gentiles who risked their own lives to save Jews from the Holocaust, including Oskar Schindler and King Christian X of Demark. In the Hall of Remembrance, an eternal flame burns near a crypt containing ashes of victims brought from the extermination camps.
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The floor is inscribed with the names of 22 concentration camps. The southern edge of the complex has the Cattle Car memorial, one of the original train cars used to herd Jews from the ghetto to the death camps. Nearby is the Valley of the Communities, a 2.5-acre monument carved out of the valley floor. It contains the names of 5000 Jewish communities wiped out by the Nazis. It takes about three hours to get around Yad Vashem. The visitors centre includes a bookshop and a kosher dairy cafeteria. The only public bus that comes into the car park is Egged No 99 (as part of its city-wide tour), but several buses stop near Mt Herzl, a 10-minute walk, including bus No 13, 18, 20, 23 or 27.
Ein Kerem When political tensions heat up in the City Centre, residents retreat to Ein Kerem (Map pp80–1), a pretty village of Arab-built stone houses surrounded by Lebanese cedars and native pine trees. Apart from its peaceful, pastoral setting, Ein Kerem is home to several important churches related to John the Baptist; it has a clutch of excellent restaurants; and a handful of art studios and the Chagall Windows at Hadassah Hospital are not too far away. It’s busiest on weekends when locals descend on the place for brunch. The history of the town was rather ordinary until the middle of the 6th century, when Christian pilgrims identified it as the likely home of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. Inevitably, shrines and churches were built over holy sites. The 1948 ArabIsraeli War caused the local Arab residents to desert the town; their homes were later taken over by immigrants from Morocco and Romania. To reach the village, take bus No 17 from Jaffa Rd. CHURCH OF ST JOHN
The blue-and-white interior of the Franciscan-owned Church of St John (Map pp80-1; admission free; h9am-noon & 2.30-5pm Sun-Fri) is reminiscent of European churches – not surprising as it was funded and built by the Spanish monarchy in 1674. The paintings are by Spanish artists and there is a royal coat of arms above the entrance. Towards the front of the church is the grotto where John came into the world
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(Luke 1:5-25, 57-80); a small marble circle under the altar marks the spot. The church is located on the street to the right of the main road. CHURCH OF THE VISITATION
times. Take bus No 19 or 27 and get off at the last stop. You can also reach here by walking up from Ein Kerem. You can also see the windows by navigating the website: go to www.hadassah.org.il/english, click on ‘about’ and ‘art at Hadassah’.
The Church of the Visitation (Map pp80-1; admission: free; h8am-11.45 & 2.30-6pm) is built over the
ACTIVITIES
traditional home of Zacharias and Elizabeth, across the valley from the Church of St John and uphill from Mary’s Spring. The name of the church is in remembrance of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. The moment is captured in Luke: 1 39-49, which states: ‘When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit’. The prayer that Mary is said to have uttered (‘My soul exalts the world’) is from Luke 1: 46-56 and is preserved on the walls of the church in 41 languages. Brilliant paintings adorn the walls of the upper church. In the apse, Mary stands in the desert flanked by her devotees and below angels who prepare to crown her with wreaths. CHAGALL WINDOWS
Often confused with its namesake on Mt Scopus, the Hadassah Medical Centre is the Middle East’s largest hospital. However, it’s far more well known internationally for its synagogue (Map p144; x641 6333; admission 10NIS; h 8am-1.15pm & 2-3.30pm Sun-Thu) featuring stained-glass windows by Jewish artist Marc Chagall. His 12 colourful abstract panels each depict one of the tribes of Israel, based on Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 33. Guided tours are conducted in English, but you’ll need to call ahead to confirm
To beat the summer heat, try the Jerusalem Pool (Map pp80-1; x563 2092; 43 Emek Refa’im St; per day 50NIS; h9am-8pm Sun-Thu, 9am-1pm Fri), located in the heart of the German Colony. This pool is covered in winter. The YMCA (Map pp114-15; x569 2692, 26 HaMelekh David St; per day 50NIS; h6am-9pm Mon-Thu, 9am-2pm Fri & Sat) lo-
cated opposite the King David Hotel has a good, if slightly antiquated, pool and fitness centre, including an indoor basketball court. Giraffe (Map pp114-15; x1 700 706 005; 10 Luntz St; per day 80NIS; h6am-1am Sun-Thu, 6am-4pm Fri) is a centrally located fitness centre. Many of Jerusalem’s top-class hotels have fitness centres, spas and pools that are open to the general public, including the Inbal Jerusalem (see p134) and even more luxurious is the pool at the King David Hotel (see p135). The Jerusalem Bowling Centre (Map pp80-1;
x673-2195; Kanyon Talpiot, 18 Yad Harutzim; h10am2am Sun-Fri, 11am-2am Sat) is located in Talpiot.
Games cost 22NIS between 10am and 6pm and 27NIS from 6pm to 2am. On weekends the price is 30NIS per game. If you play twice, the third game is free. Basketball games are held at the courts near Liberty Bell Gardens (Map pp120–1). On Friday nights the courts are packed
SATAF NATURE TRAIL Walkers will enjoy the Sataf nature trail, a two- to four-hour hike in the hills west of Jerusalem. The hike begins from the Sataf Junction (Map p144; the intersection of Rtes 395 and 3965). A bus from Jerusalem’s central bus station to Kibbutz Tsova will drop you there. From the junction, follow the road with the brown sign marked ‘Sataf’ past the car park for 1.5km until you reach the national park. Sataf, located at 600m above sea level, was one of many Arab villages in the area to be deserted in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Two springs and pools are in the village. You are not allowed in the pool but you can climb into the tunnel that feeds the spring (bring a torch). From the village, a marked trail descends to the riverbed below. On the opposite bank you can see the Monastery of St John in the Desert, where John the Baptist is believed to have hidden from Herod the Great. The monastery is usually locked. At the bottom of the valley, the trail crosses the road and ascends a small brook that leads to the Spring of Ein Hindak. About 100m past the spring is a road that leads to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, where you can catch a bus back to Jerusalem or walk down to the village of Ein Kerem (see opposite).
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Via Dolorosa
with Arabs from the Old City and East Jerusalem. For a day out of town, you can enjoy the Judean Hills from the back of a horse. King David Stables (Map p144; x057-747-1681; www.king
taken as he carried his cross to Calvary. The walk is easily done on your own, but for a somewhat more unique experience join the Franciscan Fathers on Friday as they lead a cross-bearing procession along the route. The walk is held at 3pm October to March or 4pm April to September. The history of the Via Dolorosa goes back to the days of the Byzantine pilgrims, who trod the path from Gethsemane to Calvary on Holy Thursday, although there were no devotional stops en route. By the 8th century, pilgrims were performing ritual stops to mark the stations of the cross; the route had also changed considerably and now went from Gethsemane around the outside of the city walls to Caiaphas’ house on Mt Zion, then to the Praetorium of Pilate at St Sophia near the Temple, and eventually to the Holy Sepulchre. In the Middle Ages, with Latin Christianity divided into two camps, the Via Dolorosa was twinned, each of the two claimed routes primarily visiting chapels belonging to either one or the other faction. In the 14th century, the Franciscans devised a walk of devotion that included some of the present-day stations but had as its starting point the Holy Sepulchre. This became the standard route for nearly two centuries but it was eventually modified by the desire of European pilgrims to follow the order of events of the gospels, finishing at the believed site of the Crucifixion rather than beginning there.
davidstables.com; 45-min ride 90NIS; h6am-9pm MonThu, 9am-2pm Fri & Sat) offers trail rides (per
hour 100NIS), lessons and even yoga on horseback! It is located 16km west of Jerusalem at Moshav Shoresh. When you get off the highway, follow the signs to Beit Meir.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES The liberal-minded religious group Shira Hadasha (www.geocities.com/shira_hada sha) welcomes both male and female visitors to its Shabbat services, held Friday at 6.45pm. You must call ahead to let them know you are coming as space is limited. Email your request to Esther Abramowitz (
[email protected]). Services are held in both English and Hebrew.
WALKING TOUR The ultimate Jerusalem walking tour is, of course, the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Sorrows), the route that Jesus is believed to have
ὈὈ WALK FACTS
Start/Finish Via Dolorosa Station One/ Church of the Holy Sepulchre Distance 600m Duration around 30 minutes
Al ad Rd
3
Ecce Homo Arch
St
Armenian Church
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1
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Via Do
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Chapel of the Flagellation
2
-W
Souq Khan as-Zeit
Christian Quarter
Haram Ash-Sharif/ Temple Mount 5
6 nqah t al-Kha
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8 Ethiopian Compound
Aqaba
10
Aqabat
at-Takiya
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14
9
Al-Wad
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St Alexander's Church Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
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If historians had their way, the route would probably begin outside the Citadel, as this was the residence of Pilate when he lived in Jerusalem. Various Bible references to the trial of Jesus taking place on a platform (Matthew 27:19) and in the open (Luke 23:4, John 18:28) support this theory, as the palace is known to have had such a structure. Hence, it’s believed that a more probable route for Jesus to have taken would be east along David St, north through the Butchers’ Market of today, and then west to Golgotha. To begin the route known today, head deep into the Muslim Quarter, in the direction of Lions Gate. Before embarking on the walking tour, you might want to visit St Anne’s Church (p101) and the Ecce Homo Convent of the Sisters of Zion (p101), both located close to the first station. The first station (1) is actually inside the working Islamic Al-Omariyeh College, whose entrance is the blue door at the top of the ramp on the southern side of the Via Dolorosa, east of the Ecce Homo Arch. Entry is not always permitted so don’t be surprised if you are asked to leave. The college offers nothing of official Christian value to see nowadays (but the location does offer a spectacular view of the Haram ash-Sharif/Temple Mount through the barred windows on the upper level). The second station (2), located across the street from the college in the Franciscan Church of the Condemnation, is where it is believed Jesus received the cross. The Chapel of Flagellation (Map pp90-1; admission free;
100 m
said to have been flogged. Built in 1929, the design on the domed ceiling incorporates the crown of thorns and the windows of the chapel around the altar show the mob who witnessed the event. Continue down a short hill until you reach Al-Wad Rd, a bustling street corner where cultures mingle in the form of Israeli police tapping their truncheons, Palestinian children kicking soccer balls, shop merchants moving carts and Christian pilgrims navigating through the crowds. Turn left on Al-Wad and walk just a few steps to the third station (3), where it is believed Jesus fell for the first time. The station is marked by a small Polish chapel,
adjacent to the entrance of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate Hospice. Beyond the hospice, next to the Armenian Church (the wonderfully named Our Lady of the Spasm), the fourth station (4) marks the spot where Jesus is said to have faced his mother in the crowd of onlookers. As Al-Wad Rd continues south towards the Western Wall, the Via Dolorosa breaks off to climb to the west; right on the corner is the fifth station (5), where it is said that the Romans ordered Simon the Cyrene to help Jesus carry the cross. It is marked by signs around a door. Further along the street, the sixth station (6) is marked by a brown wooden door on the left. This is where Veronica is believed to have wiped Jesus’ face with a cloth. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in the Christian Quarter displays what is claimed to be the cloth, which shows the imprint of a face. A bit further along you’ll enter the bustling Souq Khan as-Zeit St, a major market place of restaurants, hostels, sweets stalls and jewellery shops. The seventh station (7), where it is believed Jesus fell for the second time, is a small chapel marked by signs on the wall of the souq. In the 1st century, this was the edge of the city and a gate led out to the countryside, a fact that supports the claim that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the genuine location of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Station eight (8) can be easy to miss. To find it, cut straight across Souq Khan asZeit St from the Via Dolorosa and ascend Aqabat al-Khanqah. Opposite an internet café on the left is the stone and Latin cross marking where it is said Jesus told some women to cry for themselves and their children, not for him. Return the way you came, back to the Souq Khan as-Zeit, and turn right (south, away from Damascus Gate). Head up the stairway on your right and follow the path around to the Coptic Church. The remains of a column in its door mark the ninth station (9) where it is believed Jesus fell the third time. Retrace your steps to the main street and head for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; the remaining five stations are inside. As you enter the church, head up the steep stairway immediately to your right. The chapel at the top is divided into two naves. The right one belongs to the Fran-
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ciscans, the left to the Greek Orthodox. At the entrance to the Franciscan Chapel is the 10th station (10; upper level), where Jesus is said to have been stripped of his clothes. The 11th station (11; upper level), also in the chapel, is where it is said Jesus was nailed to the cross. The 12th station (12; upper level), the Greek Orthodox Chapel, is said to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion. The 13th station (13; upper level), where the body of Jesus is said to have been taken down and handed to Mary, is located between the 11th and 12th stations. The 14th station (14; upper level) is the Holy Sepulchre, the Tomb of Jesus. Walk down the narrow stairs beyond the Greek Orthodox Chapel to the ground floor and you will see that the Holy Sepulchre is to be found in the centre of the rotunda, which would be on your left if you were entering from outside. The actual tomb is inside the Sepulchre. Candles lit by pilgrims who make a donation dominate the small tomb, with the raised marble slab covering the rock on which it is believed Jesus’ body was laid. Around the back of the Holy Sepulchre is the tiny Coptic Chapel where pilgrims kiss the wall of the tomb, encouraged by a priest who expects a donation.
COURSES
Language British Council (Map p110; x626 7111; issa.faltas@
ps.britishcouncil.org; 31 Nablus Rd, East Jerusalem) Offers Arabic-language courses beginning in September, January and April. Classes meet at the East Jerusalem branch twice weekly for 10 weeks and cost 900NIS. See also Cultural Centres, p85. Gerard Behar Centre (Map pp114-15; x625 1139; 11 Bezalel St) Morning and evening Hebrew-language classes with ongoing enrolment. Hebrew Union College (Map pp114-15; x620 3333;
[email protected]; 13 HaMelekh David St) Threemonth courses that meet twice a week in the evenings. A popular option for tourists. YMCA Ulpan (Map pp114-15; x569 2692; racheli@ simplehebrew.com; 26 HaMelekh David St) Three-month Hebrew-language course for 900NIS.
Judaism Discovery Centre (Map pp90-1; x627 2355; www
.discoveryisrael.com; 70 Misgav Ladach St) Every Sunday morning from 9.30am the Discovery Centre (an arm of Aish international) hosts lectures on Jewish heritage. The US$20 per person fee includes lunch.
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Kabbalah Centre (Map pp114-15; x624 3999; www
.kabbalah.co.il; 1 Ben Hillel St) Classes on Jewish mysticism are held regularly but are usually in Hebrew. Call ahead to find out about classes in English.
Folk Dancing YMCA (Map pp114-15; x625 7111; 26 HaMelekh
David St) Informal folk dancing lessons every Monday and Thursday at 8pm.
JERUSALEM FOR CHILDREN Spare your kids the agony of visiting another treasure of antiquity and let them loose in the excellent Biblical Zoo (Map p144; x675 0111; Zoo Rd;
adult/child 40/32NIS;h9am-6pm Sun-Thu, 9am-4.30pm Fri, 10am-5pm Sat), a 62-acre park in the southwest
of the city. The zoo contains animals mentioned in the Bible that have become extinct in Israel, including lions, bears and crocodiles. Another section displays endangered animals from other parts of the world. Kids also love Jerusalem’s Train Theatre (Map pp120-1; x561 8514; www.traintheatre.co.il; Liberty Bell Park; admission 35NIS), which puts on occasional
puppet performances Other obvious attractions for kids are the Time Elevator (see p117) and the Bloomfield Science Museum (see p123). Kids also enjoy the Hezekiah’s Tunnel (see p107), where they can make like Indiana Jones and wade through an ancient water channel. Also try the Tower of David Museum (p97), which often has special exhibitions for kids – recently featured was a giant model train set snaking its way around the ruins.
TOURS A good introduction to the city is Egged Rte 99 Circular Line (x530 4704; per person 45NIS). This open-air coach service cruises past 35 of Jerusalem’s major sites, providing commentary in eight languages and video clips along the way. The bus makes a loop every two hours, so there is time to stop at two or three sites (for two hours each), including Yad Vashem and the Israel Museum. At some prominent landmarks, the bus stops briefly for everyone to get out and snap a photo. The first bus leaves the central bus station at 9am. You can catch it at Jaffa Gate at 9.34am or at the King David Hotel at 9.38am. Zion Walking Tours (Map pp90-1; x628 7866, 050 530 5552; Omar Ibn al-Khattab Sq) operates a threehour Old City walking tour (per person US$15) at 10am, 11am and 2pm from Sun-
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GAY & LESBIAN JERUSALEM The gay and lesbian scene in Jerusalem is much more subdued compared with that in Tel Aviv. At the time of writing the main evening hangout was Shoshan (Map pp114-15; x623 3366; 4 Shoshan St; h9.30pm-2am), a small, slick bar at the end of a quiet alley south of Safra Sq. A drag show is held on Monday, dance parties are on Thursday and Friday, while Sunday is lesbian night. During the day, T’mol (p137) is a gay-friendly meeting place. If you want more information on the GLBT community, visit the Jerusalem Open House (Map pp114-15; x625 3191; www.gay.org.il/joh; 7 Ben Yehuda St). New visitors are invited to come on Monday and Wednesday evening from 5 to 8pm to learn about community events. The Open House also organises Shabbat services. Contact the Jerusalem Infoline (x02-537 3906; h8pm10pm Tue) for other information.
day to Thursday (there must be at least four participants). David Tours (Map pp90-1; x052 863 8550; www .davidstours.com; 24 Cardo, Jewish Quarter) does a variety of city tours including one of the Temple Mount (adult/student US$25/23).
SLEEPING Most budget places are located in the Old City or near Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem. The City Centre only has a couple of budget picks. Jerusalem has some great midrange options, including atmospheric Christian hospices in the Old City and boutique hotels in the City Centre. High-end category picks are found in Mamilla and East Jerusalem. In terms of location, the Old City hotels offer much in terms of rustic atmosphere and access to Jerusalem’s historic places of interest. But it’s also 100% pedestrianised, crowded and filled with steps and narrow streets, which can be inconvenient if you have a car or lots of luggage. Choose the City Centre if you want more convenience.
Budget OLD CITY
Hashimi Hotel (Map pp90-1; x628 4410, 052 257
2121; www.hashimihotel.com; 73 Souq Khan al-Zeit; dm/s/d/ste US$8/30/35/120; ai) Rising out of
the chaos that is the Muslim Quarter, the Hashimi has a number of things going for it, not the least of which is the spectacular view from the rooftop restaurant. It’s a colourful mishmash of hotel rooms, family suites, dorms and lounge areas, all painted in bright colours and surrounding a sunlit atrium. Rooms are clean, if unspectacular, and there is a variety of services including laundry, a gift shop and a café. Strict
Islamic house rules prevent unmarried couples from sleeping in the same room, which causes it to attract mostly solo travellers. Old City Youth Hostel (Map pp90-1; x628 8611; www.iyha.org.il; 2 Ararat St; dm 50NIS) Difficult to find and not at all advertised, this place is usually devoid of tourists. Ring the bell and the attendant will slowly creak open the giant door, which leads to a dimly-lit room with high ceilings and a general feeling of vacancy. Despite all this the location is quiet and offers a degree of privacy. To find it, walk south on Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate; left on St James St, left on Ararat St, walk past the Syrian Orthodox Church, and then look for the small sign to the hostel, up a narrow lane to the left. Hebron Youth Hostel (Map pp90-1; x628 1101;
[email protected]; 8 Aqabat at-Takiya St; dm 30NIS, private d with/without bathroom 140/100NIS; i)
Stone walls, arches and Arab décor make this one of the most attractive guesthouses in the Old City. The narrow staircase leads up to a small reception area, a billiards rooms and clean, cosy guest quarters. But avoid the rooftop additions, which are less pleasant. Lockers are available to store your gear and there is an attached internet café. Hot water is sporadic; it may only come on in the mornings and evenings. Citadel Youth Hostel (Map pp90-1; x628 5253, 054
580 5085; www.citadelhostel.com; 20 Mark St; dm 40NIS, d with bathroom 190-250NIS, d without bathroom 110-150NIS; i) A boutique hotel for backpackers, this
500-year-old building feels rather cavelike with its uncut stone walls and narrow passageways. High marks go to design as each room is lovingly decorated with burgundycoloured cushions and Arabic wall hangings. It’s a quirky place: upstairs rooms have great views but get stiflingly hot in summer
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(and cold in winter) while lower rooms are cooler and more spacious but have basic bathrooms. Perks include excellent, helpful management and free wi-fi. Golden Gate Inn (Map pp90-1; x628 4317; golden
[email protected]; 10 Souq Khan al-Zeit; dm/s/d 30/100/140NIS; a) The Golden Gate has the
makings of a great guesthouse. It’s set inside an atmospheric old home, it’s fairly clean, has a large kitchen and rooms come with attached bath, cable TV and air-con. There is a no alcohol policy, but you can smoke a nargileh (water pipe) for 10NIS or sip tea all day for free. Despite these niceties, the vibe here is a little solemn and lacks the communal travellers’ air of places nearby. Petra Hostel (Map pp90-1; x628 6618; www.in
israel.com/petra; Omar Ibn al-Khattab Sq; roof mattresses/ dm 30/40NIS, d with/without bathroom 180/150NIS; i)
Built in the 1820s, this is the oldest hotel in Jerusalem. Some of its illustrious former patrons include General Allenby, Mark Twain and Herman Melville. About 50 years of neglect, however, have left it coming apart at the seams. But it still retains a friendly atmosphere and the bright, welcoming lobby is usually filled with travellers swapping stories or watching movies. In summer you can sleep on a mattress on the roof. Services include laundry and airport shuttle and if you want breakfast its just 14NIS. El Malak (Map pp90-1; x628 5382, 054 567 8044; 18 El-Malak & 27 Ararat; dm/s/d 50/110/160NIS) One of the more unusual places in the Old City, El Malak is basically a series of rooms set inside a renovated basement under the home of an Armenian granny. Dorms are not great value but the portioned double rooms are OK. There is a real nana touch to the décor, with Armenian wall hangings and antiques. The common area and kitchen are small but well-equipped. Best of all, it manages to stay quite cool when other guesthouses are baking. Otherwise, there are two better rooms available in the house upstairs. Ask for Claire Ghawi. Casa Nova Pilgrims’ Hospice (Map pp90-1; x628 2791, 627 1441; 10 Casa Nova St; s/d, with breakfast US$37/44)
Among the many Christian hospices in the Old City, this one is most geared towards the Christian pilgrim. It’s a bare-bones place with simple furnishings, big doors, cavernous hallways and an 11pm curfew. To get there from Jaffa Gate, take the second left onto Greek Patriarche Rd until it becomes
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Casa Nova St; the hospice is on the left as you enter a narrow alley. Reception is open from 7am to 11pm. East New Imperial Hotel (Map pp90-1; x628
2261; www.newimperial.com; Jaffa Gate; s/d/tr US$35/ 50/75; i) Agatha Christie would have felt
very at home in this rambling old hotel. With hallways sporting various bits of junk and antiques, collected over 60 years of the hotel’s existence, it has a much lived-in feel. The welcoming staff and quirky nature of the place almost make up for the antiquated facilities. The rooms are cool, dark and dishevelled, with some built on split levels to save space. All have private bath, toilet, fridge and sink. Free internet is a bonus. Gloria (Map pp90-1; x628 2431; gloria@netvision
.net.il; 33 Latin Patriarchate Rd; s/d/tr, with breakfast US$40/50/60; a) A hidden gem of a hotel in
the Old City, Gloria offers clean and wellmaintained double and triple rooms that cost 20% less than similar hotels in this neighbourhood. All rooms come with desk and phone; there’s no TV but with the wonders of Jerusalem’s Old City on your doorstep, who needs it? Only a couple have decent views, but you’ll probably need to book in advance to secure one of these. It’s about 100m uphill from Jaffa Gate. CITY CENTRE
Jerusalem Hostel & Guesthouse (Map pp114-15; x623 6092; www.jerusalem-hostel.com; 44 Jaffa Rd, Zion Sq; dm 64NIS, d 230-260NIS; ai) With a prime lo-
cation overlooking Zion Sq, this is the hostel of choice for backpackers wanting to stay in the City Centre. Rooms are large and clean and there is a healthy traveller vibe here, with lots of info tacked on the walls and plenty of other guests willing to lend free advice. Besides the rooms, you could also stay in a tent on the roof (s/d 92/128NIS); you get a mattress, linen and share facilities. Hotel Noga (Map pp114-15; x625 4590, 566 1888; 4 Bezalel St; d US$40; a) A local family rents out a couple of apartments in this building on Bezalel. It’s nothing luxurious but you do get a fully equipped kitchen and lots of privacy. There is no sign and no reception so you have to call ahead and meet the landlord to make a payment and get the key. Hotel Kaplan (Map pp114-15; x 625 4591;
[email protected]; 1 HaHavazelet St; s US$40-50, d US$50-70, tr US$80; a) Kaplan is one of the few
budget hotels in the City Centre. Rooms are
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basic and the furniture is a little ragged, but you do get a private bathroom and views of Jaffa Rd. The friendly owner offers free internet and use of the small kitchen, but otherwise it’s a fairly bland experience and the only reason to put up here is the low price and location. Zion Square Hotel (Map pp114-15; x623 2367; 10 Dorot Rishonim St; s/d/tr 200/250/300NIS) Run by a chatterbox granny, this mediocre hotel finds itself in this price category because of its perfect New City location. Right above the Rimon restaurant off Ben Yehuda St, it’s just about as central as you can get. Inside, the double rooms are simply furnished, with TV, radio, phone and basic bathroom. While everything functions reasonably well, it’s a little neglected. The obvious benefit of the hotel is that you can get drunk at one of the downtown bars and easily stagger back to your room without having to trek halfway across the city. MAMILLA, YEMIN MOSHE & THE GERMAN COLONY
B-Green Guest House (Map pp80-1; x566 4220; www .bnb.co.il/green; 4 Rachel Imeinu Rd, German Colony; s/d US$40/50) Set in a beautiful old home in the
German Colony, this little-known guesthouse is highly recommended for those who can appreciate good value and privacy. The fan-cooled rooms are simply furnished and futons are available if you bring in a third guest, which can be done at no extra charge. There is no breakfast, but each unit comes with a kitchenette for self-caterers. Turning off Emek Refa’im, B-Green is the first house on the right after the shwarma restaurant. Note that there is no reception so call ahead before turning up. EAST JERUSALEM
Faisal Hostel (Map pp90-1; x628 7502; faisalsam@ hotmail.com; 4 HaNevi’im St; dm/d 25/80NIS; i) Murals of Rafah under siege, posters of Rachel Corrie and declarations of Palestinian solidarity decorate the walls of this longtime backpacker ghetto. It’s this activist atmosphere that draws the crowds because the rooms are certainly nothing to write home about – bunk-style dorms and private rooms that are the definition of shabby. Still, it’s a remarkably friendly place and the tearoom is a great place to meet other travellers and see Jerusalem through the eyes of Palestin-
ians who run the place. Free internet access too. Palm Hostel (Map pp90-1; x627 3189; 6 HaNevi’im St; dm/d 25/80NIS; i) If the atmosphere at Faisal’s is a little more than you can bear, just pop right next door to the Palm, which offers a similar setup, but without the activist artwork. It doesn’t get any cheaper than 25NIS per bed and the place is reasonably clean and has a large kitchen, although the atmosphere is a bit staid. The entrance to the Palm is through a fruit stand just off the very filthy HaNevi’im St. There’s free internet.
Midrange OLD CITY
Notre Dame de Zion (Map pp90-1; x627 7292; www .sion.org in French; 41 Via Dolorosa; s/d/tr/q, with breakfast US$40/60/80/90) If staying a few nights in a
convent sounds intriguing, book yourself a room in the 180-year-old Notre Dame de Zion, a-one-of-a-kind building with its front door on the Via Dolorosa. The stone walls and dim corridors evoke the feeling of a time gone by and the ever-present brownrobed Franciscan monks only add to the effect. Rooms are simply furnished but there is a comfortable lounge, where you can sit back and relax with a cup of coffee and a book. Reception hours are 7am to 10pm. o Lutheran Guest House (Map pp90-1; x 626 6888; www.luth-guesthouse-jerusalem.com; St Mark’s St; dm/s/d, with breakfast US$9/50/78; a) It is
uncommon to find a guesthouse in the Old City that combines grace and history as well as comfort, but this place does it as well as any other. Beyond the heavy steel door entrance is a bright, welcoming lobby where cheerful staff will check you in. Once you’ve deposited your luggage, take a breather in the wonderful upstairs reading room, where you can pull a book off the shelf and enjoy views of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. If you need more sun, try the open-air courtyard and its rose garden. The inner sanctums include a new wing of modern double rooms, each with telephone, lamp and heater. The dorms (reserved for 35 and unders), located in the more atmospheric old wing, are airy and bright, with high ceilings and comfortable mattresses. One of the best features is the medieval kitchen, where young patrons can collaborate on a shared meal. Equally inviting is the dining hall with its arched windows, domed ceilings
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and Asian-themed tiling. A breakfast buffet here includes meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables and yogurt. To get here from Jaffa Gate, walk down David St, then take the first right up a narrow staircase; the guesthouse is about 100m down in the left. Christ Church Guest House (Map pp90-1; x627
7727; www.itac-israel.org; Omar Ibn al-Khattab Sq; Jaffa Gate; s/d, with breakfast US$50/80, extra person US$25)
This wonderfully maintained Christian hospice gets high marks for its period atmosphere, prime location and welcoming staff. Simply furnished rooms have stone floors and domed ceilings There is no TV in the rooms but you can relax in the café or watch a DVD in the lounge. There is a mix of foreign and local staff made up of Christians, Jews and Muslims; all hired as a way to promote cultural unity. You’ll also be pleased to know that a portion of your bill goes toward supporting community projects. Austrian Hospice (Map pp90-1; x627 1466; www
.austrianhospice.com; 37 Via Dolorosa; dm/s/d/tr, with breakfast €14/42/66/93) Looking like a prime location
to shoot a film about chain-rattling ghosts or Christian Crusaders, this castle-like guesthouse has plenty of atmosphere and is popular with European travellers. The building was opened in 1863 as a pilgrims’ hospice and later became the Austrian consulate in Palestine. Though it may be a bit too monastic and creepy for some tastes, others may consider the experience a highlight of their stay in Jerusalem. There is a garden in front and the cloistered exterior is a popular hangout for guests chatting over rounds of beer. Basic rooms include a desk, bedside light and phone. Any problems are taken care of by the staff of young European volunteers. The hospice is on the corner of AlWad and Via Dolorosa. Ring the bell to get inside (reception is open 7am to 11pm). Dr Bachi’s Guesthouse (Map pp90-1; x628 6668; www.geocities.com/rooms4rental; 11 Misgav Ladach St; d US$90; a) For travellers wanting to spend
time in the Jewish Quarter – among its yeshivot (Talmudic schools), cafés and museums, not to mention the Western Wall, this is one of the few options. Dr Bachi, a local ear doctor, can rent out one of two guest rooms inside her beautiful home, perfectly located on the tier overlooking the Western Wall. Dr Bachi keeps herself busy and is gone for most of the day, but this is definitely a situation of cohabitation, as you’ll be sharing with her
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the kosher kitchen, dining room and living room. The home is about 100m north of the Moriah bookshop (look closely for No 11). It can be hard to spot so call ahead. CITY CENTRE
Hotel Habira (Map pp114-15; x625 5754; www.hotel -habira.co.il; 4 HaHavazelet St; s/d/tr/q, with breakfast US$50/60/70/80) Just off Zion Sq, this small hotel sports 35 well-appointed rooms with phone, TV, clean carpets and attached bath. It’s reached via a steep staircase or an elevator, making it one of the few budget places that can accommodate the mobilityimpaired. There’s no lounge to speak of, but the dinning hall is large, bright and usually empty after breakfast. The morning meal is a standard Israeli breakfast of eggs, cheese, salads, yogurt and vegetables. Hotel Palatin (Map pp114-15; x625 9323; www
.hotel-palatin.co.il; 4 Agrippas St; s/d, with breakfast US$75/80; i) Located near the hub of Jeru-
salem’s shopping and café district, the 29room Hotel Palatin is a great option if you are looking for something that offers flair, convenience and a personal touch. Rooms contain velvety red carpets, a small desk, TV and twin beds pushed together. There are classy touches to the place, thanks to tasteful displays of art and little niceties like fresh flowers on the tables. It also benefits from great management and the kind of personal service you get from a family-run operation. Price includes breakfast and wi-fi. Holiday 2000 Apartments (Map pp114-15; x050 268 3008; www.holiday2000.net; 2 HaHistadrut St; s/d, with breakfast US$69/89; i) These well-
appointed, fully equipped studio apartments are perfect for travellers who want a central location and a little room to spread out. Amenities include TV, free wi-fi, free use of the washer and dryer and a kitchenette with fridge. There is no reception so you just need to ring the bell downstairs. MAMILLA, YEMIN MOSHE & THE GERMAN COLONY
Beit Shmuel Hostel (Map pp114-15; x620 3455; www
.beitshmuel.com; 6 Shamm’a St; s/d/tr/q, with breakfast US$47/69/88/107; i) Part hotel, part community
centre and part social hall, Beit Shmuel can get pretty busy. Standard rooms are no-frills affairs that feel like college dorms (ask for one facing the Old City). Rooms in the newer wing are bland, Swedish-style layouts, with
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plain white décor and hard surfaces (these cost about US$30 more than the standard rooms). The scene is somewhat enlivened by the central courtyard, which contains a garden of palm trees and bougainvillea. Avissar House (Map pp120-1; x625 5447; www.jeru -avisar-house.co.il; 12 Hame-vasser St, Yemin Moshe; s US$65-120, d US$77-140; a) This place is not so
much a hotel or even a B&B, but rather a set of private apartments for rent on a shortterm basis. Fully equipped kitchens, nicely decorated rooms, comfortable lounges and unbeatable views of the Old City walls make this place a primo choice in Jerusalem. The neighbourhood is pedestrian only, designed entirely with Jerusalem stone and prettily embellished with trees and wildflowers. The location, however, about 80m downhill from the windmill, may not suit everyone. If you have trouble climbing steps then pass on this one. The management imposes a minimum three-night stay and prices fluctuate by season. St Andrew’s Guesthouse (Map pp120-1; x673
1711; www.scotsguesthouse.com; 1 David Remez St; s/d/ tr/ste, with breakfast US$55/80/100/110; i) If you’d
like to play the role of British Mandate bureaucrat – puffing on a pipe in an oversized chair by the fireplace – St Andrew’s may be the place for you. Set on a hill overlooking the Old City, with leafy gardens and an imposing stone façade, it even feels like a bit of Scotland transported to the Middle East. The antique atmosphere can also be found in the colonial-style Scots Coffee Shop. Furnished and decorated with wicker chairs, fresh flowers and a piano, this is a perfect place to try out a number of delicious menu options, including an excellent brownie and ice cream concoction. The rooms upstairs, less pretentious than the lobby, are plainly furnished with desk, phone, heater and fan. Some rooms include balconies and those that don’t still have access to a large sun deck. YMCA Three Arches Hotel (Map pp114-15; x569 2692; www.ymca3arch.co.il; 26 HaMelekh David St; s/d/tr, with breakfast US$75/95/110; is) This is one
YMCA that will shatter any images you have of a grim inner-city shelter for transients. As a centre for learning, sport and culture, and an important landmark, it’s one of the most respected places in town. It’s also good value considering its prestigious neighbours in highbrow Mamilla. The
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hotel’s 56 rooms are simple in their design, and include TV, phone and bedside light. EAST JERUSALEM
St George’s Cathedral Pilgrim Guesthouse (Map p110; x628 3302;
[email protected]; 20 Nablus Rd; s/d/tr, with breakfast US$50/80/105) Located on the property of a 110-year-old Anglican Church, this delightful cloistered building offers tranquillity unmatched in East Jerusalem. Rooms are simply furnished with phone, cable TV, fan and twin beds, but it’s the lovely garden of rose bushes and citrus trees that sets the place apart. If the stoic atmosphere has put you in a pensive mood, repair to the reading room, where you can kick back with a book amid comfortable antique furnishings. Otherwise, make like the English and head down to the basement where the Jerusalem Stone Bar serves up beer and whiskey until midnight. Jerusalem Hotel (Map p110; x628 3282; www.jrs
hotel.com; 4 Antara Shahad St; s/d, with breakfast US$85/ 120; i) With stone-clad walls, antique fur-
nishings and personal service, this place is a combination heritage and boutique hotel. The Saadeh family, who have owned and run the place since 1960, have made painstaking restorations to the stained glass, brass chandeliers, murals, hand woven rugs and furnishings. Each of the 14 rooms is spacious and comes with TV and internet hook-up. There is no air-con, but thick walls keep the building cool even in the height of summer. In the morning, Mrs Saadeh prepares an excellent buffet breakfast in the vine-trestled garden patio. You can also book a tour from here to the West Bank from Abu Hassan Alternative Tours (see p410). ROMEMA & MEKOR BARUCH
Allenby 2 B&B (Map pp86-7; x052 257 8493, 534 4113; www.bnb.co.il/allenby; Allenby Sq 2, Romema; s US$25-60, d US$35-80; ai) One of the most popular
B&Bs in Jerusalem, Allenby 2 combines a warm atmosphere with excellent service. With nine rooms it’s one of the larger B&Bs in the city, a good thing if you enjoy getting to know other travellers. The building itself has a quiet charm and it’s very close to the central bus station, making it convenient for both the City Centre and outlying areas. Rooms are private and there are a couple of studios that have separate entrances. One reason for Allenby’s success is the careful attention by owner Danny Flax, a mine of
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information and a keen cyclist who can offer great advice on offbeat trips. If it’s full Danny will arrange for you to stay elsewhere. Caesar Hotel Jerusalem (Map pp86-7; x 500
5656; 208 Jaffa Rd; s/d/tr, with breakfast US$70/85/110; ais) Central and efficient, the 150-
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It’s located 2.5km south of the Old City; take bus No 7 from the central bus station or No 30 from Zahal Sq.
Top End CITY CENTRE
room Caesar makes a logical choice for travellers wanting a no-hassle hotel with a central location. One attraction is the rooftop swimming pool (summer only), from where you get views of the Mount of Olives in the distance. A dining hall provides a daily buffet breakfast of kosher foods. The hotel is not actually on Jaffa Rd, but behind the Mevo Jerusalem Hotel, affording it a quieter location away from the main drag.
Lev Jerusalem (Map pp114-15; x530 0333; www.lev
RAMAT ESHKOL
Eldan Hotel (Map pp114-15; x567 9777; www.eldan
This northern suburb has a couple of good B&Bs. It is connected by bus and convenient if you have your own car. Le Sixteen B&B (Map pp80-1; x532 8008; www .bnb.co.il/le16/index.htm; 16 Midbar Sinai St, Giv’at Hamivtar; s US$35-40, d US$55-60; a) A bougainvillea-
and jasmine-filled garden, free wi-fi and one of the best French breakfasts this side of Paris awaits the traveller in this tried and true B&B. Proprietors Marie-Helene and Ari Danan have set up four guestrooms in their suburban home, located 3km north of the Old City, not far from Ammunition Hill. Bright rooms are tastefully decorated and include a small kitchenette. House 57 B&B (Map pp80-1; x581 9944; www
.house57.co.il; 57 Sinai Desert Rd; s/d US$40/60; a)
House 57 offers a variety of rooms accessed through a private entrance that includes a small kitchen area (used by all guests). There is one studio with its own kitchenette. Breakfast, served in the leafy backyard by owners Ilana and Dan Tamir, includes yogurt, cheese, cornflakes, eggs, seasonal fruit, hummus and tahini. A friendly German shepherd named Mike may join you during meals. SOUTH JERUSALEM
A Little House in Bakah (Map pp80-1; x673 7944;
www.o-niv.com/bakah; 80 Hebron Rd & 1 Yehuda Rd; s/d/ tr US$59/79/89; a) A friendly boutique hotel
with spacious rooms, an excellent café, high ceilings and a retro spin back to the 1920s, this is a good pick in this price range. All rooms have carpeted floors, soft pillows, TV, desk and twin or queen-sized beds. The main drawback is the city fringe location.
yerushalayim.com; 18 King George V St; s/d US$102/128; a) Located in the heart of town, this all-
suite hotel is a good family option, with spacious rooms and easy access to restaurants, shopping and transport. For an added fee you can get a room with a kitchenette. Rates include breakfast. MAMILLA, YEMIN MOSHE & THE GERMAN COLONY
.co.il; 24 HaMelekh David St; s/d, with breakfast US$120/ 130; ai) Although lacking in style, this
spotless business hotel offers convenience and comfort in the midst of a posh neighbourhood. All 76 rooms have TV, radio, safe, phone, mini bar and desk. The lobby has free wi-fi internet access and there is a mobile phone rental service at the front desk. Ask about deals; when we visited they had a stay three nights and the fourth night is free option. Inbal Jerusalem (Map pp120-1; x675 6777; www
.inbal-hotel.co.il; 3 Jabotinsky St, Rehavia; s US$220-260, d US$240-360, ste US$480-1400; ais) The King
David and American Colony may have bigger names, but some VIPs swear by the Inbal Jerusalem. With five-star everything, a beautiful layout and a parkside location, there is little to complain about. Almost Scandinavian in its simplicity, the Inbal offers a quiet charm through its interior design of Jerusalem stone, sharp lighting and the occasional vase of yellow roses. Rooms are likewise smartly decorated and come in various categories depending on view and size. Amenities include a fitness centre, massage treatment, sauna and Jacuzzi. For meals, indulge in the Israeli breakfast and an evening barbecue, put on most nights of the week. o David Citadel (Map pp114-15; x 621
1111; www.thedavidcitadel.com; 7 HaMelekh David St; s/d, with breakfast US$230/270, deluxe s/d US$304/348, alcove deluxe US$347/366, jr ste US$608; ais) As the
nearby King David Hotel becomes a little bit too archaic, this hotel has taken over as the first choice for visiting dignitaries and heads of state. The services are consistently
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five star – with a goose down comforter on your bed, a stack of shiny apples on the dresser and Ahava beauty products in the bathroom, the David Citadel doesn’t miss a beat. Throw in a great location in Mamilla and top-notch amenities like a shopping arcade, a fitness centre and a heated pool, and you’ll have every wish catered for. The hotel also has three restaurants with menus that change nightly. King David Hotel (Map pp114-15; x620 8888;
get free vouchers to use the fitness centre at the Hebrew University). American Colony Hotel (Map p110; x627 9777;
www.amcol.co.il; 23 Nablus Rd, Sheikh Jarah; s US$175-230, d US$230-290, ste US$340-700; ais) More than
1930s, this has been the standard bearer for all other luxury hotels to compete against. The extraordinary lobby is furnished with velvet couches, gold drapery and marbletop tables. The wood panelling, brass fittings and high ceilings add to the European charm. Meals are taken in a grand ballroom down the hall, or out on the back patio that overlooks a lawn and pool. The rooms are well appointed but some of the standard rooms are awfully small (ask for a deluxe).
any other hotel in the city, the American Colony does its best to whisk you back through time to Jerusalem c 1900, with its period architecture, elegant furnishings and colonial air. A walk through the hallowed halls of this grand edifice is a history lesson in itself, with photos and clippings about the hotel and its former guests, the likes of whom include Winston Churchill, Jimmy Carter, Ingrid Bergman, Bob Dylan, John Steinbeck and Mikhail Gorbechov. The rooms themselves are elegant – those who opt for the junior suites are treated to domed ceilings, arched windows, cushions, alcoves and wroughtiron frame beds. Rooms in the newer block lack traditional décor, but are no less luxurious. After a filling meal, repair to the Cellar Bar where you can eavesdrop on conversations between journalists and diplomats.
EAST JERUSALEM
EATING
Ambassador Hotel (Map pp86-7; x541 2222; www
Jerusalem is home to an array of restaurants in all categories – from your basic hole-inthe-wall shwarma joint all the way up to sushi bars and haute cuisine taken in the leafy gardens of a historic home. Befitting Jerusalem’s religious nature, a significant percentage of Jerusalem restaurants are kosher, so when everything shuts down for Shabbat, head to Abu Ghosh (p145).
www.danhotels.com; 23 HaMelekh David St; s US$230-500, d US$300-520; ais) Since its opening in the
.jerusalemambassador.com; Nablus Rd, Sheikh Jarah; s/d/tr US$100/120/130; ai) Perched on a hill over-
looking East Jerusalem, this popular hotel has 120 rooms, all with king-sized beds, a mini bar and satellite TV. Guests rave about the food; the Ambassador has three kitchens serving French, Italian and Middle Eastern cuisines. The main dining hall is modelled along Bedouin lines, complete with red cushions, wall hangings and low tables crowded with sheesha (water pipes). Other amenities include a business centre, gym and wi-fi. The hotel is about 800m past the American Colony Hotel. Olive Tree (Map p110; x541 0411; www.royal-plaza .co.il; 23 St George St, Sheikh Jarah; s/d/ste US$100/140/185; ai) Designed to resemble an old caravan-
serai, with stone archways, enormous woodpanelled doors, mosaics and faux ruins, the Olive Tree has made some attempt to blend in to the neighbourhood. You get great value here too, with service almost on par with the David Citadel, but at half the price. Wellmaintained rooms come with safe, mini bar, coffee maker, slippers, robe and four towels (instead of the usual two). The lobby has free wi-fi. Downsides are the absence of a swimming pool or fitness centre (although you do
Old City Most Old City restaurants stick to kebabs, shwarma and other Middle Eastern fare. But what they lack in diversity is often made up for by quaint atmosphere and great views. Finding a meal after dark can be challenging as the Old City shuts down when the crowds go home. RESTAURANTS
Armenian Tavern (Map pp90-1; x627 3854; 79 Armenian Patriarchate Rd; meat dishes 35-45NIS; h11am10.30pm Tue-Sun) Walk down the steps into this basement restaurant and relax in an oldworld atmosphere, with Armenian pottery hung on stone walls and a gently splashing fountain. The strongly flavoured meat dishes are excellent, including khaghoghi derev, a spiced minced-meat mixture bundled in
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vine leaves. Other specialities include Armenian pizza and soojuk (spicy sausages). Amigo Emil (Map pp90-1; x628 8090; Al Khanqa St, Christian Quarter; dishes 35NIS; h10am-9.30pm) A 400-year-old building and former workshop, Amigo Emil has been chiselled down to the bare stone foundations and decorated with pictures of old Jerusalem. There are some nice appetisers, including a mezze of goat cheese, tabbouleh, aubergine and hummus. A Jerusalem plate (35NIS) gets you all of these. The house speciality is musakhan, a dish of spiced chicken and onions stuffed into Bedouin bread (35NIS), or if you prefer red meat, try the qidreh (lamb with rice and chickpeas). CAFÉS & QUICK EATS
Tzaddik’s New York Deli (Map pp90-1; x627 2148;
2 Tiferet Israel St; meals 25-30NIS; h8am-6pm Sun-Thu, 8am-2pm Fri) It’s not quite Katz’s Deli of East
Village fame, but Tzaddik’s does offer a few good deli treats, including kosher hot dogs, corned beef sandwiches, burgers and Dr Brown sodas. Moses Art Café (Map pp90-1; x628 0975; Omar ibn al-Khattab Sq; h7.30am-11pm) Informal Lebanese place that serves lamb chops, steaks, kebabs, hummus and homemade lemonade. The friendly owner Moses is always up for engaging political debate. Pizzeria Basti (Map pp90-1; x628 4067; 70 Via Dolorosa; h7.30am-9pm) A restaurant has been on this spot for 100 years and the ancient display of photos is a testament to its longevity. The menu offers a choice of 20 kinds of pizza, plus steaks, kebabs and burgers. It’s located opposite the Third Station of the Cross, making it a convenient place to break for lunch as you wander the Old City. Abu Shukri (Map pp90-1; x627 1538; 63 Al-Wad Rd; h7am-6pm) For a good, slap-up hummus platter, head down to this well-known restaurant in the Muslim Quarter. You can find Jews, Christians and Muslims huddled over their hummus, proving that the crushed chickpea can indeed break down religious, ethnic and ideological boundaries. It’s located near the 5th Station of the Cross. Other recommendations: Bonker’s Bagels (Map pp90-1; x627 2590; 2 Tiferet Israel St; h8.30am-9.15pm Sun-Thu, 8am-3.30pm Fri) Sells fresh bagels and cream cheese for around 12NIS. Quarter Café (Map pp90-1; x628 7770; Tiferet Israel St; h9am-7pm Sun-Thu, 9am-3pm Fri) Coffee, cakes and light meals with views of the Western Wall.
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City Centre The City Centre is jam-packed with restaurants and cafés. There are a half-dozen places on Yoel Solomon St that cater to the tourist market but scattered around the area are lots of places frequented by locals. RESTAURANTS
Village Green (Map pp114-15; x625 3065; 33 Jaffa Rd; dishes 21-25NIS; h9am-10pm Sun-Thu, 9am-3pm Fri; v) A vegetarian’s delight, this kosher
restaurant offers homemade dishes made from the freshest ingredients. Choose from vegetable soups, quiches, veggie burgers, pizza, blintzes, savoury pies and lasagne, all served with home-baked bread. It’s all self-service and meals are sold by weight. If you still have room for dessert try one of the freshly baked pies. Little Jerusalem (The Ticho House; Map pp114-15; x624 4186; Ticho House Museum, 9 Harav Kook St; meals 30-60NIS; h 9am-11pm Sun-Thu, 9am-3pm Fri, 9pmmidnight Sat) The peaceful patio overlooking
a grove of pine trees is the perfect place to enjoy a quiet dinner or late Israeli breakfast. For a starter try the delicious onion soup served in a bread bowl (20NIS) and for a main course we recommend the baked salmon with vegetables and potato (72NIS). On Tuesday at 8.30pm, the restaurant hosts a wine and cheese evening (75NIS) with live jazz music. Chamber music aficionados can hear a concert here on Friday at 11am (for an additional fee), while Jewish traditional music is played on Saturday evening. Advance bookings are essential. Ceilo (Map pp114-15; x625 1132; 18 Ben Sira St; dishes 45-80NIS; h1-4pm & 6.30-11.30pm Sat-Thu) Chef and owner Adi grew up on the Italian food made in his mother’s kitchen and has dedicated himself to bringing Jerusalemites pure Italian cuisine. It’s not kosher and for once there are no fusion recipes. What it does offer is great food served in a cosy space painted in various hues of yellow. The palm hearts in cream sauce is a nice starter, while trout in lemon and crêpes is a popular main dish. Adi also has some creatively designed fruit desserts. Cavalier (Map pp114-15; x624 2945; 1 Ben Sira St; dishes 60-90NIS; hnoon-3.30pm & 6.30-11.30pm) Tinkling glasses, wine bottles poking out of the walls and evocative black-and-white photos on cream walls set the mood for this French and Mediterranean restaurant. Among the starters, try the lamb ribs with green beans
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or the moussa (drum fish). The attached high society bar is a classy place to cap your meal with a drink or two. El Gaucho (Map pp114-15; x624 2227; 22 Rivlin St; hnoon-11pm Sun-Thu, noon-5pm Fri) Set inside a stone building, this delicious-smelling steakhouse imports everything from Argentina, including the beef, charcoal and all the decorations. If you starve yourself for a couple of days you could try the house speciality, a 1kg steak (249NIS) or the El Gaucho platter (salchicha, sausage chorizo and three empanadas). If you really can’t handle all this meat, scan the menu for pasta and fish dishes; there are even a few vegetarian options. Focaccio Bar (Map pp114-15; x624 6428; 4 Rabbi Akiva St; h10am-3am) Find a seat on the sunny patio and order a plate of focaccia, baked fresh in the taboun (outdoor oven). A variety of toppings are available and portions are large and reasonably priced; try the Bulgarian cheese and olive spread (29NIS). The menu also includes a nice 350g entrecôte steak, deep-fried calamari and fried mushroom dishes. It’s a hip place and one of the few restaurants to stay open late. Adom (Map pp114-15; x624 6242; 31 Jaffa Rd, Fiengold Courtyard; hnoon-midnight) The name of this French restaurant means ‘red’, which the choice of lighting. It might also indicate the usual beverage selection as the cabernet flows pretty freely. While it’s not mandatory, you could possibly cobble together a rouge-themed dinner, starting with beef carpaccio, shrimp and crab in cream sauce and raspberry sorbet. It’s hidden off Rivlin St in the Fiengold Courtyard. Barud (Map pp114-15; x625 9081; 31 Jaffa Rd, Feingold Courtyard; h12.30-1am) ‘Barud!’ is a word that Israelis call out when an explosion is to be denoted, kind of like ‘Timber!’ Middle East– style. The name belies the dazzling Sephardic cooking. Meatballs with eggplant is a speciality, as well as pastalikos, a pastry with pine nuts, minced meat and onion. The unique décor was created by owner Daniella Lerer, who has tacked up her extensive collection of corkscrews and other paraphernalia on the wall. Daniella is also very proud of her fruit-based moonshine, which is surprisingly good. Live jazz is played here most nights. Sakura (Map pp114-15; x623 5464; 31 Jaffa Rd, Feingold Courtyard; h noon-12.30am) Chef Tzairi learned the art of sushi in Japan and brought his skills back to Jerusalem, setting
up shop in this three-room nook between Jaffa Rd and Rivlin St. It’s a pioneer among Asian restaurants in Israel and still considered among the best. There are discounts after 10.30pm – you can get a half-platter of sushi with sake for 26NIS. The udon noodles and tempura are also both excellent. Darna (Map pp114-15; x624 5406; 3 Horkanos St; dishes 80-150NIS; hnoon-3.30pm & 6-10pm Sun-Thu, 8am-10pm Fri) A narrow passageway off leafy
Horkanos St leads into this charming slice of Casablanca, where patrons nestle inside small alcoves decorated with imported Moroccan furnishings, tiles and artwork. There is a warm atmosphere here (darna darcom means, ‘My home is your home’) and the service is impeccable. Among excellent menu options is the pastilla fassia (50NIS), a flaky pastry stuffed with Cornish hen, almonds and cinnamon. If you’ve come with a friend, try as a main course the mechoui (310NIS), a marinated lamb shoulder roasted on a spit. Reservations are required. CAFÉS
T’mol (Map pp114-15; x623 2758; 5 Yoel Salomon St; h8.30am-midnight Sun-Thu, except Shabbat) This bo-
hemian café has its own literary subculture and popular following. Regulars here tend to be poets, writers and journalists who come not only for the excellent soups and sandwiches but also to swap stories and listen to impromptu acoustic concerts. If you get bored staring at your food you can pluck a book off a shelf. This is also a good place ask the staff about cultural events in town. Coffee Bean (Map pp114-15; 32 Jaffa Rd; h7ammidnight) Convenient chain coffee shop. Popular with laptop users who enjoy free wi-fi. Café Hillel (Map pp114-15; x624 7775; 8 Hillel St; h8am-midnight Sun-Thu, except Shabbat) An old Jerusalem stand-by, serving enormous salads, frothy cups of coffee, snacks and sandwiches. It has several locations, although this is the original and still the favourite. QUICK EATS
Babette (Map pp114-15; 16 Shamai St; waffles 8-17NIS; hnoon-2.30am Sun-Thu, 11am-4pm Fri, 8pm-2.30am Sat)
Waffles and coffee are the specialities of this popular student hangout, which is just big enough to fit half a dozen standing patrons. New Deli (Map pp114-15; x1 700 700 788; 33 Hillel
St; sandwiches 21-32NIS; hnoon-3am except Shabbat)
Convenient and reasonably priced, New
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Deli serves up hot sandwiches and refreshing salads that are great if you are on the go. They also deliver. Pinati (Map pp114-15; x625 4540; 13 King George V St; h9am-7pm Sun-Thu, 9am-4pm Fri) The old photos of loyal customers that cover the walls are a testament to the longevity of this popular hummus joint. Even today it’s something of a magnet for customers young and old, and almost impossible to get inside during the lunchtime rush. Hamarakia (Map pp114-15; x625 7797; 4 Koresh St; soups 24NIS; h7pm-1am) The furniture doesn’t match, the dreadlocked patrons linger for hours at a time and there is crap lying all over the place – if this is stirring visions of your university apartment then you’ll probably have some idea of what it’s like to spend an evening at Hamarakia. The name of the place (Soup Pot) pretty much sums up the menu – you have your choice of about five different soups. There is seating inside or out in the backyard. Live music (jazz jams and acoustic grunge) is sometimes played here.
Mamilla, Yemin Moshe & The German Colony The high-rent district of Mamilla is home to a handful of posh restaurants. Jerusalem’s ‘restaurant row’ is in the German Colony along Emek Refa’im St. It’s fun to just head down here and stroll the street until something catches your fancy. RESTAURANTS
1868 (Map pp114-15; x 622 2312; 10 HaMelekh David St; hnoon-midnight) This French-Italian gourmet restaurant is housed in one of the oldest buildings in West Jerusalem, built (obviously) in 1868. Despite its age, owner Guy Ben-Simon has worked painstakingly to renovate the interior without losing the classic Jerusalem look and feel. There is an extensive wine collection and starters are little works of art – try the braised endive, flavoured with vinegar, walnuts and croutons. As a meat kosher restaurant, beef, lamb and fish dominate the main-course options. If money is no object, order the nine-course tasting menu (US$100), which has the chef personally visiting your table to manage the whole affair. Classical and jazz music concerts are sometimes held here, but you’ll need to call ahead to ask about times.
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Coolinary (Map pp120-1; x566 2671; 31 Emek Refa’im St; dishes 50-90NIS; h11.30am-midnight) The
latest addition to Jerusalem’s restaurant row, Coolinary is a gourmet’s delight with one of the best names in town. The three energetic Jerusalemites who opened the place went with a romantic, Spanish-influenced interior of dark wood and candles. One whole wall is taken up with wine bottles that are reached with a sliding library ladder; the wine list is five pages long so ask your server to assist in choosing one. Ingredients and recipes from around the globe contribute to the menu – you have a choice of roast beef in a tortilla, stir-frys, ravioli or a 350g steak marinated in vodka. Goose liver in wild berry sauce is a house speciality. Desserts are also excellent – fried ice cream in caramel sauce: need we say more? YMCA Three Arches (Map pp114-15; x569 2692; 26 HaMelekh David St; mains 35-85NIS; h10am-11pm) The Y’s high-quality, non-kosher kitchen serves up excellent Mediterranean dishes including smoked salmon, fried avocado, aubergine gratin, mixed seafood, grilled chicken and sautéed garlic shrimp, all served in a leafy courtyard amid fountains and flowers. The Sunday brunch is highly recommended.
Aza Road Fast becoming a popular hangout for hipsters, students and artists, unassuming Aza Rd has seen a recent proliferation of cheap eateries, trendy cafés and delectable dessert shops. Sigmund (Map pp120-1; x563 9212; 29 Gaza (Aza) Rd; hnoon-midnight except Shabbat) At the corner of Ha’Ari and Aza Sts, this Freudian kiosk doles out coffee and tasty crêpes (20–30NIS) to throngs of students and intellectual-types. The décor is worth checking out if you are anywhere nearby. Restobar (Map pp120-1; x566 5126; 1 Ben Maimon Ave; mains 25-50NIS; h8am-2am except Shabbat)
Not quite sure if they had just created a restaurant or a bar, the owners adopted an apropos name. Restobar consists of an oval bar with six beers on tap. You can occasionally hear live jazz and blues and a DJ spins records on Thursdays. Towards the back is the restaurant section, which resembles a living room, complete with fireplace and bookshelves. The menu is mainly salads, omelette breakfasts and meat-based lunches.
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East Jerusalem East Jerusalem restaurants come in two varieties; the first is the sort of restaurant built under Jordanian rule and still stuck in that age, and the second is a high-end place that targets tourists and the expats who live and work in the area. RESTAURANTS
Flavors (Map p110; x627 4626; 42 Salah ad-Din St; h9am-8pm) A breath of fresh air in East Je-
rusalem, Flavors is an affordable deli-café run by the affable Najati Tahhan. It’s a very clean place and there’s a little nook upstairs for more privacy. You can watch BBC on the TV overhead, tap away at your laptop (they have wi-fi) or just mingle with the local regulars. A half-dozen sandwiches are available, plus pepper steak and a nice chicken teriyaki platter. Askadinya (Map pp86-7; x532 4590; 11 Shimon Hazadik St; hnoon-midnight) Recognising that all the restaurants of East Jerusalem served Asian fare, Munther Khouri, the original owner of Askadinya, elected to give local residents a change of pace, opening an Italian restaurant inside this elegant 120-year-old home. Soft lighting permeates throughout the three rooms, bouncing off arched ceilings and stone walls decorated with black-and-white photos of old Jerusalem. The house speciality is the Askadinya platter (57NIS), an appetiser for two with seafood, roca cheese and vegetables. You can wash your meal down with a wine from South Africa, Spain or Italy. Jerusalem Hotel (Map p110; x628 3282; 4 Antara Shahad St; hnoon-11pm) The Jerusalem Hotel has a fine attached restaurant in an open courtyard, pleasantly set under grape trestles and cooled by fans. The grill menu features yalla yalla chicken (56NIS), a house special of chicken stuffed with mushrooms and vegetables. Arabic music and dancing is organised here on Fridays (call to make a reservation) and a Lebanese buffet (US$16) is spread out on Saturday nights. Arabesque (Map p110; x627 9777; 23 Nablus Rd; h9am-10pm) Located inside the prestigious American Colony Hotel, the Arabesque attracts both hotel guests and tourists looking for a quality dining experience. The room is decorated with Oriental rugs and antique furnishings that reflect a subdued atmosphere. The menu is meat-based, with tempting lamb chops and steaks. Don’t
miss the Saturday buffet, a seafood and meat bonanza, with enticing delicacies such as ostrich soup, steamed mussels, Bedouin chicken and Lebanese desserts. CAFÉS
El Dorado Café (Map p110; x532 4590; 19 Salah ad-Din St; h9am-8pm) This locally popular café and sweets shop serves excellent lattes, espressos and milkshakes, plus candy imported from Syria. The brothers that run the shop, Ahed and Amro, can give the lowdown on East Jerusalem, providing tips on the newest restaurants and points of interest.
Ein Kerem Bistro (Map pp80-1; x643 0865; Ein Kerem; h10ammidnight Sat-Thu, 9am-noon Fri) This family-run restaurant is popular with locals and visitors alike. They serve food all day but it’s at its best in the morning when you can try a set breakfast that includes an omelette, freshly baked bread, five types of dip and juice (46NIS). Lunch and dinner is a fusion of French and Italian dishes with a soupçon of Sephardic (try the excellent kuba soup). It’s located in the centre of the village at the main intersection.
DRINKING Jerusalem’s City Centre is well set up for pub crawling, with a number of bars clustered in close proximity, especially on Rivlin and Yoel Solomon Sts. They tend to be crowded with American teenagers on summer study breaks, but there are a few local places among them. East Jerusalem bars tend to be inside hotels, while the Old City is as dry as the Negev.
City Centre Gong (Map pp114-15; x625 0818; 33 Jaffa Rd; h7pm2am) Stunning Japanese-influenced place with black lacquered furniture, blood-red lighting and blaring hip-hop sounds. It’s mostly a bar but they also serve excellent appetisers like sushi and chicken wings, as well as main dishes: try the excellent stuffed beef with shitaki mushrooms. Yankee’s Bar (Map pp114-15; x625 6488; 12 Yoel Solomon St; h4pm-9.30am) This beer bar puts on a variety of events: Monday is all-you-candrink beer night (49NIS), jam sessions are held on Wednesday, outdoor concerts are held on Saturday and a DJ is in-house on
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Sunday. It’s down a narrow alley off Yoel Solomon St. Sol (Map pp114-15; x624 6938; 15 Shlomzion HaMalka St; h7pm-late) Sol is a Manhattan-style bar masquerading as a tapas restaurant (or vice versa). Try veggie, cheese, calamari or shrimp tapas at reasonable prices. There is always a vibrant atmosphere, but it’s best on Monday when you can hear live jazz. Open (Map pp114-15; x622 2622; 17 Shlomzion HaMalka St; h5pm-late) This place has uber-cool interior décor, complete with fish swimming in the walls and a moody bar that changes colours like a chameleon. It attracts a 20s and 30s singles crowd and has either a DJ or live music most nights. They also have a kitchen serving up excellent meat and seafood dishes. Uganda (Map pp114-15; x623 6087; 4 Aristobulos St; hnoon-3am Sun-Thu, noon-5pm & 9pm-3am Fri, 8pm3am Sat) Comic-book junkies, caffeine junkies
and plain old junkies mix and mingle in the cramped confines of Uganda, a mixed-use bar-café-shop off Jaffa Rd. Dedicated to everything that is alternative, it’s named after the alternative nation offered by the British to Herzl. The walls are lined with old comic books (all for sale) while a surly bartender stands by waiting to take your order (juice, coffee, tea, wine, beer, or something harder perhaps?). Comfy chairs, a relaxed vibe and good music go down well with the locals. Other options: Bolinat (Map pp114-15; x624 9733; 6 Dorot Rishonim St; h9am-3am Sun-Fri, 11am-3am Sat) In the late afternoon the patio in front of Bolinat is jam-packed with young Jerusalemites sunning themselves and downing pints of beer. Meals are also served. Bonita (Map pp114-15; x054 591 6678; 16 Rivlin St; h8.30pm-6am Sat-Thu) Latin-inspired salsoteca with meringue, salsa and cumbia. Salsa and tango lessons available. Geyser (Map pp114-15; x624 9733; 16 Rivlin St; h8am-2am Sun-Thu, 11am-5am Fri, 7pm-3am Sat) On Friday afternoons this friendly bar hosts a DJ spinning reggae records. Zolli’s (Map pp114-15; x054 812 4200; 5 Rivlin St; h4.30pm-late) Popular sports bar offering 12 types of draft beer, 15 flavours of tobacco for the nargileh and 50 types of whiskey.
East Jerusalem Cellar Bar (Map p110; x627 9777; 23 Nablus Rd; hnoon1am) Tucked inside the historic American Colony Hotel, this vaulted basement bar is an intimate nook dating to the late 19th century.
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It’s popular with journalists taking a break from covering one war or another. Borderline (Map pp86-7; x532 4590; 13 Shimon Hazadik St; h6pm-2am) The name of this place comes from its location close to the former Green Line that divided Israel from Jordan prior to 1967. It’s not so tense these days, with a pleasant garden and rustic indoor bar of Jerusalem stone. The clientele is a pleasant mix of Palestinian businessmen and foreign aid workers based in the neighbourhood.
ENTERTAINMENT Nightclubs
Haoman 17 (Map pp80-1; x678 1658; 17 Haoman St, Talpiot; cover charge 50-80NIS; h11pm-late Thu & Fri) With its warehouse location, booming sound system and great lighting, Haoman 17 is one of the ultimate clubbing venues. International DJs often spin records here. When you get down to Haoman St, it’s opposite the Anjril Grill, under the Philips sign. Yellow Submarine (Map pp80-1; x570 4646; www .yellowsubmarine.co.il; 13 HaRechavim St, Talpiot; h11pmlate Thu & Fri) Usually a venue for live music, the
Yellow Submarine also hosts DJs and dance parties. It’s best to call first to see what is on as you may need to order tickets for some shows.
Dance Parties International Cultural Centre for Youth (ICCY; Map pp120-1; x566 4144; 12 Emek Refa’im St) The ICCY building hosts folk dancing on Tuesdays (25NIS) from 6pm to midnight. It’s not a performance; its local families coming to dance and you can join in. Thursday is an all-ages boogie dance party, where the DJ spins everything from ‘Superfly’ to the theme from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. Participants form conga lines, tangos, the hora and any other possible dance formation. While it sounds a little bizarre, its actually good fun and one cultural event not to be missed. There are dances most other nights of the week but you might want to call ahead to ask the guy who organises the dances what’s on (x052 860 8084).
Cinemas Cinematheque (Map pp120-1; x606 0800; 11 Hebron Rd) The newly renovated Cinematheque features quality foreign films and classics. This is also the home of the respectable Jerusalem Film Festival.
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HaOzen HaShlishit (The Third Ear; Map pp120-1; x563 3093; 8 Emek Refa’im St) A hangout for
the German Colony alternative crowd, ‘the Ozen’ is located off a leafy courtyard in an underground room. It rents DVDs and has a small theatre. Gil (Map pp80-1; x 678 8448; Jerusalem Mall) Screens Hollywood flicks.
Theatre & Classical Music Jerusalem has a rich tradition of theatre and music. You can check what’s on by reading the Friday edition of the Jerusalem Post, the Time Out Jerusalem (available at most upscale hotels) or the monthly tourist bulletin published by the Ministry of Tourism. You can book advance tickets through Kla’im (Map pp114-15; x622 2333; 12 Shamai St). Classical performances are sometimes held at the YMCA (Map pp114-15; x569 2692; 26 HaMelekh David St) and at Beit Shmuel (Map pp114-15; x620 3435; www.beitshmuel.com; 6 Shema St), part of Hebrew Union College (Saturday morning). The Jerusalem Centre for the Performing Arts (Map pp120-1; x 561 7167; www.jerusalem-theatre .co.il; 20 David Marcus St) includes a concert hall,
theatres and a café. Its Sherover Theatre (admission 170NIS) has simultaneous English-
language translation headsets available for certain performances. Comedy, music and dance performances are held here and it’s home to the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. Free concerts are held here on Monday at 5pm from October to June. Khan Theatre (Map pp120-1; x671 8281; www
.khan.co.il; 2 David Remez Sq; adult/student 150/120NIS)
sometimes stages some English-language performances. Binyanei Ha’Umah Conference Centre (Map pp86-7; x622 2481) is the residence of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Al-Masrah Centre for Palestine Culture & Art and Al-Kasaba Theatre (Map p110; x628 0957; www.pnt-pal.org; Al-Masrah Centre; Abu Obeida St), off Salah ad-Din St in East Jerusalem, stage plays, musicals, operettas and folk dancing in Arabic, often with an English synopsis.
Live Music Mike’s Place (Map pp114-15; x052 267 0965; 37 Jaffa Rd; h4pm-5am) Nightly live music, pool tables
and a 4pm to 9pm happy hour make this one of the most popular nightspots in town. Dublin (Map pp114-15; x622 3612; 4 Shamai St; h5pm-3am) Live English and Hebrew music
on Monday and live Irish music Tuesday. It’s best to call ahead to reserve a table on these nights. Dublin serves Guinness on tap (half-pint 24NIS) and has some hearty pub grub, including fish and chips, wraps and empanadas. Lab (Map pp120-1; x673 4116; adult/student 65/ 40NIS; 28 Hebron Rd; h10pm-3am Mon-Sat) Crafted out of a disused railway warehouse, this innovative bar and theatre hosts young artists, musicians and dancers mainly interested in alternative and experimental arts, hence the name. Call ahead for upcoming events. Pargod Theatre (Map pp86-7; x625 8819; 94 Bezalel St) A good place to hear jazz; jam sessions take place every Friday from 2.30pm to 5.30pm. Daila (Map pp114-15; x624 5560; 4 Shlomzion HaMalka St; h4pm-midnight) Activist centre that hosts live-music performances most nights. Some performances are free, others cost a 20NIS entry fee.
Sport The 20,000-seat Teddy Kollek Stadium is home to Beitar Jerusalem (www.beitar-jerusalem .org in Hebrew) and Ha’poel Jerusalem football clubs. Beitar is known for having the most dedicated fans in the country, prone to burning things down when a match does not go their way (or even when it does go their way). Ha’poel matches are rather more laid-back. You can buy tickets on the day of the game and the stadium is close to the Jerusalem Mall; take bus No 31 from King George V St or bus No 6 from the central bus station.
SHOPPING
Camping Gear Lametayel (Map pp114-15; x623 3338; 5 Yoel Solomon St) Sells quality camping supplies, outdoor gear, maps and travel guidebooks.
Crafts & Souvenirs A crafts fair is held every Friday at midday at the International Cultural Centre for Youth (see opposite) in the German Colony. It’s a good place to pick up highquality artwork directly from the artists who produce them. David St in the Old City (Map pp90–1) is a great place to shop for t-shirts, nargileh, chess boards, handicrafts and all manner of tat. It’s not a good place to shop for Judaica
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JERUSALEM, SHABBAT & YOU An hour before sunset you can hear the drone of a horn bellowing over the Jerusalem hills. This signifies the start of Shabbat and with it comes a pronounced spiritual vibe that permeates the streets. All across the city you can see Jerusalemites dressed in their Shabbat best, drawn to the Western Wall or carrying backpacks full of food as they head to the home of a friend or relative for the customary Friday-night dinner. Put on the best clothes you’ve got and follow the crowds down to the Western Wall to marvel at the singing, dancing and prayer that ignites this magical place. Try to make arrangements beforehand to join a Shabbat dinner with a local family. If you don’t know anyone, the Tourist Office near Jaffa Gate or the Jewish Student Information Centre (see p88) might be able to set you up with a host family for the night. Later in the evening, much to the chagrin of religious Jews, the downtown bars will be open for business. While the City Centre and the Jewish Quarter of the Old City are closed on Saturday, this is just another day for Jerusalem’s Arab population, and most of the sights are open in the Old City, Mt Zion, the Mount of Olives and East Jerusalem. You could also join a free three-hour walking tour (x531 4600), departing every Saturday at 10am from Safra Sq. While the Egged buses are off the road, the Arab bus network and service taxis are still operating from the Damascus Gate area, and Shabbat is as good a time as any to head for Bethlehem or Jericho. It’s also possible to reach Hebron, Ramallah or Nablus, but check the security situation before you go. You might also try beating Shabbat by taking a bus down to the Dead Sea on Friday before the shutdown and staying somewhere overnight like Ein Gedi or Masada – the parks and reserves are all open seven days a week. You can return later in the day when the buses start running again. Even better, sign up for the all-inclusive trip to Masada–Ein Gedi–Qumran–Jericho offered by many of the Old City hostels. These depart at either 3am or 7am Saturday morning, depending on availability. You could always elect for a day trip to Tel Aviv, where there’s the beach and usually a fair number of eating places and watering holes open to satisfy the cravings of the non-observant. Sheruts (service taxis) still run on Shabbat and they depart from near Zion Sq.
as most items are poorly made knock-offs. Keep the mantra ‘buyer beware’ embedded in your head. In the City Centre, there are plenty of souvenir shops on Ben Yehuda St (Map pp114– 15). If you are looking for a good kippa (yarmulke), or want one specially made, try Kippa Man (Map pp114-15; x622 1255; 37 Jaffa Rd).
Armenian Pottery Arman Darian (Map pp114-15; x 054 470 2582; www.darianart.com; 12 Shlomzion HaMalka St) Perhaps the most well-known ceramicist in Israel, Arman has installed his Armenian ceramic designs in many public buildings, including one floor of the Empire State Building. Armenian Ceramics (Map p110; x628 2826; www .armenianceramics.com; 14 Nablus Rd) This studio and shop has been in business since 1922. Tiles are hand-painted and you can have items designed to your taste. It’s opposite the US consulate in East Jerusalem.
Judaica & Fine Art Jerusalem is the best place in the country to shop for Judaica. In the Old City, browse the shops in the Cardo (Map pp90-1), which has some reliable outlets. There is an Arts & Crafts Lane (Hebrew: Hutzot Hayotzer) just outside and downhill from Jaffa Gate. The products here are mainly Judaica and of excellent quality. It’s open daily except Shabbat. Some of the best Judaica and fine art shops are right along Yoel Solomon St in the City Centre. Examples include the following. Altogether 8 (Map pp114-15; x624 7250; 11 Yoel
Solomon St) A cooperative of ceramicists who come from all over Israel. Daniel Azoulay (Map pp114-15; x992 4202; 5 Yoel Solomon St) Creates hand-painted porcelain and beautiful ketubas (Jewish wedding contracts). Gabrieli (Map pp114-15; x623 3938; www.gabrilirubin .co.il; 6 Yoel Solomon St) Prayer shawls or other hand-woven products.
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Green Vurcel (Map pp114-15; x622 1620; www.green vurcel.co.il; 27 Yoel Solomon St) Deals with beautiful silver Judaica, including candlesticks, Seder plates and menorahs.
Antiques Aweidah Gallery (Map pp90-1; x628 4417; www .aweidah-gallery.com; 4 Via Dolorosa) looks like a museum but is actually a gallery that sells bona fide artefacts that date back hundreds, if not thousands of years. It’s all legal and you get a certificate that allows you to take it out of the country.
Photography Agfa Photo Shwartz (Map pp114-15; x625 1405; 11 Mordechai Ben Hillel St, Allenby) Sells photo equipment; as a free service they will charge the battery for your digital camera if you’ve lost the charger.
Shopping Malls & Streets The Jerusalem Mall (Malcha; Map pp80-1; x679
1333; h9.30am-10pm Sun-Thu, 9am-3pm Fri, dusk-11pm Sat) contains a supermarket, movie theatre,
fast-food joints and retail outlets. It is attractively designed with arched skylights, but it’s a bit far out of town to be of much use to the casual traveller. Ben Yehuda St (Map pp114–15) is Jerusalem’s tourist-friendly pedestrian boulevard, crammed with souvenir shops and cafés. Emek Refa’im St (Map pp120–1) in the German Colony is another pleasant shopping area, specialising in Judaica and jewellery. King George V St (Map pp114–15) has a number of clothing and fashion shops.
GETTING THERE & AWAY Air
Jerusalem’s Atarot Airport (Map p144) is used mainly by international charter flights. When demand is high, domestic carriers Arkia and Israir will connect Jerusalem with Eilat and Haifa.
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one hour, every 15 minutes); to Haifa (No 940 or 947, 39NIS, 2½ hours, every 15 minutes); Tiberias (No 962, 42NIS, 2½ hours, hourly); and Be’er Sheva (No 446 or 470, 32NIS, 90 minutes, twice hourly); and to Eilat (No 444, 65NIS, 4½ hours, six daily). For day trips to the Dead Sea, including Ein Gedi (No 421, 444 or 486, 32NIS, two hours, five daily) or Masada (No 444 or 486, 39NIS, 2½hours, five daily), be sure to leave on the first service of the day (8.45am) or you’ll be pressed to get back the same day. There is also service to Rachel’s Tomb (No 163, 3.80NIS, 25 minutes, every two hours) near Bethlehem. For destinations in the southern portion of the West Bank such as Bethlehem (3NIS) and Hebron (10NIS), use the Arab bus station in East Jerusalem, located on Sultan Suleyman St. If you are headed into northern areas of the West Bank such as Ramallah (5NIS), use the old Arab bus station on Nablus Rd, opposite the Jerusalem Hotel. If there are no direct buses to Nablus you can take a bus to the Qalandia checkpoint and change. At the time of writing there were no buses from Jerusalem to Jericho, although you can get a bus to Abu Dis, past the Mount of Olives. For information on buses to Egypt, see p403.
Car Note, most Jerusalem-based rental-car agencies forbid you to take their cars into the Palestinian Territories; check the agency’s policy. Avis (Map pp114–15; x624 9001; 22 HaMelekh David St) Budget (Map pp114–15; x624 8991; 23 HaMelekh
David St) Eldan (Map pp114–15; x625 2151; 24 HaMelekh David St) Green Peace (x582 2179; www.greenpeace.co.il; Shu’fat, East Jerusalem) Will deliver the car to you wherever you are in Jerusalem. Hertz (Map pp114–15; x623 1351; 19 HaMelekh David St)
AIRLINE OFFICES
Arkia (Map pp86–7; x621 8444; fax 623 5758; 4th fl,
Klal Bldg/Arkia, 42 Agrippas St) El Al (Map pp114-15; x977 1111; fax 677 0255; 12 Hillel St)
Bus From the sparkling Egged central bus station (Map pp86-7; x694 8888; Jaffa Rd), buses connect
to all major cities and towns around Israel. Buses travel to Tel Aviv (No 405, 17.70NIS,
Sherut (Service Taxi) Sheruts (service taxis; also called shared taxis) are much faster than buses, depart more frequently and cost only a few shekels more; they’re also the only way to travel during Shabbat. Service taxis for Tel Aviv (20NIS per person on weekdays, 30NIS on Friday and Saturday) depart from the corner of Harav Kook St and Jaffa Rd.
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Service taxis for all destinations on the West Bank and Gaza depart from the ranks opposite Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem.
believe unscrupulous taxi drivers who tell you its no longer running.
Train
The hills of Jerusalem make biking a little tough going, but if you need a bike try Rochvim Bikes (Map pp86-7; x623 2598; 88 Agrippas St) which rents bikes for 35NIS per day. The store, on the corner of Mani St, is a unique collaboration between local Palestinian and Jewish biking enthusiasts.
Jerusalem’s new railway station (Map pp80-1; x577 4000) is located in the southwest of the city, near the Jerusalem Mall. Trains to Tel Aviv’s Arlosoroff station (adult/child 19/17NIS) depart hourly between 6.10am and 9.10pm Sunday to Thursday. The last train on Friday is at 3pm. A combo train/ bus ticket saves a few shekels. The station is reached on bus No 6 from Jaffa Rd or the central bus station. Ring x*5770 (note the asterisk on your phone) for more details.
GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airport Ben-Gurion airport is 51km west of Jerusalem, on the road to Tel Aviv. Bus No 947 departs from the central bus station for Ben-Gurion airport (20NIS, 40 minutes; twice hourly) hourly from 6.30am to 8.30pm Sunday to Thursday, 6am to 4.30pm Friday, and 8.20pm to 10pm Saturday. A shuttle bus from the arrivals hall travels to the Airport City Commercial Complex, where you catch the bus to the Jerusalem. Alternatively, Nesher service taxis (Map pp11415; x625 3233, 1 599 500 205) picks up booked passengers from their accommodation 24 hours a day (45NIS). The service also travels from the airport to Jerusalem – don’t
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Bicycle
Bus Jerusalem is laced with a very good network of city bus routes (5.50NIS per ride). If you need to transfer ask for a ticket Ma’avar (6.40NIS). A pass for 10 rides costs 44NIS while a one-month pass is 216NIS. Pick up a colour-coded route map (in Hebrew) from the Jaffa Gate tourist office. Or for the latest route information, call x*2800.
Taxi Plan on spending 20NIS to 25NIS for trips anywhere within the central area of town. Always ask to use the meter. To order a taxi, call Hapalmach taxi (x679 2333)
AROUND JERUSALEM There are a number of sites near Jerusalem that you can visit on a half-day or full-day trip. With a day off most travellers head 0 0
5 km 3 miles
To Ben-Gurion 3 To Ramallah (3km); Mini Giv'at Ze'ev WEST Atarot Airport (21km); Nablus (56km) Israel BANK Beit Ea'nan Jerusalem Tel Aviv (31km) Latrun Armored Airport 437 Canada Park 443 457 Latrun Corps Museum Bidu Interchange Harei Yehuda Latrun National Park Monastery Mt Shmuel King David Shoresh Neve Stables Junction Shalom Shu'fat Abu Sha'ar Hagai Mevaseret Zion To Jericho (30km); Ghosh Interchange Dead Sea (42km); 1 Ya ar 44 Moshav Eilat (302km) HaNassi Beit Sataf Shoresh Meir Junction JERUSALEM Ramat Mount Shimshon Kastel 1 Hadassah Eshta'ol Ein Hemed Tel Zor'a Razi'el Junction of Olives Reserve Medical Reserve 395 Abu Sataf Centre Kibbutz Dis Mt Tayasim Even Sapir Mony Wines Tzora Ma'ale Ein Kerem Adumim Bethany (Jewish Beit-Shemesh Nahal Sorek Ora Kennedy Reserve settlement) Sorek Caves Memorial Tel Beit Biblical Shemesh Nahal Dolev Zoo 398 Reserve Mt Giyora 3855 38 60 Teomim Gilo (Jewish Cave settlement) Bethlehem Tel Yarmut Beit 375 Jala Ha'Ella To Beit Guvrin Shepherds' Beit Sahour Valley National Park (8km); WEST Field Solomon's Tel Maresha (8km); Pools Ella Valley To Hebron J u d e a n D esert BANK Kiryat Gat (16km); Mt Sansan Vineyards (23km) Artas ( B e t h l e h e m W i l d e r n e s s ) Ashkelon (36km)
Around Jerusalem
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for the Dead Sea (see p311) or Bethlehem (p290), but there are also lesser-known sights worth your time. The highlights include the Sorek Stalagmite Cave and the bell caves at Beit Guvrin, and a winery or two between them.
ABU GHOSH x02 / pop 5500
اﺑﻮ ﻏﻮش
אבו גוש
Shaded by trees and lorded over by a grand old church, the picturesque town of Abu Ghosh (13km from Jerusalem and off the main highway to Tel Aviv) makes for a pleasant half-day trip from Jerusalem. It’s known in the Bible as Kiriath-Jearim (Town of Forests), where the Ark of the Covenant was said to have been located for 20 years until David moved it to Jerusalem (I Chronicles 13:5-8). Nowadays it’s equally known as the hummus capital of Israel. There are two interesting churches here. The first, Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant (Notre Dame de l’Arche; admission free; h8-11.30am & 3.30-6pm), was built in 1924 and is a local landmark, with its statue of St Mary carrying the baby Jesus. It belongs to the French Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition, and they believe that it stands on the site of Abinadab’s house where the Ark was kept (I Samuel 7:1). The
church is built on the same site as a larger Byzantine church, and you can see its mosaic floor inside and out. The church is located at from the top of the hill overlooking the village and facing Jerusalem. The Crusader Church and Monastery (admission free; h8.30-11am & 2.30-5.30pm) is one of the country’s best-preserved and most attractive Crusader remains. It was built about 1142 and destroyed in 1187. It is believed that the monastery stands on the remains of a Roman castle. A stone from it is displayed in the church and bears an inscription of the 10th Legion, a renowned Roman unit stationed in Jerusalem in the 1st century. The complex is next door to the mosque, so look for the minaret in the valley.
Eating Abu Shukhri (x533-4963; h8am-8pm) The original Abu Shukhri is on the left as you walk into the village. Here you can indulge in what is said to be the best hummus in Israel (not the first time you’ll hear this claim). The place across the street hijacked the name but if you ask, both claim to be the original. Caravan (x534 2744; h8am-8pm) A step up from the hummus joints of Abu Ghosh, Caravan offers a choice of tasty meats or
THE LOTTERY TICKET THAT SAVED ABU GHOSH After living the first 21 years of his life in Abu Ghosh, young Jawdat Ibrahim looked around him and realised his prospects for work, for a future, were dim at best. So like many others his age Jawdat packed his bags and set off for America in 1990. While his fellow immigrants laboured for minimum wage, Jawdat achieved the American Dream with a stroke of luck – winning the Illinois state lottery and returning home US$22 million richer. Jawdat saw his windfall as a chance to make something happen in Abu Ghosh, until then a rather impoverished village lacking infrastructure or jobs. Dropping his own cash into a community development project, he paved the streets and helped entrepreneurs to set up shops and restaurants. Seeking out a niche market, the ‘new Abu Ghosh’ billed itself as the hummus capital of Israel and people from all over the country flocked here to sample the restaurants. Besides helping the local economy, Jawdat is also a well-known peace advocate and has done much to support reconciliation between Arabs and Jews. Abu Ghosh is one of the few places in Israel where you can see Arabs and Jews socialising, living and working together, usually talking animatedly over bowlfuls of hummus. Jawdat has created a scholarship fund for both Arabs and Jews, he has hosted forums of discussion between the two parties and his restaurant is still a popular place for Jewish and Arab politicians to meet for lunch. In 2002, during the height of the second intifada, he saw football as a way of bringing Arabs and Jews together. He bought a big-screen TV and took out ads in the Jewish and Arab press, inviting everyone to come to his restaurants to watch the World Cup. Even if hummus and football can’t bring peace to the Middle East, Jawdat Ibrahim has proven that this combination can make the future of Abu Ghosh just a little bit brighter. And US$22 million doesn’t hurt either.
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kebabs stuffed in vine leaves. Desserts are also good and you can’t beat the views across the valley towards Jerusalem. It’s located halfway between the two churches.
SOREK CAVES ﻣﻐﺎرة ﺳﻮرﻳﻖ
מערות שורק
One of Israel’s most spectacular natural wonders, the Sorek Caves (x02-991 1117; admission 23NIS; h8am-5pm Sat-Thu, 8am-3pm Fri) were only found by accident in 1967 when a local quarry crew blasted away some rock to reveal this underground cavern. Also known as Avshalom (Absalom’s) caves, they contain stalactites, stalagmites and rock pillars in every form and shape. Some have been given creative names, including Ayatollah Khomeini, sombrero and Moses. Tours are held throughout the day (except Friday) and a short film describes the how the caves were formed. Because of the fragile nature of the caves, photography is only allowed one day per week (Friday). The caves are located some 20km west of Jerusalem along the road from Ein Kerem.
LATRUN
اﻟﻠﻄﺮون
לטרון
x08
Most travellers blow right by Latrun on their way between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In the past this area, located at the foot of the Judean Hills, had not been so easy to cross. A battlefield for millennia, Latrun has been witness to the armies of just about everyone from the Maccabees to the IDF. The side of the highway is still littered with the shells of old army trucks left over since the war in 1948. While still relatively unknown, Latrun offers a few unusual sights, including a tank museum, a theme park and a Trappist monastery.
Latrun Armored Corps Museum With its history of warfare, it’s not surprising to learn that the Latrun Armored Corps Museum (x925-5268; adult/child 30/20NIS; h8.30am-4.30pm Sat-Thu, 8.30am-12.30pm Fri) is one of the largest
of its kind in the world. The main building was originally built by the British as a fortress to safeguard the road to Jerusalem. It now holds a museum of history from ancient times to modern, and a theatre screening an introductory video. Surrounding the museum are 160 types of armoured vehicles, including the mighty Merkava tank.
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Latrun Monastery
Wine Route
Founded in 1890 by the French Trappist Order of monks as a contemplative monastery, Latrun Monastery is now widely renowned for its wine, and its lovely location, architecture and gardens. The wine-making started in around 1899. The monks reclaimed and cultivated the land and planted olive groves, grain and vegetables as well as vineyards. In WWI the monks were expelled by the Turks, but they were able to return, and in 1926 the present monastery was constructed. There is an on-site shop (x 925 5180; h8.30am-11.30am & 2.30-4.30pm Mon-Sat) selling the wine, spirits and olive oil produced here.
There are several excellent boutique wineries to visit in the Judean Hills and it’s possible to visit a few on a day trip. After sampling the wine at the Latrun Monastery (above) head south on to Rte 38 at the Sha’ar Hagai interchange, noting the scenic change to rolling farmland. A few kilometres from the interchange a sign directs you to Kibbutz Tzora (x02-990 8261;
Mini Israel Latrun’s newest attraction, Mini Israel (x921 4121; www.minisrael.co.il; admission 56NIS, audio guide 15NIS; h10am-6pm Nov-Mar, 10am-8pm Apr-Oct), is designed to make you feel like Gulliver in the Land of Lilliputs. A theme park of sorts, Mini Israel shrinks 350 of Israel’s famed attractions down to scale-model size. The creators have undertaken the task with painstaking detail, going so far as to make the ‘mini residents’ bob back and forth as they pray at the Western Wall. As you walk around you can hear the different languages of the country being spoken. It can be a useful way to start a trip – to be used as a giant road map of the country you are about to explore. If you have kids put it on the ‘must-see’ list.
Neve Shalom – Wahat al-Salam (NSWAS) This unique model community has a mixed population of Jews and Arabs that have forged a future together. The town, founded in 1972, has around 50 families that work together in community projects not unlike a kibbutz. It so impressed Roger Waters that he chose to play a concert here in 2006. Visitors are taken on a tour of the village and ongoing projects, such as a humanitarian aid program and a school for peace. Volunteers are also welcome to lend their skills in exchange for housing. See www .nswas.org for details. To reach Neve Shalom turn off at the Latrun exit and head south to the Nachson/ Neve Shalom turnoff. Neve Shalom is 4km down the road
www.tzorawines.com; h10am-5pm Sun-Thu, 10am-2pm Fri, 10am-6pm Sat), which has a winery producing
a white wine and a dry red. The shop sells the wine, plus fresh fruit, cheese, vegetables, olive oil, honey, bread and deli meats. It’s a great place to stock up on provisions for a picnic later in the day. Tours are by appointment only and cost 20NIS per person. If you’d like to spend the night, the kibbutz has a small B&B (x02-990 8562;
[email protected]; s/d US$57/76; as) in basic self-contained units. Up the road from Kibbutz Tzora is Mony Wines (x02-991 6629;
[email protected]; h8am6pm) founded by the Artul family, ArabChristians who have leased the land from the neighbouring Deir Raffat Catholic Monastery. The wine cellars here were carved out 125 years ago by the church clergy. One cellar holds the ageing wine barrels while the other contains a giant table used for celebrations. A small shop sells Mony’s kosher cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay wines, plus olive oil and cheese. The adjacent church can be visited on Saturdays from 10am to 3pm; check out the ceiling on the interior, on which the word ‘peace’ has been written in 340 languages. Heading south again on Rte 38, turn east on Rte 375 until you reach the Ella Valley Vineyards (x02-999 4876; www.ellavalley.com; h8.30am4.30pm Sun-Thu, 8.30-12.30 Fri), one of the largest in the area. It’s also one of the newest wineries in Israel and employs both hi-tech and traditional technologies in the fermenting process. The winery is close to Kibbutz Nativ HaLamed-Heh. Although wine is making headlines these days, the Ella Valley’s place in history was secured long ago as the battlefield where it is believed David slew the Philistine giant Goliath. Past the Rte 38 and Rte 383 junction (Ha’Ella Junction) the highway crosses a dry stream, possibly where David picked up the ‘five smooth stones’ as described in I Samuel 17. Then out in the field, according
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DIG THIS TEL It won’t take long in Israel before you start wondering what the hell is a tel. A tel (eg Tel Aviv, Tel Jericho and Tel Maresha to name a few) is a mound of earth that was created by successive civilisations always building on top of a ruined city. After one city was destroyed, another type of people came along, built on the ruins and lived there until someone else came and put them out of business. The process repeats itself a few times until (voila!) the ruins form into a low hill. Because of its soft earth and wealth of history, Tel Maresha is chock-full of bits and pieces from history. Every summer amateur archaeologists descend on the place and carefully scoop up the earth, often uncovering shards of pottery, coins, oil lamps and other items discarded by our ancient ancestors. Tourists are often brought along as a source of cheap labour. If this sounds appealing, contact Archaeological Seminars (x 02-586-2011; www.archesem.com), which charges around US$25 per person for a three-hour dig and seminar.
to the Bible, ‘David left the line of battle and ran to meet the Philistine. Putting his hand in his bag, he took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead.’ There is really nothing to mark the spot but you can stop your car, wander into the field, and let your imagination conjure up the battle.
Beit Guvrin & Tel Maresha ﺑﻴﺖ ﺟﺒﺮﻳﻦ ﺗﻞ ﻣﺮﻳﺸﺎ
בית גוברין תל מרשה
The Beit Guvrin Caves & Tel Maresha (x08-681 1020; adult/student 25/12NIS; h8am-4pm) are an
archaeological site, natural wonder and feat of human ingenuity all rolled into one. Around this sweltering national park are some 4000 hollows and chambers that create a Swiss cheese landscape. Some of the caves are natural, the result of water eroding the soft limestone surface. Others, however, are thought to be the result of quarrying by the Phoenicians, builders of Ashkelon’s port between the 7th and 4th centuries BC. During the Byzantine period the caves were used by monks and hermits
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and some of the walls are still discernibly marked with crosses. St John the Baptist is said to have been one of the pious graffitists. At neighbouring Tel Maresha, excavations have uncovered remains from a 3rdcentury synagogue and various Greek and Crusader artefacts, all of which are now on display at Jerusalem’s Rockefeller Museum (see p110). Some Byzantine mosaics also found here are now in the Israel Museum (see p119) in Jerusalem. Among the finds that haven’t been carted away are the ruins of the 12th-century Crusader Church of St Anna (or Sandhanna). The easiest caves to explore are those west of Tel Maresha – you can see tracks leading from the road. Check each interest-
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ing hole in the ground that you see. Some of the caves have elaborate staircases with banisters leading down below ground level. The rows of hundreds of small niches suggest that they were created for raising small domesticated doves to be used in the worship of Aphrodite by the Sidonian colony between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC. The park is fairly large and the sights are spread out. Really the only practical way to visit is by private car. To get there, take Rte 38 south until it hits Rte 35. Take Rte 35 west for 2km until you see the entrance to the park. If you are determined to go it alone, take the 8am bus from Kiryat Gat to Kibbutz Get Guvrin and ask the driver to let you out at the national park. A bus returns to Kiryat Gat from here at 5pm.
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Tel Aviv תל אביב
Jerusalem may only be 80km up the road, but culturally, socially and psychologically it may as well be a million miles away. While Jerusalemites flock to the holy sites, Tel Avivans hit the clubs. Kippas are swapped for sun visors, gefilte fish for sushi and quarried stone for poured concrete. If it’s 3000 years of history you’re after, head for the hills, but if you’re dead set on partying by the Med shores, pack your volleyball and bathing suit and visit the city by the sea. After a few days in Tel Aviv (or TA as it’s affectionately known by expats) you may start to wonder if there is such thing as a weekend. The city seems to be on permanent holiday and at any time of day or night you can saunter down a main street and find crowded cafés, joggers, beach bums and dog walkers. Business is casual and no-one owns a suit. The city combines its liberal, laissez faire attitude with low-level development and interconnected neighbourhoods. A short walk leads you from the glamorous beachside hotels to the exotic Yemenite Quarter to fashionable Rothschild Blvd. While you could spend weeks sightseeing in Jerusalem, the main attractions of Tel Aviv can be done in a couple of days. The real reason to visit might be to escape the tourist hordes and enjoy a city that boasts fantasic cuisine, a heaving nightlife and pleasant treelined streets that spill into the Mediterranean Sea. Tel Avivans will tell you it’s the greatest city on earth, so spend a few days and find out why.
HIGHLIGHTS Diving into the warm Mediterranean or digging your toes into the sand at one of the city beaches (p164) Dressing up and getting down – Tel Aviv is home to some of the hottest nightclubs (p177) in the Middle East Visiting the Diaspora Museum (p158) – a fine introduction to Jewish history and the Diaspora
Diaspora Museum
Beaches Sheinken St Jaffa
Delighting in the magical sea views of Jaffa (p182), an ancient Arab port with a lively junk market and cheap eats Slipping on a pair of super-sized sunglasses and shopping till you drop on ultra-trendy Sheinken St (p157)
TELEPHONE CODE: 03
POPULATION: 1,160,000
TEL AVIV
TEL AVIV
ﺗﻞ اﺑﻴﺐ
150 T E L AV I V • • H i s t o r y
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T E L AV I V • • H i s t o r y 151
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Tel Aviv
HISTORY
cramped and unsanitary confines of longestablished, predominantly Arab Jaffa. Initially they settled in two small communities, Neve Tzedek (1886) and Neve Shalom (1890), among the dunes on the sandy coastal plain just north of the Arab town. Before long they were joined by another 60 families who were led by Meir Dizengoff, an
Out of Jaffa
0 0
TEL AVIV
HaYarkon Park D 23 To Eretz Israel Museum (500m); 22 28 Palmach Museum (500m); ver Yarkon Ri Ramat Aviv (1km); 7 B'nei Dan St Nahum Goldman Museum kin St 26 of the Jewish Diaspora 1 38 Ussish Sheraton 31 (2.5km); Sourasky Central Beach Little Yehuda Library (2.5km); Tel Aviv 25 36 ccabi HaMa Tel Aviv University (2.5km); Yirmiyahu St Herzliya (10km) 46 Mediterranean HaBakook St Weizmann St To Luna Park (1km); Sea Nordau Ave Safari in the National Hilton Beach Park (3km) Pinkas St 12 Bank Gan 45 Leumi Ha'Atzmaut Basel St Jabotinsk 14 27 y St 6 18 Bank 4 Hapoalim 1 3 19 HaMedina 43 Sq 2 See Hayarkon St, Ben Arloso 21 Tel Aviv roff S Namir Yehuda St & Frishman t Marina Sq Beach Map (p160) Tel Aviv Merkaz Train Station Bundolo 30 Beach 44 9 Gordon Yitzhak City Gordon Beach St Rabin Hall Memorial To Israel Diamond Museum Sq 16 (300m); Air France (350m); 29 17 Frishman Dutch Embassy (600m); Jordanian Embassy (600m); Beach Frishman St 13 Austrian Embassy (800m); 34 Ramat Gan National Stadium 2 Kikar e 3 Av Dizengoff 15 24 ch ele aM Bo H 41 l gra 'u sho Sha Trumpeldor vS 37 t Beach St Daniel r 8 20 Dizen HaShalom ke Frisch St goff S ns Yerushalayim Train Station 42 t Pi Be Kaplan St 11 Beach nZ ion Allen by St Av e HaShalom Ge'la 32 40 Interchange Beach Ha'arba'a St See Yemenite Quarter, Yemenite 35 Upper Allenby St & Quarter Aviv Sheinken St Map (p156) Beach Shein 4 kin S t Nahalat Chinky Binyamin Rd n Beach Crafts Market gi Be Nak hma ni St m he Charles St ac vi Chlore Park en Le Yitskhak Sade M a St H Shalom a Manshiye Tower ud eh Y St i z H a aR 5 ab m St Sh ak Lilienblu ev Neve Ha et Ha Tzedek S t Mena cham Begin Rd t 5 Yl P hS ere La Guardia St kac tz Ro Lev d ins R Florentine To HaHaganna ki S fo See Rothschild Blvd, Ya t Train Station (100m); Neve Tzedek & Rd Ben-Gurion Shelomo 10 Florentine Map (p162) Airport (18km); To Zoological & Ramla (20km); Botanic Gardens (100m) Jerusalem (62km)
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To Sde Dov Airport (2.5km)
1 km 0.5 miles
Eccentric Town Planning Progress on the new town was briefly halted when the Turks broke up the settlement and expelled the Jews from the area, but with the British victory in WWI, development was permitted to continue. Arab riots in Jaffa in 1921 sent many Jews fleeing for Tel Aviv, swelling the numbers from a founding 550 people in 65 homes to an outsized 40,000 inhabitants. The town grew quickly to accommodate the newcomers, but the development was on occasion a little eccentric. Allenby St, for instance, planned as the new main thoroughfare, was meant to run northsouth parallel to the seafront but it was diverted in order to reach a coffeehouse on the beach. The Neve Shanan district in the south was planned in the shape of the seven-branched menorah merely because of the associated Jewish symbolism. And INFORMATION Assuta Hospital...........................1 B2 Australian Embassy..................... 2 D3 Bank Leumi.................................3 B2 British Embassy............................4 B2 Canadian Embassy...................... 5 D5 Egyptian Embassy.......................6 C2 Exchange Bureau.........................7 B1 German Embassy........................ 8 C3 Hapoalim Bank...........................9 C2 Irish Embassy............................(see 8) Maale Ulpan............................. 10 D5 Ministry of the Interior (HaKira)................................ 11 D3 New Zealand Embassy..............(see 8) Police Station............................12 B2 Surf-Drink-Play......................... 13 C3 Swiss Embassy...........................14 B2 Tel Aviv Central Library............ 15 C3 Tel Aviv Medical Centre (Ichilov) Hospital................................ 16 D3 Tourist Information Centre....... 17 C3 Turkish Embassy........................18 B2 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES 181 HaYarkon St.......................19 B2 Azrieli Centre............................ 20 D3
the immigrants kept coming. The 1930s saw waves of arrivals from overseas, many fleeing the threat of Nazi Germany. When war did break out in 1939, Tel Aviv played host to about two million Allied troops. It also became a centre of the Zionist resistance against Britain’s antiimmigration policies. In 1948, as the British pulled out, Jewish forces attacked Jaffa and after bloody fighting most of the Arab population fled, leaving the old town in Israeli hands. All this was a far cry from the English garden city envisaged just 40 years earlier.
Bouncing Back Tel Aviv’s growth in the 1960s and ’70s sent it crashing into other cities, turning neighbours such as Ramat Gan and Holon into virtual suburbs of the greater municipality. Early restrictions on the height of buildings had to be amended when authorities realised the only place to go was up. Skyscraper development began in earnest in the 1980s, and with it came a hi-tech boom. Development in this area did not go unrecognised and Newsweek recently called Tel Aviv one of the world’s top 10 tech cities. Investment, however, was hampered in the 1990s by a wave a suicide bomb attacks that targeted buses, cafés and nightclubs. The second intifada
Azrieli Observatory ................(see 20) Bowling Tel Aviv.......................21 C2 Centre of Arts (Mishkan Ha'Omanuyut)...................(see 41) Helena Rubenstein Pavilion of Contemporary Art..............(see 24) Mini Golf..................................22 D1 Olympus Climbing Wall..........(see 23) Skate Park..............................(see 23) Sportek.....................................23 C1 Tel Aviv Museum of Art............ 24 C3 SLEEPING Alexander..................................25 B1 HI Tel Aviv Youth Hostel...........26 C1 Tel Aviv Hilton..........................27 B2 EATING 2C..........................................(see 20) Agadir Hotel...........................(see 33) Benny the Fisherman.................28 B1 Brasserie M&R..........................29 C3 Coffee Bean.............................. 30 C2 Hummus Ashkara......................31 B1 Messa....................................... 32 C4 Move........................................33 B1 Shine.........................................34 B3
Tapeo....................................... 35 C4 Tierra Health Bar.......................36 B1 DRINKING Coffee Bean.............................. 37 C3 M.A.S.H....................................38 B1 Rivendell....................................39 B1 ENTERTAINMENT Cinematheque.......................... 40 C4 Israeli Opera House................(see 41) New Cameri Theatre.................41 C3 TLV Club................................(see 33) Tzavta....................................(see 37) Zoa Theatre.............................. 42 C3 SHOPPING Couple Of.................................43 B2 Shopping Mall........................(see 20) TRANSPORT Air Canada.............................(see 20) Arlosoroff Bus Terminal............ 44 D2 British Airways........................(see 20) Mazada Tours........................... 45 C2 O-Fun.......................................46 B1
TEL AVIV
ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈ Ὀ ὈὈ Ὀ While the history of Jerusalem is a grand biblical epic, the making of Tel Aviv is a modern short story centred on drive and ambition coupled with town planning blunders. Tel Aviv was begun by small groups of Jews who wished to migrate from the
ambitious figure who had plans to create a major Jewish town. Taking as a model the English garden city, several town planners were invited to submit schemes for the new town. The plan adopted was that of Professor Boris Schatz, founder of the Bezalel Art School in Jerusalem. It centred on what is now Herzl St and the new town was given the name Tel Aviv (Hill of Spring), from a reference in Ezekiel 3:15.
152 T E L AV I V • • O r i e n t a t i o n
ORIENTATION Tel Aviv is a large conglomeration of connecting suburbs sprawling across a coastal plain. Most of your time will be spent in the city’s well-defined central district, which occupies about 6km of seafront estate and is focused on four main streets running north–south, more or less parallel to the beach line. Closest to the sand is hotel-lined Herbert Samuel Esplanade, while a block inland is the central backpacker accommodation area, Ben Yehuda St. Further back is the trendy shopping zone, Dizengoff, and then more or less marking the easternmost limit of central Tel Aviv is Ibn Gvirol St. These all run virtually the entire length of the central city area, from the northern tip bordered by the Yarkon River, down as far as Allenby St and the Yemenite Quarter, the original 1930s centre of town. Allenby St, almost a continuation of Ben Yehuda St, is a fifth major street, which runs south from the city centre towards the central bus station.
Maps The English-language Tel Aviv-Jaffa Tourist map is an excellent resource and available from the Tourist Information Centre (p154). Most hotels also have the free Tourist Map of Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv’s Modern Movement – Site Plan (30NIS) indicates where to find the various styles of Bauhaus and eclectic architecture across the city, plus descriptions of the buildings. It is available at the Bauhaus Centre (see p159).
INFORMATION BOOKSHOPS
The following shops all offer Englishlanguage titles. Halper’s (Map p162; x629 9710; 87 Allenby St) Used English-language books. Lametayel (Map p156; x616 3411; www.lametayel
.com; Dizengoff Shopping Centre) Specialist shop for travel books and maps. It carries a full range of Lonely Planet guidebooks and promotes loitering – there is a comfy sitting room with beanbags and cushions, and also a useful board posting messages to others looking for travel partners. Nun Bet Books (Map p156; x620 4818; 13 Idelson St) Used books and artwork. Steimatzky (Map p162; x522 1513; 103 Allenby St) Chain bookstore; other locations include the central bus station, Dizengoff Centre, the Opera Tower Centre and 109 Dizengoff St . EMERGENCY
Ambulance (x101) Fire (x102) Police (x100)
TEL AVIV IN…
Two Days Kick off day one with a self-guided bike tour to familiarise yourself with the city. Take along the Tel Aviv – The White City map, which describes the different architectural styles of the city. Lunch on fashionable Sheinken St before exploring the Carmel Market (p155) and the Yemenite Quarter (p155). The best days to visit this part of town are Tuesday or Friday, as nearby Nahalat Binyimin St comes alive with a crafts fair. In the afternoon, head down to Jaffa for a poke around the flea market (p184). Wrap up your day with dinner and dancing at the Old Port. Reserve the morning to see the Diaspora Museum (p158) at Tel Aviv University. Later, head down to Rothschild Blvd to visit Independence Hall (p161) and the redesigned Haganah Museum (p161). Hit the beach in the afternoon and take a stroll around arty Neve Tzedek (p161). If you’ve made prior arrangements, catch some evening drama at the New Cameri Theatre (p178). If that’s not your style, a pub crawl around posh Rothschild Blvd and Lilienblum St would be a fine way to cap your Tel Aviv tour.
T E L AV I V • • I n f o r m a t i o n 153
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Tourist Police (Map p156; x516 5382; cnr Herbert Samuel Esplanade & Geula St)
For tourists the best police station to use is the tourist police. Another handy station is at 221 Dizengoff St (x545 4210). The police station at 14 HaRakavet St (x564 4458) has a lost and found service. INTERNET ACCESS
Inter Fun (Map p156; 20 Allenby St; per hr 13NIS; h24hr) Log-In (Map p160; 21 Ben Yehuda St; per hr 15NIS; h24hr) Private Link (Map p160; 78 Ben Yehuda St; per hr 13NIS; h24hr)
Surf-Drink-Play (Map p156; per hr 10NIS; h24hr)
Three locations, including 77 King George St, 112 Dizengoff St and 65 Ibn Gvirol St. INTERNET RESOURCES
Most guesthouses and hotels in Tel Aviv have a left-luggage room, charging between 2NIS and 10NIS per day. Many other places that you might expect to have left luggage (such as the central bus station) don’t offer this service for security reasons. LIBRARIES
Salon Mazal (Map p156; x629 7734; 3 Almonit Alley; h1-11pm Sun-Thu, 11am-3pm Fri) Small collection includes books on anarchism, gay and lesbian issues, the environment, feminism and globalisation. Sourasky Central Library (x640 8745; Tel Aviv University; h9am-7.45pm Sun-Thu, to 12.15pm Fri) Reasonable collection of books in English and a comfortable sitting atmosphere. Wireless internet. Tel Aviv Central Library (Map p150; x691 0141; 27 Sha’ul HaMelech Ave; h10am-7pm Sun-Thu, 9am-noon Fri) Disappointingly small collection.
www.tel-aviv.gov.il/english Official website for the municipality.
MEDIA
www.tel-aviv-insider.com Excellent tips on activities,
Time Out Tel Aviv, produced bi-monthly, is a great resource for what’s on in the city. It’s available at the Tel Aviv Tourist Information Centre and some upscale hotels. The Jerusalem Post and the English edition of Ha’aretz can be purchased at newsstands and in bookstores.
dining and nightlife. LAUNDRY
Nameless self-serve laundrettes (washing machine 12NIS, dryer 5NIS; h24hr) are widespread. A few
of these include 26 Allenby (near Mugraby Guesthouse), 9 Mendele St (just off Ben Yehuda), Kikar Dizengoff (by the Center Hotel) and 81 Ben Yehuda St. The bar at Momo’s Hostel (see p168) also has selfservice laundry, affording you the chance to start your pub crawl in sparkling attire. LEFT LUGGAGE
Left-luggage facilities are available at BenGurion airport for a pricey US$4 per day. WI-FI ACCESS Wireless hotspots are fairly easy to come by in Tel Aviv. Most hotels also offer wireless access, although this is sometimes a pay service. Several streets and public places are wi-fi equipped, including Rothschild Blvd, Sheinken St, Masarik Sq, Ibn Gvirol St and the Old Port restaurant strip. Wi-fi equipped cafés are also plentiful (sometimes advertised with a ‘wi-fi’ sticker on the window). The best of the bunch are Coffee Bean (p172), Tozeret Haaretz (Map p172), Café Bialik (Map p171), Chocolate Bar (Map p174) and Luche (Map p172).
MEDICAL SERVICES
Tel Aviv has top-quality medical services and hotels can contact a doctor or hospital in case of emergency. Pharmacies are widespread and stock medications from Israel and Europe. Try Superpharm, which has locations at 62 Sheinken St and 131 Dizengoff St. The Dizengoff Centre has several optometrists. Assuta Hospital (Map p150; x520 1515; 62 Jabotinsky St) This hospital specialises in surgeries. It also does x-rays and blood tests and has a dental clinic. Dr Ayaldan (Map p156; x525 4186; Dizengoff Shopping Centre; h4-8pm Mon, 3-7pm Tue & Thu, 10am2pm Fri) Provides a range of dental services, including cleanings for 220NIS. Physicians for Human Rights (Map p162; x687 3718/3027; fax 687 3029; 52 Golomb St; h5-7pm Sun, Tue & Wed) Provides low-price medical assistance (30NIS for the first visit, 10NIS for follow-up visits) for visitors who aren’t covered by health insurance in Israel. Basic treatment and examinations only (ie no surgeries or x-rays). Tel Aviv Medical Center (Ichilov) Hospital (Map p150; x697 4444 general information, 691 4000; www .tasmc.org.il; 6 Weizmann St) All-in-one hospital with a 24-hour emergency room. It also has a travellers’ clinic
TEL AVIV
TEL AVIV
(2001–05) left Tel Aviv virtually devoid of foreign visitors. But investment still flows, sometimes in a big way: in 2006 Donald Trump announced the construction of a new 70-storey building in Ramat Gan. Despite its vibrancy and upward movements, Tel Aviv is at heart a low-key city, much of its centre still dominated by unobtrusive Bauhaus architecture. In 2003 Unesco recognised this and bequeathed the ‘White City’ with world heritage status.
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154 T E L AV I V • • I n f o r m a t i o n
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One of the great achievements of the modern Israeli state was the resurrection of Biblical Hebrew, which had not been used as a common language for a couple of thousand years. After the Jews spread into the Diaspora centuries ago, they adapted to local cultures and picked up the local lingo wherever they settled. Hebrew was preserved in holy texts and in synagogues worldwide but out on the street it was about as useful as Latin is in Rome today. This started to change when the first Zionists began returning to Palestine in the 19th century. Among them was Eliezer Ben Yehuda, a Lithuanian Jew born on 7 January 1858. Like most children of his age he was introduced to Biblical Hebrew through a thoroughly religious upbringing and came to Palestine in 1881 imbued with the idea of making the previously biblical language a secular tool that would enable Jews from all over the Diaspora to communicate in one unified tongue. The Hebrew language had been well preserved in the religious texts but on the street Ben Yehuda found himself at a loss when trying to describe things like trains and incandescent light bulbs. He began the task of updating the language while simultaneously spreading it among his peers. His firstborn son was the first all-Hebrew-speaking child in modern history. His persistence and proselytising paid off and today there are around around seven million Hebrew speakers worldwide. The number of speakers grew tremendously with the influx of Russian Jews to Israel. Globalisation has also had an effect on the language and many new words dealing with computers have had to be made up or borrowed. A classic case of word adoption is the @ symbol, which Israelis call ‘strudel’ because it looks like the pastry. Officially the Academy of the Hebrew language is charged with creating new words; it has offially coined more than 100,000 of them. A lot of slang also comes from Arabic. If you hear somebody saying ‘Saibaba’ they are not whispering the name of the famed Indian saint, they are just saying ‘cool, OK,’ Arabic-style. You may even hear some Arabic-English hybrid phrases, such as on depature a friend may say: ‘Yallah, bye.’
where you can get immunisations (ask for Malram clinic) and an on-site dental clinic.
For more information on changing money, see p395.
MONEY
POST
The best currency exchange deals are at the private bureaux that don’t charge commission, and there are plenty of them. Addresses for exchange bureaux include 101 Dizengoff St, 114 Dizengoff St, 308 Dizengoff St, 92 Allenby St and 97 HaYarkon St. There are also exchange desks at the foot of the Opera Tower escalator and the top floor of the Dizengoff Centre. These offices are generally open for business Sunday to Thursday from 9am to 9pm and Friday from 9am to 2pm. Oddly enough, the best place to change a travellers cheque is at a post office, which will do it with no commission. ATMs are available at major banks Leumi, Mizrahi and Hapoalim, one of which can be found on just about any city block and in any shopping mall. Note that the American Express office in Tel Aviv will not change travellers cheques; this is done in Jerusalem.
Main post office (Map p162; x564 3650; cnr Mikve
Yisrae’el & Levontin; h7am-6pm Sun-Thu, to noon Fri) This is the place to pick up poste restante or use Western Union (x564 3654). Branch offices are included on our maps of Tel Aviv. TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourist Information Centre City Hall (Map p156; x521 8214; 69 Ibn Gvirol St, Lobby); Downtown (Map p150; x516 6188; 46 Herbert Samuel Esplanade). Tourist Information Office (Map p160; x520 7600; www.visitisrael.gov.il; 7 Mendele St; h8am-4.30 SunThu) This national tourist office can provide info on regions of Israel beyond Tel Aviv. TRAVEL AGENCIES
American Express (Map p160; x526 8888; fax 777 8801;
[email protected]; Beit El Al Bldg, cnr Ben Yehuda & Shalom Aleichem Sts) Can book flights, but does not handle travellers cheques (this is done in Jerusalem).
ISSTA (Map p160; x521 0555; www.issta.co.il; 109 Ben Yehuda St) Student travel agency that can sometimes come up with very well-priced airline tickets. It’s on the corner with Ben-Gurion. Another branch is in the Dizengoff Shopping Centre. UNIVERSITIES
Tel Aviv University (x640 8111; www.tau.ac.il;
Ramat Aviv 69978) Israel’s biggest university is located on a leafy campus a couple of kilometres north of the Yarkon River. Worthy of a wander if you’ve come up here to see the on-site Diaspora University (see p158).
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES Tel Aviv is a remarkably safe city and it’s perfectly OK to wander around after dark in the central areas. The area around the old bus station is a bit dodgy; it’s a haunt for prostitutes, drug dealers and pickpockets, so try to avoid it after dark. For other tips on protecting your personal safety see p387.
SIGHTS Tel Aviv’s main sights are spread all over the city but most are easily connected by bus and certainly by taxi. Locals tend to mass around the shopping area of Kikar Magen David, from where you can easily walk to Sheinken St, the Carmel Market, the Yemenite Quarter and pedestrianised Nahalat Binyamin St. Further south, in the shadow of the Shalom Tower, you have the more fashionable and upscale Lilienblum St, Rothschild Blvd and Neve Tzedek, the location of the Suzanne Dellal Centre. There are a few places of historical interest in this area, including Independence Hall. Northern Tel Aviv (north of the Yarkon River and Rokach Ave) has the Diaspora Museum, the Eretz Israel Museum and the Palmach Museum. There isn’t much reason to venture east of Ibn Gvirol St, except to visit the observation deck of the Azrieli Centre or the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. With several places of interest, Jaffa is a destination all its own.
Yemenite Quarter, Upper Allenby St & Sheinken St What Kikar Magen David lacks in aesthetics, it attempts to make up for in personality. The beating heart of Tel Aviv, with its street performers and throngs of strutting locals, is called Magen David because the six streets that intersect here are representa-
T E L AV I V • • D a n g e r s & A n n o y a n c e s 155
tive of the Israeli six-pointed Star of David (magen means ‘star of’). From this key axis you plunge into the Carmel Market, shop in the trendy boutiques of Sheinken St, buy crafts on the pedestrianised Nahalat Binyamin St or sniff the aromatic spices of the Yemenite Quarter. Historical Bialik St has a couple of interesting museums and if you are heading up King George St, don’t miss Almonit (Anonymous) Alley. YEMENITE QUARTER
Tel Aviv may be the city that never sleeps, but the Yemenite Quarter is one parcel of land smack in the centre that seems to have slumbered though the better part of the 20th century. An exotic oasis of narrow lanes, crumbling houses and smoky kitchens, the neighbourhood is just a couple of blocks away from the hustle and bustle of Allenby St. Its low rent has also attracted a bastion of bohemians and students looking for affordable peace in the city centre. Recent years have seen redevelopment and the biggest success story has been that of Nahalat Binyamin St. Formerly a run-down province of the textile and haberdashery trade, private investment has seen it rejuvenated as a busy pedestrianised precinct full of fashionable cafés and arty shops. Divert your eyes upwards, too, where there are the vestiges of some very elegant architecture. Take note in particular of No 16 (Rosenberg House), No 8 (Degel House) and No 13 (Levy House), with its beautiful tiled panels depicting caravans of camels. CARMEL MARKET
Passionate free-marketeers pedal everything from fresh-cut flowers to piles of cumin in this frenetic narrow marketplace (Map p156), squeezed between the old Yemenite Quarter and Nahalat Binyamin St. This bubbling cauldron of commerce starts at Kikar Magen David, where hippies strum guitars for shekels. You need to push your way past the first few metres of clothing (SpongeBob SquarePants boxer shorts and knock-off Nikes) to reach the more aromatic and enticing stalls of fruits and vegetables, hot breads and spices. When in form, the stallholders have an amusing sales patter, singing songs to promote their goods and often joining in with one another.
TEL AVIV
TEL AVIV
BEN YEHUDA & THE REVIVAL OF HEBREW
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156 T E L AV I V • • Ye m e n i t e Q u a r t e r , U p p e r A l l e n b y S t & S h e i n k e n S t
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T E L AV I V • • S i g h t s 157
St
6
31
30
ashm ona'i m
Ma sar ik A ve
S
36
47
34 kin S t
Almonit Alley
5
Shein
Melak ha St
oda S
t
Ras hi S t 44
Ha'av
12
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43
49
Nahalat Binyamin Crafts Market
45
28
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St el rm Ca Ha 38 Ram bam
33
Yemenite Quarter
10
39
17
35
St
nla
Ma
St
Geula
15
Charles Chlore Park
4
KING GEORGE ST
A parade of bargain shops and hole-in-thewall restaurants marks King George St, a key artery connecting Rabin Sq, the Dizengoff Centre and Kikar Magen David.
EATING Bialik Café..................................28 D3 Café Bacio..................................29 F1
D3 C2 C2 C2 C2 C2 C2 D2 C2 D3 D3
Chinky Beach
Aviv Beach
16
Ge'la Beach
Mediterranean Sea
3
SLEEPING Galileo.......................................17 Golden Beach............................18 Hayarkon 48 Hostel...................19 Hotel De La Mer........................20 Hotel Eilat..................................21 Hotel Ness-Ziona.......................22 Hotel Sea Net.............................23 Mercure B&P.............................24 Miami Hotel...............................25 Mugraby Hostel.........................26 Sun City Hotel........................... 27
8
18
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Bialik House.................................9 D2 Carmel Market...........................10 D3 Everybody................................(see 42) Helena Rubenstein Pavilion.........11 F2 Jabotinsky Institute.....................12 E2 Mann Auditorium.......................13 F2 Pure.........................................(see 42) Reuven Rubin House.................14 D3 Spa Mul HaYam.........................15 C3 Surf Point...................................16 B3 Swimming pool........................(see 42)
Yerushalayim Beach
Kikar Magen David
41
14
9
32
3
anavi
2
25 All en
by St
Yona H
23
21
48
26 46 27 St
4
24
Ness Ziona
22
20
ENTERTAINMENT Dizengoff Cinema....................(see 42) Habima Theatre..........................40 F2
19
See Hayarkon St, Ben Yehuda St & Frishman Beach Map (p160)
Kikar Dizengoff
D3 E2 D4 E3 D3 D3 E4 C2 D4
H aH
v St
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Boro
29
E
0 0
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rt Sa
Herb e
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2
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HaYa
TRANSPORT Cemetery Austrian Airlines.......................(see 32)
St
DRINKING Trumpeldor 38 D4 Cosa Nostra...............................Beach Minzar.......................................39 D3
im
vsh
ko
1
Feeling beautiful? Join others who think they are too on Sheinken St, Tel Aviv’s answer to Melrose Ave. Up and down this street you’ll find boutique shops selling everything from designer sunglasses to the latest line of imported Brazilian bikinis. The main people-watching point is Nafha St, a block in from Kikar Magen David, where you can dine alfresco in a sidewalk café.
Ha
t
nS
Idelso
Mendele St
Nachman Bialik, Israel’s national poet. It contains memorabilia connected with his life and work, but it was closed for renovations when we checked. SHEINKEN ST
St
SHOPPING Bezalel Market...........................41 Dizengoff Centre........................42 Enki by VV ................................43 HaMachteret..............................44 Krembo Records........................45 MDK......................................... 46 Naama Bezalel............................47 Opera Tower Shopping Centre..48l Photo Film.................................49
St
pa
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Kap
iM
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bb
liv
Ra
(Map p156; x525 5961; www.rubinmuseum.org.il; 14 Bialik St; h10am-3pm Mon, Wed-Thu, 10am-8pm Tue, 11am2pm Sat), the former residence of the artist of
x525 4530; 22 Bialik St; admission free; h9am-5pm Sun-Thu, 10am-2pm Sat), former home of Chaim
oh
Ale ich em St H o vev ei T sio nS t
Café Noah..................................30 F3 Café Tamar................................31 F4 Coffee Bean.............................(see 42) Felafel Yosef............................(see 41) In the City..................................32 D2 Maganda...................................33 D3 Orna and Ella.............................34 E3 Shimon...................................... 35 D4 Sonia Gatzel Shapira...................36 E3 Tozeret Haaretz..........................37 F1
k St
Biali
b
en
All
INFORMATION Dr Ayaldan...............................(see 42) Exchange Bureau.........................1 D4 Exchange Bureau.....................(see 42) Exchange Bureau.....................(see 48) Inter Fun......................................2 C2 ISSTA.......................................(see 42) Lametayel................................(see 42) Launderette.................................3 C3 Nun Bet Books.............................4 D2 Salon Mazal..................................5 E3 South African Embassy.............(see 42) Steimatzky...............................(see 48) Superpharm..................................6 F4 Surf-Drink-Play.............................7 E2 Tourist Information Centre...........8 C3 Tourist Police.............................(see 8)
St
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A short street lined with attractive buildings, Bialik St is a repository of Tel Avivian history. Look out for the Reuven Rubin House
the same name. On display is a selection of his work and part of the artist’s private collection of photographs and furnishings. A few doors along is Bialik House (Map p156;
Hasa
42 Dizengoff Centre
ha
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Pe
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YEMENITE QUARTER, UPPER ALLENBY ST & SHEINKEN ST
St
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Melc
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erg
Feyerb
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Alle
BIALIK ST
Jabotinsky Institute
The Jabotinsky Institute (Map p156; x528 7320; 38 King George St; admission free; h8am-4pm Sun-Thu)
is an historical research organisation with a museum on the 1st floor presenting the history and activities of the national resistance movement, founded and led by Ze’ev Jabotinsky. Several departments show his political, literary and journalistic activities, and also document the creation of the Jewish Legion in WWI (a paramilitary force
set up to aid illegal immigration during the time of the British Mandate). Almonit (Anonymous) Alley
It’s easy to miss this tiny sidestreet while walking up King George St. But as a decidedly non-trendy, alternative hangout, the people that do come here appreciate its obscurity. The alley was originally named after Getzel Shapira, an American Jew who financed civic projects in Tel Aviv in the 1920s. Later, Mayor Dizengoff, irritated that anyone with money could have a street named after themselves, ordered the street names changed and a clerk gave the alley a name that essentially means ‘John Doe’. Almonit sports a café, a secondhand bookshop, a vintage clothing store and a hairdresser fond of outrageous wall art (which is changed every couple of months). The most interesting establishment is Salon Mazal (Map p156; x629 7734; 3 Almonit Alley; h1-11pm Sun-Thu, 11am-3pm Fri), a combination bookshop, library
and café described by one of the volunteers as ‘a centre for spreading alternative knowledge’. The café strictly adheres to a vegan menu and changes according to whoever is on duty (and all profits go towards animal rights groups). Pop in at least for some freetrade coffee served with soy milk. Lectures are occasionally held here and they have plenty of brochures and information on local events of interest to activists.
Ramat Aviv & Tel Aviv University The wealthy suburb of Ramat Aviv is home to the nation’s elite (a sort of Park Ave and Beverly Hills rolled into one) as well as Tel Aviv University, the nation’s future elite. The university campus features some striking modern architecture and its departments cover the widest spectrum of all the country’s universities. However, for the visitor, there are a couple of good museums here, one of which, the Diaspora Museum, should not be missed. A less obvious attraction is HaYarkon Park, a green wooded expanse beside the river that offers some respite from the traffic and noise. The river is a little dirty and the surroundings are marred by some prominent electricity pylons, but it doesn’t stop students from the nearby campus flocking down here to take advantage of the row boats for hire. On weekends locals come to
TEL AVIV
See Rothschild Blvd, Neve Tzedek & Florentine Map (p162)
Habima Sq
40
11 Post Office
Each of the narrow sidestreets specialises in produce ranging from poultry or fish to dried fruit and nuts or spices sold from sacks. The best prices are to be had as the market closes, especially around 3pm or 4pm Friday, when everyone wants to sell up before the Shabbat.
ὄὄὄ ὄὄὄ ὄὄὄ ὈὈ ὈὈ ὄὄὄ ὄὄὄ Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈ ὈὈ
Be nZ ion Av e
Ah
goff S t
St
Dizen
ad Ha 'am
Post Office
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the park to enjoy a variety of sports; there is a climbing wall, a skate park, basketball courts and football fields. DIASPORA MUSEUM
The Nahum Goldman Museum of the Jewish Diaspora (x646 2020; www.bh.org.il; Beit Hatefutsoth,
actually display any artefacts from the past. Rather, this is a good collection of models, dioramas, films and presentations chronicling the diversity of Jewish life and culture in exile. The main role of the museum, Beth Hatefutsoth in Hebrew, is to relate the unique story of the continuity of the Jewish people through exhibition, education and cultural endeavours. Special attractions in the museum include the Feher Jewish Music Centre, the Douglas E Goldman Jewish Genealogy Centre (where visitors can register their family tree to be preserved for future generations) and a Visual Documentation Centre, which is the largest photo-documentation centre of Jewish life in the world. The beautifully constructed and innovative methods of telling this experience are completely absorbing, and this place can take the best part of a day to get around. While you are here, it’s also worth strolling around the grounds of Tel Aviv University. There is a small student centre and café where you can grab snacks, sandwiches and drinks. To get there take bus No 25 from HaMelech George St, or Reines St near the corner of Frishman St, or take No 27 from the central bus station. Get off at the university, either Matatia Gate No 2 or Frenkel Gate No 7. ERETZ ISRAEL MUSEUM
The Eretz Israel Museum (Land of Israel Museum; x641 5244; 2 Chaim Levanon St; http://eretzmuseum .org.il; adult/student 35/27NIS; h9am-3pm Sun-Tue & Thu, 9am-5pm Wed, 10am-2pm Sun) actually consists of
11 linked, small museums built around an archaeological site, Tel Qasile. The museum complex is made up of, among other things, a planetarium, a glass museum, a folklore pavilion, a reconstruction of a medieval bazaar, a ceramics museum and a couple of halls with temporary exhibitions. Perhaps the best section is the multimedia presentation of Baron Rothschild, the financier who
paid for many public works projects in Tel Aviv in the late 19th century. Although not all of it is exactly enthralling, it’s very well done and can easily occupy a few hours of your time. To get there take bus No 24, 27 or 86. PALMACH MUSEUM
Dedicated to the guerrilla fighters who took on the British army in the late 1940s, the Palmach Museum (x643 6393; www.palmach.org.il; 10 Haim Levanon St; adult/student 25/15NIS;h8.30am-3pm Sun-Thu, to 12.30pm Fri) is a high-performance
exhibit that works to both entertain and inform. Presented in a multimedia format, this museum leads visitors through several chambers that collectively describe the rise of the Palmach, their training and triumphs. It’s located about 200m past the Eretz Israel Museum.
HaYarkon St, Ben Yehuda St & Frishman Beach Tel Aviv’s major beachfront property is a mixed bag of upmarket hotels, seedy boulevards and crumbling office blocks. The big draw is (obviously) the beach, a golden stretch of sand teeming with Tel Avivans out for daily rituals of beach tennis and sunbathing. Most of the city’s large chain hotels are lined up along the Herbert Samuel Esplanade, a sort of Miami Beach of the Middle East. While the coastal views are spectacular, Ben Yehuda St, two blocks inland is downmarket boulevard of broken dreams. Once a popular shopping street, business has moved elsewhere, with the exception of airline offices, banks and a few other essentials. Around Ben-Gurion Ave, the scene becomes a little more sedate. Once considered a singles neighbourhood, it’s now a popular address for families, a trend that becomes even more evident the further north you head. The bike lane running the length of Ben-Gurion Ave carries cyclists from Rabin Sq to the sea at Namir Sq, a run-down slab of concrete that sports a couple of cafés and a new nightclub. The historical highlight of Ben-Gurion Ave is the home that once belonged to Israel’s first prime minister, David BenGurion. Now the respectable Ben-Gurion Museum (Map p160; x522 1010; 17 Ben-Gurion Ave;
admission free; h8am-5pm Sun & Mon, to 3pm Tue-Thu, to 1pm Sat), the site was maintained more or
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less as it was left at the time of David BenGurion’s death, the small rooms are simply furnished and contain part of the revered politician’s library of some 20,000 books, as well as his correspondence with various world leaders. If you are heading north of the main beach, have a look at 181 HaYarkon St, an apartment block with an oddly designed façade that resembles a vertical rock garden. Make sure to look at both sides of the building.
Dizengoff St, Ibn Gvirol St & Habima Sq Away from the tourists along the coast, central Tel Aviv becomes a grid-like procession of chic shopping streets, palm-fringed plazas and baby stroller–filled parks. Dizengoff St, an important north–south traffic artery, is a high street of bridal shops, bookstores and coffee shops peopled by local entrepreneurs pecking away at laptops. Things quiet down a little as you head east, the major landmark being the vast Rabin Sq, a key arena for political rallies and concerts. South of here is Habima Sq, home to the Habima Theatre. KIKAR DIZENGOFF
The geographic heart of the city, Kikar Dizengoff is regularly populated by a motley mix of mohawked punks, hippies, ice cream–licking tots and energetic centigenarians. The square, named after the city’s first mayor (1910–37), is located on a raised platform over the street, a block north of the Dizengoff Centre shopping mall. The Fire and Water Fountain in the centre of the square makes for a somewhat appropriate symbol of the city. Spinning crazily,
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spurting water at random moments and occasionally launching flames into the air, its outlandish behaviour continues naughtily into the night, almost unnoticed by city residents infected by similarly unpredictable manner. The fountain was designed by Ya’acov Agam, a leading Israeli artist known for his (obvious) predilection towards rainbow colour schemes. HELENA RUBENSTEIN PAVILION
Named for the woman behind the cosmetics empire, the Helena Rubenstein Pavilion of Contemporary Art (Map p156; x528 7196; www.ta
museum.com; 6 Tarsat Blvd; h10am-4pm Mon, Wed & Sat, to 10pm Tue & Thu, to 2pm Fri) is part of the Tel
Aviv Museum of Art (see below) and is used for temporary exhibits by guest artists, both Israeli and foreign. Admission is sometimes free depending on the exhibit, but a Tel Aviv Museum of Art ticket is valid for here, too. Call ahead before going, as the place is closed when exhibits are in transition. The Pavilion is part of the large Heychal Ha’Tarbut (Halls of Culture) complex, which includes the Mann Auditorium (Map p156) and Habima Theatre. TEL AVIV MUSEUM OF ART
Part of an attractive, modern development that includes law courts and the municipal central library, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art (Map p150; x607 7020; www.tamuseum.com; 27 Sha’ul HaMelech Ave; adult/student 40/32NIS; h10am-4pm Mon, Wed & Sat, to 8pm Tue & Thu, to 2pm Fri) is home to a superb
permanent collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works, as well as some fine 20th-century avant-garde. Works by
BAUHAUS ARCHITECTURE Bauhaus style offers simplicity and egalitarianism, designed by architects who carried socialist ideals with them from Europe to Israel. One result of their collective beliefs is the flat roof, intended to be a communal area for all the residents of each building. Of the 4000 Bauhaus-style buildings in the city, just 360 have been renovated, the rest crumbing in the salty, humid sea air, which is not kind to the plaster used for the building façades. Despite its Unesco status, there are no public funds for the restoration of buildings – anything restored was completed by the building’s owner. A handy book if you are interested in Bauhaus architecture is Bauhaus – Tel Aviv (2003) by Nahoum Cohen, with a brief description of Bauhaus style and lots of pictures of buildings in Tel Aviv. Some of the best examples of Bauhaus architecture are 34 Frug St, 56 Levanda St (which looks like a ship) and the Cinema Hotel on Kikar Dizengoff. Bauhaus fans will want to stop by the Bauhaus Centre (Map p160; x522 0249; www.bauhaus -center.com; 99 Dizengoff St), which is loaded with souvenirs and artwork. The centre runs Bauhaus city tours at 10am Friday and costs 50NIS.
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2 Klausner St, Matiyahu Gate, Ramat Aviv; adult/student 34/24NIS; h10am-4pm Sun-Tue, to 6pm Wed) doesn’t
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Hayarkon St, Ben Yehuda St & Frishman Beach
Picasso, Matisse, Gauguin, Degas and Pollock feature prominently and there are some works by Jewish post-Impressionists Chagall and Soutine. The jewel of the collection has to be van Gogh’s The Shepherdess (1889). The museum often screens films and holds special exhibitions – check the Jerusalem Post on Friday or ask at the tourist information
office for the Tel Aviv-Jaffa tourist booklet, which usually lists current exhibitions. Hold on to your ticket, which includes entrance to the Helena Rubenstein Pavilion. To get to the museum take bus No 9, 18, 28 or 70 from HaMelech George St, Dizengoff St or Rothschild Blvd. Or it’s not far to walk from Kikar Dizengoff.
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Shine those cuff links and chamois your shoes; this southern fringe of the city centre is Tel Aviv’s poshest area, loaded with exquisite restaurants. Its also the most historic area of the city, where the first buildings were laid down 100 years ago and the elite members of society erected their mansions.
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This pleasant, leafy boulevard was named after the Jewish family of financiers. At one time Rothschild Blvd was the address to have. It’s no longer so exalted but former glories are invoked at Independence Hall (Map
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p162; x 517 3942; 16 Rothschild Blvd; adult/child17/ 14NIS; 9am-2pm Sun-Thu), where on 14 May
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1948, Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel. Previous to that the building had been the home of Meir Dizengoff, one of the founders of Tel Aviv. Entry includes a short introductory film and a tour of the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed. West of the junction with Allenby St, the Haganah Museum (Map p162; x560 8624; 23
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INFORMATION American Embassy...................... 1 A5 American Express........................2 B5 ATM........................................... 3 D2 Bank Leumi.................................4 B5 Bauhaus Centre.......................... 5 D4 Exchange Bureau......................(see 5) Exchange Bureau....................(see 19) French Embassy...........................6 B3 Gordon Ulpan.............................7 C1 ISSTA..........................................8 C2 Kabbalah Centre......................... 9 D4 Kibbutz Program Centre............10 B4 Launderette..............................11 C3 Launderette..............................12 B4 Launderette.............................. 13 D4 Le-an Ticket Agency................. 14 D4 Log-In.......................................15 B5 Momo's Bar............................(see 30) Private Link...............................16 C3 Steimatzky................................ 17 D3 Superpharm.............................. 18 D3 Surf-Drink-Play......................... 19 D3 Tourist Information Office........ 20 B4
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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Ben-Gurion Museum.................21 C1
Rothschild Blvd; h 9am-4pm Sun-Thu) chronicles
the formation and activities of the Haganah, the military organisation that was the forerunner of today’s Israel Defence Forces (IDF). It has been recently renovated in a multimedia format where you follow ‘Itsik’ (a fictional character) as he escapes from a European ghetto to Israel, where he becomes a young war hero. Near the bottom of Rothschild Blvd at 9 Ahad Ha’am St sits the imposing bulk of the Shalom Tower, the city’s first skyscraper. It was built on the site of the city’s first building, Gymnasia Herzlia (1909). Today there is a shopping arcade inside, plus an observation deck (Map p162; x517 7304; 9 Ahad Ha’am St; admission
10NIS; h10am-6.30pm Sun-Thu, 10am-2pm Fri, 11am-1pm Sat) with great views of the city and beyond. NEVE TZEDEK
Stepping out of downtown Tel Aviv and into the Neve Tzedek neighbourhood, the decibel level immediately drops a few notches. The tranquil pace of life is greatly owed to the narrow, winding streets, avoided by cars, motor scooters and the like. This was Tel Aviv’s first Jewish neighbourhood, founded in 1887, and was pleasantly renovated to accommodate the nouveaux riches. The quarter is well worth a casual wander; besides the sights listed below check out 2 Lilienblum St, home of the first cinema in Israel.
Fire & Water Fountain.............. 22 D4 SLEEPING Ami Hotel ................................ 23 Center Hotel............................ 24 Gordon Inn Guest House.......... 25 Hotel Cinema........................... 26 Hotel Metropolitan...................27 Kikar Dizengoff Apartments..... 28 Lusky Suites Hotel.....................29 Momo's Hostel.........................30 Prima Tel Aviv Astor..................31 Renaissance...............................32 Sky Hostel.................................33 Yamit........................................34
C2 D4 C2 D4 B5 D4 B5 B5 B3 B2 B5 B5
EATING Abu Shukri............................... 35 Bagels & Coffee........................ 36 Buddha Burger......................... 37 Human Nature..........................38 Karish....................................... 39 Lechem Erez............................. 40 Luche....................................... 41 Sabihe...................................... 42 Supersol Supermarket............... 43 Taste of Life..............................44
C4 D5 D5 B3 D4 C2 C5 D4 C3 B4
DRINKING Bukowski.................................. 45 Buzz Stop................................. 46 La Mer...................................... 47 Mike's Place............................. 48
D3 A5 A5 A5
ENTERTAINMENT Beit Lessin Theatre.................... 49 D4 Hod Theatre...........................(see 14) Rav-Chen.................................(see 9) SHOPPING Maslul...................................... 50 C5 TRANSPORT American Airlines......................(see 4) Arkia.........................................51 B5 Avis...........................................52 B2 Cathay Pacific...........................(see 4) El Al..........................................(see 2) El Dan.......................................53 B2 Europcar....................................54 B3 Hertz.........................................55 B2 Israir..........................................56 B5 Qantas.....................................(see 4) Royal Jordanian Airlines..........(see 56) South Africa Airways..............(see 56)
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The impressive building with the fountain in front, just west of the museum, is the Centre of Arts (Mishkan Ha’Omanuyut), home to the Israeli Opera company.
162 T E L AV I V • • R o t h s c h i l d B l v d , N e v e Ts e d e k & F l o re n t i n e Rothschild Blvd, Neve Tsedek & Florentine
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EATING 24 Rupees................................. 22 Betty Ford..................................23 Bugsy.........................................24 Chocolate Bar............................25 Kyoto Salsa................................26 Manta Ray.................................27 Moses........................................28 Olive..........................................29 Patat..........................................30 Suzana.......................................31 Yakimono...................................32
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INFORMATION Agudah........................................1 CLAF...........................................2 Halper’s........................................3 Kav l’Oved...................................4 Kibbutz Hotels Reservations Office......................................5 Main Post Office..........................6 Physicians for Human Rights.........7 Police Station................................8 SPNI Tel Aviv.............................. 9 Steimatzky.................................10
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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES 2 Lilienblum St...........................11 B2 Etzel Museum............................12 A2 Haganah Museum......................13 C1 Hassan Beq Mosque...................14 A1 Home of Shimon Rokach............15 B2 Independence Hall......................16 C1 Nahum Gutman Museum...........17 B2 Planet Spa................................(see 20) Shalom Tower............................18 C1 Stuccilli.......................................19 F2 Suzanne Dellal Centre................20 B2
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DRINKING Blaumilech..................................33 Blend..........................................34 Breakfast Club............................35 Golden Bar.................................36 Jewish Princess...........................37 Lanski.........................................38 Lenny's .....................................39 Mish Mish..................................40 Nanuchka..................................41 Shesek.......................................42 Shoshana Johnson......................43
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ENTERTAINMENT Carpe Diem................................44 Dome.........................................45 Evita...........................................46 Fusion.........................................47 HaOman Tel Aviv.......................48 Minerva.....................................49 Vox............................................50
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The district is also home to the Suzanne Dellal Centre (see p178), a former school and cultural centre, which now serves as a venue for festivals, exhibits and cultural events, as well as a relaxing place to look at murals and spend a sunny afternoon. The former home of Shimon Rokach (Map p162; its gilded copper dome, contains tributes to the man who envisioned the construction of Tel Aviv. Dating from 1887, the house now contains exhibits and videos that chronicle the early days of the city. On the same street is the Nahum Gutman Museum (Map p162; x516 1970; www.gutmanmuseum.co.il; 21 Rokach St; adult/student 20/10NIS; h10am-4pm Sun, Mon, Wed & Thu, to 7pm Tue, to 2pm Fri, to 5pm Sat), which displays 200 lively
and fanciful works by the 20th-century Israeli artist. This address also housed the editorial board of the HaPoel HaTzair political movement’s newspaper from 1907 to 1914.
The first streets inland from the port make up Little Tel Aviv, a knot of crisscrossing lanes that converge most significantly at Yirmiyahu and Dizengoff Sts. Cafés and restaurants crowd the junction, but the main reason to pass by is for a taste of the hummus at the well-known Hummus Ashkara (see p175). On Shabbat and Jewish festivals, especially Purim, this junction of streets is closed to traffic and used as extra seating for the local cafés. Nearby Basel St, a familyorientated neighbourhood, is another area for coffee shops and restaurants.
HaKira & Ramat Gan The further east you head in Tel Aviv, the more businesslike the city becomes. Ibn Gvirol St basically demarcates the eastern border of downtown, and beyond it you are heading into a world of wide boulevards, glassy skyscrapers and industrial plants. AZRIELI OBSERVATORY
MANSHIYE
Located at the southern, seafront end of Carmel Market, Manshiye was at one time an Arab district but it was largely destroyed during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and its inhabitants fled. The sole evidence of the neighbourhood’s Arab heritage is the Hassan Beq Mosque. The 1948 Arab-Israeli War is recorded in the Etzel Museum (Map p162; x517 2044; Kaufmann St; adult/child 10/5NIS; h8.30am-4pm Sun-Thu), an attractive smoked-glass structure built within the remains of an old Arab house close to sea. The museum presents a mainly photographic history of the Jewish victory against the Arabs in Jaffa in April 1948.
Old Port, Little Tel Aviv & Basel St Originally opened in 1936 to give newly established Tel Aviv sea-trafficking independence from Jaffa, the port fairly soon went into decline with the construction of a better, deeper harbour at Ashdod. In the early 2000s the municipality went in and overhauled the area, creating a wide boardwalk and transforming the derelict warehouses into commercial space. It’s now the most fashionable piece of real estate in the city, with a 1kmlong strip of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. It’s at its busiest after dark and on weekends when hordes of young clubbers descend on the strip of discotheques.
Israel’s version of the Empire State Building (but without the four-hour line for the elevator) involves a trip up to the 49th floor of the Azrieli round tower to the Azrieli Observatory (Map p150; x608 1179; 132 Menechem
Begin Rd; adult/student 22/17NIS; h10am-8pm Tue-Thu, to 6pm Fri, to 8pm Sat). Admission includes use of
an audio guide (in English or Hebrew) that describes the various buildings and landmarks around the city – you’ll get a better grasp of it all during daylight hours. There is also a film (adult/student 22/17NIS) covering the history of the city using 3D animation. Its target audience (four year olds) may appreciate the talking, time-travelling camel and flying robot companion, but we recommend you save your money for lunch. You’d be wise to call ahead to check that the observation deck is open – it’s frequently closed for private functions. The Azrieli complex includes a three-level shopping mall containing, among other things, a food court and a movie theatre. To reach the towers, take bus No 11, 78 or 608. RAMAT GAN
Although it’s a distinct city, Ramat Gan (Map p182) is now considered part of Tel Aviv, and is a fast-growing centre for business and commerce. Ramat Gan has not gone unnoticed by foreign investors. Even hard-toplease Donald Trump was impressed and
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trampolines. Ultimate Frisbee matches are held here at 4.45pm every Friday and at 4.30pm Saturday. North of the Sportek, across Namir Rd, the young and the young at heart will enjoy Mini Golf (Map p150; x699
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which offers rock-climbing lessons. Avoid overcrowded Saturdays, when schoolchildren take over the place. Near the climbing wall is a skate park (Map
Start & Finish Kikar Magen David Distance 2km Duration At least two hours
Other Activities There are plenty of other activities to keep you busy in Tel Aviv. Budding yachtsmen may want to contact Danit Tours (x052 340 0128; www.danit.co.il), which runs sailing and motorboat trips from the Tel Aviv Port. For a group of up to 13 people it charges 1500NIS for two hours at sea. Smaller groups can sail for 800NIS. If bowling takes the edge off, head for Bowling Tel Aviv (Map p150; x523 1222; 124 Ibn Gvirol St; per game 28NIS; h10am-2am). There are also billiard tables here but you’ll find a more mature crowd at Stuccilli (Map p162; x537 7766; 11 Yad Harutzim St; per hr 54NIS; h24hr), a gigantic pool hall decked out with 19 tables, velvet couches and candles. If you want to get to know Tel Aviv like a local, and enjoy rollerblading, find a pair of skates and go to the Habima Theatre
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42 Rokach Ave; admission & harness 50NIS, shoe rental 12NIS; h5-10pm Sun-Thu, 2-8pm Fri, 11am-9pm Sat),
The Mediterranean Sea works fine as a bathing pool, but if you prefer to do laps there is a beautiful swimming pool (Map p156; x620 4116; admission 60NIS; h24hr) on the 4th floor of the Dizengoff Centre (east block).
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Joggers, footballers and frisbee throwers should head for the long strip of grassy parkland along the Yarkon River, otherwise known as the Sportek (Map p150). It’s most crowded in the afternoons and weekends. The Sportek also features the Olympus Climbing Wall (Map p150; x699 0910; www.kir.co.il;
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The Sportek
(Map p156; x529 16666; h24hr Sun-Thu, 9am-7pm Fri) and Pure (Map p156; x527 2782; www.pure.co.il; h6am-1am Sun-Thu, 6am-8pm Fri, 8am-10pm Sat).
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When the weather is warm Tel Avivans flock to the city beaches en masse. Here you’ll find bronzed bods soaking up the Mediterranean rays, kite surfing and knocking back and forth little rubber balls in friendly matches of matkot (Israeli beach tennis). The beaches are safe and clean, with changing rooms and freshwater showers scattered along its length. Swimmers, however, must heed lifeguard warnings when conditions become rough; a black flag means that swimming is forbidden; red means that swimming is dangerous and you certainly shouldn’t swim by yourself; white means that the area is safe. Like any beach anywhere, you also need to keep an eye on your belongings – when swimming, just ask the person on the next blanket if they can look after your gear. You’d be wise to simply leave valuables in your hotel. The main beaches are jam-packed most days, especially on Shabbat. You’ll have a little more breathing room in the early morning or around sunset. At night, beer drinkers and dancers are attracted to the main seaside bars and patios. This is a great time for a quiet stroll down by the water’s edge. Generally, the most crowded beaches are in the centre of the city – Ge’la Beach, Yerushalayim Beach and Trumpeldor Beach. These tend to attract the teenage tearaways and are probably the least pleasant. A five-minute walk north to Frishman or Gordon beaches are
Tel Aviv’s major construction boom occurred in the 1930s, resulting in numerous Bauhaus-style buildings. This walk takes you past various Bauhaus examples, plus a few other sites of historic interest. There are plenty of cafés and juice stands along the way to provide sustenance. Kikar Magen David (1), where six streets converge near the Carmel Market (2; p155), is a key axis point and a good place to start a walking tour of the city. Plunge into the market to experience the early-morning movements as traders sell freshly baked bread and vegetables to restaurateurs. Take your second left onto Rambam St (note the incongruous ‘we sell fresh pork’ sign in the corner of the market). Rambam has several eclectic-style buildings, notably the Carmella restaurant (3) at No 12. At Nahalat Binyamin St turn right (if it’s a Tuesday or a Friday you’ll be in the midst
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from several types of treatment, followed by lovely little accompaniments like wine and chocolate. It faces the courtyard of the Suzanne Dellal Centre. Tel Avivans are very health-conscious and this fact is reflected in the number of fitness centres scattered about town. Most of these have a 24-hour entry pass (around 50NIS) or a one-week admission (100NIS). Call ahead to see what they offer. Gyms in the Dizengoff Centre include Everybody
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Tel Avivans are an active lot and are usually found rollerblading towards the nearest park, biking to the beach or heading off to the gym, sports bag tucked under arm.
p162; x510 9876; www.planetspa.co.il; 30 Shlush St; 1½hr treatment 375NIS; h11am-10pm Sun-Thu, 10am5pm Fri, noon-6pm Sat) where you can choose
at 10pm Tuesday. From here around 150 rollerbladers and skaters set off on a threehour skate around the city. This is highly recommended. The organisers have a website: http://rollers-israel.net.
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You no longer need to travel all the way to the Dead Sea for a good spa treatment. You can soak yourself and rejuvenate right here in Tel Aviv. The most central treatment centre is Spa Mul HaYam (Map p156; x516 2818;
[email protected]; 46 Herbert Samuel Esplanade); here you can get treatments with sea water, meditation workshops, milk- and mud-baths, and various forms of massage. They also do workshops for feng shui and massage. Another beautiful spot is Planet Spa (Map
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Gan; admission 10NIS; h10am-4pm Sun-Thu, to 5pm Tue), which shows off the process of extrac-
more relaxed. Further north, the Hilton and Sheraton beaches have better facilities and attract tourists from the nearby hotels. The crowds thin out the further south and north you go. If you want more privacy there’s a religious beach north of the Hilton up towards the old port. On Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday only women are permitted to use the area and it is a good place for any woman, Jewish or not, to enjoy a swim or to sunbathe without the constant attention of an amorous Israeli male. Mixed couples can escape to the beach just north of Old Jaffa or the city of Bat Yam, which has a beautiful stretch of white sandy beach. Bat Yam is a 20-minute bus ride from the centre of Tel Aviv; take bus No 10 or 46. Aviv Beach is a designated area for surfers, kayakers, windsurfers and kiteboarders (casual swimming is not allowed here). You can rent equipment at the beach from Surf Point (Map p156; x517 0099; www.surf-point.co.il; h9.30am-6.30pm) for a pricey 100NIS per hour (or 788NIS for 10 hours). They also have kiteboarding lessons, but only if you own your own equipment: for 4000NIS you can buy equipment and eight hours of lessons.
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in 2006 committed to building a 70-storey building here. The cornerstone of Ramat Gan is the Israel Diamond Centre, the vast diamondtrading house that has made Israel the number-one exporter of diamonds. Sadly, the Diamond Centre is closed to the general public, but you can still get an up-close look at a woman’s best friend at the Israel Diamond Museum (Macabbi Bldg Passage, 1 Jabotinsky Rd, Ramat
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of a bustling crafts fair), and walk south past the many stores specialising in fabrics. Two blocks down, turn right onto Ahad Ha’am St and after one block you’ll be at the foot of the imposing Shalom Tower (4; p161), Tel Aviv’s first skyscraper. Turn left on Herzl and another left on Rothschild Blvd, noting Independence Hall (5; p161; No 16) and the Haganah Museum (6; p161; No 23). A couple of blocks up, recharge your batteries at the Chocolate Bar (p174). Rothschild Blvd is one of Tel Aviv’s most beautiful boulevards, the former stomping ground of the city’s founders who built the prototype Bauhaus and eclectic-style buildings. Opposite the Chocolate Bar at No 46 is Sotheby’s (7), an elegant building of mixed styles painted canary yellow. A bit further on, No 49 (8) is another mixed-style building with a gray façade hidden by palm trees. Further down, have a look at No 84 (9), the first building in the city to be constructed over a columned ground floor. No 82 (10), opposite, leans towards an Art Deco formula, while No 96 (11) has received recent renovations. Reaching Sheinken St, turn left and walk one block to Café Tamar (12; p171) where you can snack on a half-bagel and cheese, the same dish served for five decades to Tel Avivans. Continuing down Sheinken St, passing fashionable boutiques, you’ll eventually come back to Kikar Magen David. From here you can easily continue your explorations of the Yemenite Quarter, Bialik St or King George St.
COURSES
Language Gordon Ulpan (Map p160; x522 3095; hadas
[email protected]; 7 LaSalle St) The most popular ulpan (Hebrew-language school) in Tel Aviv charges around 670NIS per month, plus a 70NIS registration fee. Maale Ulpan (Map p150; x687 9822; 78 HaTikva Rd) In the south of Tel Aviv. A five-month course costs 1800NIS. Tel Aviv University Ulpan (x640 8947) Intensive, academic-level ulpan. Seven-week course US$1000.
Kabbalah Kabbalah Centre (Map p160; x526 6800; www.kab balah.com; 14 Ben Ami St) The Kabbalah centre has courses (in Hebrew) on Jewish mysticism (1100NIS for 10 lessons). If you don’t speak Hebrew, they have recorded classes in English. Occasionally the centre has English-language lectures, so call and ask
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what’s on. If you only have a passing interest, visit their excellent bookshop.
TEL AVIV FOR CHILDREN The beach (p164) is the most obvious place to take the kids, provided you’ve lathered them with sun block. A trip to the top of the Azrieli Observatory (p163) is another popular diversion, and they will probably enjoy the short 3D movie that tells a brief history of the city. HaYarkon Park (p157), with its climbing wall, motor and row boats, trampolines, skate park, basketball courts and miniature golf course, could easily occupy a half-day (or longer if you pack a lunch). There a small amusement park with roller coasters and rides at Luna Park (x642 7080; www.lunapark.co.il; admission 85NIS) in northern Tel Aviv. Opening hours change by the month, so call ahead. From Ibn Gvirol St, take bus No 47 or 48. Another excursion is to Safari in the National Park (x631 3531; admission 48NIS; h9am-4pm Sat-Thu, to 1pm Fri), a self-drive park where you can see lions, tigers and other wildlife roaming in a ‘natural habitat’.
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GAY & LESBIAN TEL AVIV Tel Aviv has the Middle East’s most vibrant gay community, and even plays host to an annual Gay Pride Parade. The best place to start for information is the Association of Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals & Transgenders (Agudah; Map p162; x620 5591; www.glbt.org.il; 28 Nachmani St) where you can pick up information or grab a copy (in Hebrew) of the Pink Times. You should also contact the Gay Hotline (x03-516 7234; h7.30pm-10.30pm Sun, Tue & Thu). Another option is the lesbian organisation CLAF (Map p162; x03 516 5606; www.gay.org.il/claf; 22 Lilienblum St; h11am-4pm Mon & Wed). If you are looking for a gay-friendly hotel, try quaint Galileo (p168). Most of the nightlife is focused on Sheinken and Nahalat Binyamin Sts, where you’ll find plenty of rainbow flags, but the best gay night out in town is surely Tuesday at the Move (p177) in the Old Port. On Friday, try Vox (p177), located in Yad Harutzim. Once a month the gay party moves from the Vox to the Dome (p177) next door. Plug & Play (x527 5631; admission 30-60NIS), a suggestively named gay party, is held Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Call for the location. Evita (Map p162; x566 9559; 31 Yavne St; hnoon-late) This is a preppy café that mutates into a saucy gay lounge-bar by night. There’s plenty of pelvic-shaking and free-flowing alcohol. It’s located in a quiet alley a half-block south of Rothschild Blvd. Carpé Diem (Map p162; x560 2006; 17 Montefiore St; h8pm-late) A relaxed atmosphere pervades this place, helped by the back lounge deck, which has floor seating on cushions. Occasional professional strip performances: Monday for men and Tuesday for women. Minerva (Map p162; x560 3801; 98 Allenby St; h10pm-late) This dedicated lesbian bar was supposedly renovated, though it’s still quite the seedy dive, which may appeal to some. DJ dance parties are held every Thursday. Beachgoers might want to visit Hilton Beach, Tel Aviv’s unofficial gay beach. At 7pm every Saturday, gay parties are held at Cheech Beach (between Sheraton and Hilton beaches).
TOURS The municipality runs three tours in the city and it’s worth joining at least one of them while you are in town. All three tours are free of charge and there is no need to make an advance booking. If you do have questions, contact the Tourist Information Centre (see p154). The most interesting tour visits various buildings in Tel Aviv to study Bauhaus architecture. It runs at 11am Saturday (except Yom Kippur) and the meeting point is at 46 Rothschild Blvd (at the corner of Shadal St). A second tour walks around Old Jaffa, its archaeological sites and the flea market. It meets at 9.30am Wednesday (except Yom Kippur) at Jaffa’s clock tower. The third tour studies the art and architecture of Tel Aviv University. It meets at 11am Monday (except holidays) at Dyonon bookstore at the University campus entrance. There is another free city tour to Old Jaffa, the Habima Theatre, the Mann Auditorium, the Israeli Opera House, the Tel Aviv Museum and the Diamond Museum. The catch is that it’s run by a private diamond dealer, so when the tour is over you’re also brought to the diamond showroom for a ‘look-see’. Tours leave at 9.30am and 1.30pm Sunday to
Thursday and at 9am Friday. Call ahead for a pick-up from your hotel (x575 7979).
SLEEPING Virtually all of Tel Aviv’s hostels and hotels are on or around Ben Yehuda and HaYarkon Sts, all just minutes from the beaches, popular eating and shopping places and nightspots. The flip side is that a lot of these places, especially in the lower price bracket, tend to be quite noisy, especially if you are in a room facing the street. If you prefer a little more peace and quiet, consider staying in the more sedate Dizengoff St area or in Jaffa. Two buses leaving from the central bus station will get you to the general hostelhotel area: bus No 4 goes along Allenby St and Ben Yehuda St, and bus No 5 along Dizengoff St. From Arlosoroff bus station, take bus No 10.
Yemenite Quarter, Upper Allenby St & Sheinken St BUDGET
Miami Hotel (Map p156; x510 3868; 8 Allenby St; r 150- 250NIS; a) Dimly lit, somewhat depressing place in varying shades of purple. Basic rooms do not have TV and more pricey
ones have TV and air-con. The main reason to stay here is the great sea views. Mugraby Hostel (Map p156; x510 2443; www
.mugraby-hostel.com; 30 Allenby St; dm 47NIS, s with/ without shower 190/170NIS, d with/without shower 220/190NIS; i) Shabby like Sky and Momo’s,
Mugraby is a friendly guesthouse smack in the middle of things at the top of Allenby St, a couple of blocks from the beach. It’s just a bit more welcoming, and has free wi-fi. All double rooms have air-con and TV, and prices include breakfast. oHaYarkon 48 Hostel (Map p156; x516
8989; www.hayarkon48.com; 48 HaYarkon St; dm with/ without air-con 74/56NIS, r with/without bathroom 275/ 205NIS; ai) The HaYarkon 48 is one of
the best hostels in the country. Located in a converted school and just two blocks from the beach, it has excellent facilities including a clean communal kitchen, reliable showers and a free breakfast. The common room has a pool table and a TV, and is an excellent place to meet other travellers. If you get a private room, ask for one with a balcony. Dorms are colourfully decorated and pleasant, although not all have air-con. Booking through their website could net you a small discount on double rooms. Best of all is the
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friendly management, which goes out of its way to advise on travel in the country and is attentive. Internet costs 15NIS per hour. Galileo (Map p156; x516 0050; www.sun-aviv.co.il; 8 Hillel Ha’zaken St; s/d 240/260NIS; a) Enter the narrow lobby and be greeted with personal service in this small, boutique-style hotel. Each of the 12 rooms come with a baby-blue colour scheme, walls decorated with European art, plus a few goodies awaiting your arrival, including a fruit basket, a Jacuzzi tub or a bottle of champagne upon request. There is also a nice rooftop lounge with an outdoor shower to cool off. The hotel also has an appealing location, tucked off Allenby St on the edge of the exotic Yemenite Quarter. Price includes breakfast. Sun City Hotel (Map p156; x517 7913; www.sun city.co.il; 41 Yona Hanavi St; s/d 210/270NIS; ai) This well-managed micro-hotel is new and not time tested, but those who have stayed here give high marks for personal service and design. Rooms are a touch small but the location is great and prices come with breakfast. Golden Beach Hotel (Map p156; x516 2727; www
.goldenbeach.co.il; 56 Herbert Samuel Esplanade; d US$100; ai) This three-star hotel was recently
renovated and offers pleasant rooms overlooking the beach. Prices include breakfast.
HaYarkon St, Ben Yehuda St, & Frishman Beach BUDGET
Hotel Eilat (Map p156; x510 2453; 58 HaYarkon St; www.hotel-eilat.co.il; r 180NIS; a) Has a few clean rooms and friendly staff. Rooms are small and a bit shabby, but you could make a home here for a few nights without much difficulty. Momo’s Hostel (Map p160; x528 7471; www.momos
hostel.com; 28 Ben Yehuda St; dm 58NIS, s 100NIS, d with/ without bathroom 200/130NIS; a) This colourful,
character-filled place has an attached barcafé and a central location. Rooms are a little scruffy and crowded but reasonably clean. Rates include a light breakfast and use of the kitchen. Men and women, and travellers and long-term workers, have separate dorms. This place tends to attract quite a crowd of transient backpackers in search of work and has a party vibe (thanks to the bar downstairs). In summer you can sleep on the roof for 40NIS.
Sky Hostel (Map p160; x620 0044; skyhostel@walla .com; 34 Ben Yehuda St; dm 50NIS, s with/without bathroom 160/100NIS, d 200/130NIS; ai) One block north
of Momo’s, Sky is somewhat more bland than its neighbour, but is less crowded and offers more privacy. It is also a bit cheaper. Better double rooms come with shower and TV. Hotel Ness-Ziona (Map p156; x510 6084; zeevs@ isdn.net.il; 10 Ness Ziona; s/d/tr US$65/75/85) Located on a quiet street in the centre, Hotel NessZiona is a somewhat barren place, but friendly, clean and safe. Private rooms come with fans, high ceilings and antiquated furniture. While it’s not the most appealing place in town, it’s popular with foreign travellers looking for a low-priced hotel without the crowded backpacker vibe of others in this category. MIDRANGE
Gordon Inn Guest House (Map p160; x523 8239; www
.sleepinisrael.com; 17 Gordon St; s/d/tr, with bathroom US$57/ 71/85, s/d/tr, without bathroom US$46/59/72; a) Many
travellers enjoy the warmth and communal feeling of this hybrid hostel-hotel, a well-kept downtown option. Unique in this category, it combines the tastefully decorated air-con rooms expected from a midrange hotel with the hospitality and personal service one expects from a backpackers. All rates include breakfast and there’s a bar downstairs. Take bus No 4 from the central bus station. Ami Hotel (Map p160; x524 9141; www.inisrael.com /ami; 152 HaYarkon St; s/d/ste US$60/75/95; a) This friendly, rambling option near the cluster of luxury hotels has 61 rooms, some with sea views, others with balconies. All rooms come with TV, phone and air-con, although the décor isn’t much to write home about. Rates include a full Israeli breakfast. If you don’t mind the slightly out-of-the-way location, this place represents good value. Hotel Sea Net (Map p156; x517 1655; www .seanethotel.co.il; 6 Ness Ziona St; s/d/tr US$84/99/134; a) This pleasant, modern place with 70
rooms sits on a quiet street two blocks from the beach. Rooms are a bit small but newly renovated, with interactive TV. For US$10 more you can get a larger corner room with a desk. Price includes an Israeli breakfast. Lusky Suites Hotel (Map p160; x516 3030; www
.luskysuites-htl.co.il; 84 HaYarkon St; s US$90-100, d US$100120, ste US$160-180; a) A smart lobby leads up
to well-appointed rooms, with TV and two desks. Windows are large and let in lots
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of light, and pricier rooms have balconies. Some rooms are en suite with kitchenette. The ‘penthouse’ could even squeeze into the top-end category. It’s popular with European travellers, with whom you can mingle during the free Israeli breakfast. Hotel Metropolitan (Map p160; x519 2727; www
.hotelmetropolitan.co.il; 11-15 Trumpeldor St; s/d US$105/ 124; ais) Geared towards the business
traveller, this functional, centrally located place has 228 rooms and 23 suites, many catching sea views. Rooms include a small desk, cable TV and wi-fi internet. Other facilities include a fitness centre, sauna, bar, restaurant, a newly built outdoor pool and a sundeck. Prices include breakfast. Suites cost about 50% more than the standard rooms. Hotel De La Mer (Map p156; x510 0011; www
.delamer.co.il; 2 Ness Ziona St, cnr HaYarkon; s/d US$90/ 110; ai) Offering lots of personal service
and attention, this boutique hotel is a great choice in this area. Spa treatment is available, plus there’s room service and free wifi. Rooms are spacious and sparkling, with new furniture and tasteful colour schemes; some have with balconies and sea views. The price includes breakfast, which is taken on an outdoor patio. All rooms are nonsmoking – a rare treat in Israel. TOP END
Prima Tel Aviv Astor (Map p160; x520 6666; www .prima.co.il; 105 HaYarkon St; s/d US$120/150; ai) If
you need something functional and close to the beach, this no-fuss kosher hotel has reasonable rooms with sea views. Breakfast is included in the price and there’s free internet in the plush little lobby. It’s on the corner with Frishman St. Yamit (Map p160; x519 7111; www.yamitparkplaza .com; 79 HaYarkon St; r US$140; ais) It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but this a good value hotel with 182 modern rooms, many with sea views. Best of all, it’s connected to a huge gym and sauna next door, which you can use free of charge. Renaissance (Map p160; x521 5555; www.renais sancehotels.com; 121 HaYarkon St; d US$145-165; ai s) Set amid other high-rise luxury hotels,
this one diversifies itself by having a slightly better location over a sandy beach. All of its 342 rooms have a balcony, and there is an indoor pool and health club. Mercure B&P (Map p156; x628 8888; www.mercure
.com; 14 Ben Yehuda St; s/d US$160/180; ais)
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A nice addition to somewhat seedy Ben Yehuda St, this place has 103 plush rooms with large windows, safe and a flat panel TV that doubles as a computer monitor. There is a small gym, modern lobby and a bar. Prices include breakfast and free wi-fi internet. Tel Aviv Hilton (Map p150; x520 2222; hiltonisrael
[email protected]; Gan HaAtzma’ut or Independence Park; d US$310-355; ais) A five-star deluxe
hotel with all the trimmings, the Hilton welcomes visitors with a spacious modern lobby and elegant rooms. At the top of its class, it offers four restaurants, a large gym, sauna and sunny pool deck overlooking the sea.
Dizengoff St, Ibn Gvirol St & Habima Sq Kikar Dizengoff Apartments (KDA; Map p160; x524 1151; www.hotel-apt.com; 89 Dizengoff St; s US$75-90, d US$85-140, tr US$105-140; ai) Centrally lo-
cated, well equipped and very secure, KDA are ideal for both long- and short-term stays and can’t be beaten for price and quality. Rooms come equipped with kitchenettes that include microwave, fridge, sink and utensils. Other niceties include cable TV, phone, safe, wireless internet and great showers. There’s 24-hour security and accommodating staff. It’s on the north side of Kikar Dizengoff, close to many shops and restaurants. Center Hotel (Map p160; x629 6181; www.atlas
hotels.co.il; 1 Zamenhoff St; s/d/tr US$116/136/196; ai) Built in the Bauhaus style, the re-
cently renovated Center Hotel retains a boutique feel despite its chain affiliations, thanks to the small number of rooms and distinctive décor – hardwood floors, brightwhite paintwork and colourful murals in the bedrooms. Wi-fi is free, as is the buffet breakfast served across the walkway at the Hotel Cinema. This is a nice address if you prefer a quiet hotel away from the tourist gangway that is HaYarkon. Cinema Hotel (Map p160; x520 7100; www.atlas hotels.co.il; 2 Zamenhoff St; s/d/tr US$116/136/200; ai) Housed in a former movie theatre,
Hotel Cinema has tastefully transformed into a Bauhaus hotel, blending seamlessly into the Kikar Dizengoff, which it overlooks. Not forgetting its roots, the hotel is decorated with old theatre components – projectors, stage lights and archaic wiring. It’s under the same management as the Center Hotel opposite, but the 82 rooms here are slightly larger and there are added touches like a
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sauna, fitness centre, reading room and a beautiful rooftop patio.
Sun Aviv Hotel (Map p162; x517 4847; www.sun -aviv.co.il; 9a Montefiore St; s/d 210/270NIS; ai) A designer hotel in the shadow of the Shalom Tower, Sun Aviv is well placed for the nightclubs and bars on Rothschild Blvd and the shopping mania around Kikar Magen David. There are just four rooms, but each is individually styled with colourful wallpaper, artworks and simple furnishings. Prices include breakfast.
Old Port, Little Tel Aviv & Basel St HI Tel Aviv Youth Hostel (Map p150; x544 1748; tel
[email protected]; 36 B’nei Dan St; dm/s/d US$21/40/53; a) Used mainly by Israelis, this is the only
government youth hostel in Tel Aviv. It’s spacious and comfortable but unlike other hostels does not have any cooking facilities. Breakfast is included. To get there take bus No 5, 24 or 25 from the central bus station, get off at Yehuda HaMaccabi St, then walk two blocks north. Alexander (Map p150; x545 2222; www.alexander .co.il; 3 HaBakook St; d US$125-145; ais) Good for families, the rooms at the Alexander offer lots of space, two rooms and a kitchenette. They also have a gym, sauna and business centre, but it’s a bit away from the centre.
EATING Once a great gathering of fly-blown hummus joints and felafel stands, Tel Aviv has spent the past decade growing up, adopting more sophisticated fare from Europe and elsewhere in the Middle East to become one of the region’s better food cities. Tel Avivans take great pride in their restaurant scene, avidly flocking to the newest hot spots, many of which will certainly spring up during the lifetime of this book; you’ll need to keep an ear to the ground for the newest places. Despite the sheer number of fab restaurants, ethnic variety is somewhat limited. Apart from a few designer sushi bars, there are only a handful of places that do authentic Asian food. Good Latin American or African fare is also thin on the ground. Expect European prices: lunch at a café will cost 40NIS to 50NIS (US$9 to US$11) while dinner at an upscale restaurant will
cost 70NIS to 100NIS. This makes eating on the cheap somewhat challenging; if you are on a budget you’ll be limited to the ubiquitous shwarma, hummus and felafel stands where you can grab a plate of food and a drink for 18NIS to 30NIS. Neighbourhood grocery stores can be found on just about every block of the city. There is a supermarket in the basement of the Dizengoff Centre, and a Supersol supermarket at 79 Ben Yehuda St (between Gordon and Mapu). Fresh fruits and vegetables are cheaply bought at the Carmel Market.
Yemenite Quarter, Upper Allenby St & Sheinken St In this diverse area you can sample traditional fare in the Yemenite Quarter, such as meat soups and kebabs, or try designer dishes in the mod restaurants of Sheinken St. Upper Allenby St has a clutch of good cafés, amid fast-food joints and shwarma stands. RESTAURANTS
Maganda (Map p156; 26 Rabbi Meir St; meals 30-40NISNIS; hnoon-midnight Sun-Thu, 8am-noon Sat; a) One
of the oldest restaurants in the Yemenite Quarter, this Oriental kosher food restaurant specialises in an array of kebabs and salads. It has recently been renovated and now has lots of space for big groups. Shimon (Map p156; cnr Kappa & Manla Sts; soup 1225NIS; h9.30am-4.30pm Sun-Thu) With its marinated meats and mix of spices, Shimon makes some of the best soups in the neighbourhood. Popular with literary types and artists, who descend on the place during the lunch hour. Orna and Ella (Map p156; x620 4753; 33 Sheinken St; meals 45-70NIS; h10am-midnight Sun-Fri, 11ammidnight Sat) Set inside a beautifully renovated
Bauhaus apartment, with stark white design and no musical distractions, this 15-yearold institution serves homy gourmet cuisine to locals and celebrities alike (Natalie Portman was recently spotted here). It uses the freshest ingredients brought straight from the market and everything is made from scratch. The menu changes weekly, but you can count on the seared salmon, smoked duck and great sweet potato pancakes. Don’t miss the excellent pastries! CAFÉS
Sonia Gatzel Shapira (Map p156; x526 1234; 1 Almonit Alley; meals 25-35NIS; h9am-late Mon-Thu, 8am-6pm Fri,
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11am-late Sat; v) You’ll find a crowd of regulars here sipping coffee, reading and chatting with the two brothers who own the place, Aviran and Snir. The indoor section, decked out in vintage furniture, grooves to a soundtrack of R&B, jazz or rock. Even better is the sunny patio out back. It has a mainly vegetarian menu, featuring pastas and sandwiches. Try the Moroccan bread with olive oil. Café Noah (Map p156; x629 3799; 93 Ahad Ha’Am St;
light meals 20-35NIS; h7.30am-midnight Sun-Thu, 8am-6pm Fri) Popular with writers, poets, pundits and
other folk desperately attempting to avoid a nine-to-five job, Noah has well-worn wood floors, a small library and dozens of dusty old National Geographic mags. The menu offers salads, sandwiches and all-day breakfast. For a healthy treat try to the quinoa salad, prepared with a type of grain indigenous to South America. There’s live jazz at 8.30pm each Sunday. Free wi-fi internet access. Café Tamar (Map p156; x685 2376; 57 Sheinken St; snacks 20-25NIS; h7am-8pm Sun-Fri) This place was opened when the British Mandate was still in effect and the atmosphere hasn’t changed much since those heady days. Owner Sarah Stern (who has been in charge since 1955) can still be found at the café, gabbing with her customers about her days spent serving in the British army. Her speciality, half a bagel with cheese, a hard-boiled egg and salad (24NIS) has been the cornerstone dish for half a century. The crowd is a mix of old-timers and neighbourhood intellectual types. Visit on Friday to watch some serious chess matches. Café Bialik (Map p156; x620 0832; 2 Bialik St; dishes 35-65NIS;h8am-3am Sun-Fri, 9am-3am Sat) Another unique café, this one is larger than most, with high ceilings and diner-style seating. The food ranges from excellent to amazing, and if you aren’t too hungry they offer the same dishes in tapas-sized portions (for half the price). Try the salmon and teriyaki tapas or the entrecôte (beef) skewers. They have free wi-fi access, live music most nights and a ‘happy hour’ from 4pm to 10pm that sees discounted drinks. QUICK EATS
Felafel Yosef (Bezalel Market; h8am-8pm Sun-Thu, to 4pm Fri) One of the best and most interesting felafel joints in the city. Here you are given a pita and allowed to add as much felafel and condiments as you please, all for 12NIS.
SELF-CATERING
In the City (Map p156; 1 Ben Yehuda St; h7ammidnight) A gourmet supermarket with locally produced cheeses, vegetables and imported meats.
HaYarkon St, Ben Yehuda St, & Frishman Beach Because of its proximity to the rash of beach hotels and hostels, this part of town is home to quite a few touristy restaurants, although there are a few gem-like local places among them, including the following. Ben Yehuda St is the place to trawl for hummus and shwarma joints, while the beachside boulevard, Herbert Samuel Esplanade, hosts a few all-night eateries. RESTAURANTS
Human Nature (Map p160; x529 0262; 69 Ben Yehuda St; dishes 30-45NIS; h8am-11.30pm Sun-Thu, 8am-6pm Fri, 7am-11.30pm; v) A likable ‘organic café’,
Human Nature specialises in health food using 100% organic ingredients. Wash down your teriyaki tofu with a pure fruit juice or try their excellent Bulgarian goatcheese pizza, but save room for the organic sorbet ice-cream dessert. Manta Ray (Map p162; x517 4773; Kaufmann St; dishes 80-100NIS; h9am-midnight) Spectacularly set on the beach, Manta Ray combines a five-star seafood menu, attentive service and Mediterranean views. Pick a few dishes off the mezze platter (we liked the goat cheese and the eggplant) and then enjoy a main course of roasted scallops, sea bass fillet, grilled shrimp or a juicy steak. It’s also a great place for breakfast. CAFÉS & QUICK EATS
Taste of Life (Map p160; x620 3151; 60 Ben Yehuda
St; dishes 30-45NIS; h9am-9pm Sun-Thu, to 2pm Fri; v) This place, run by immigrants from
the USA, does vegan cuisine that includes tasty veggie shwarma, steamed vegetables, vegetarian hot dogs, tamali, tofu-lafel, barbecue twist burgers, yogurts and shakes. Abu Shukri (Map p160; x523 3113; 22 Frishman St; h10am-8pm; v) A branch of the famed Abu Shukri in Abu Ghosh, this place serves up bowls of fresh hummus and beans for 17NIS (egg is an extra 3NIS). Unlike most fast-food joints, this one has a pleasant indoor setting with air-con. They also do great homemade lemonade.
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breath of fresh air on Bograshov St. Here you can try all kinds of healthy meals in a bright, homy atmosphere, complete with couches and shelves stacked with books. Come in the morning for an Iraqi breakfast involving an omelette, salad, eggplant and tahini. Lechem Erez (Map p160; x529 1793; 120 Ben Yehuda St; snacks 12-25NIS; h 8am-midnight) Tel Aviv’s original gourmet bakery is still going strong, despite a plethora of new competition. Enjoy some freshly baked bread, rosemary foccaccia, muffins, cheese, dips and jams served on the open-air patio. SELF-CATERING
Supersol supermarket (Map p160; 79 Ben Yehuda St; h7am-midnight Sun-Thu, 7am-4pm Fri, 8.30pm-midnight Sat) Large chain supermarket with reason-
able prices.
Dizengoff St, Ibn Gvirol St & Habima Sq Several good cafés and restaurants are located in the eastern part of the city. Most places are low-key coffee shops that serve sandwiches and big salads, plus dozens of refreshing juice stands that squeeze fresh juice and make yogurt with fresh fruit. RESTAURANTS
Tapéo (Map p150; x624 0484; 16 Ha’arba’a St; tapas 15-40NIS; h7pm-late) Once you’ve settled in and polished off a couple of tapas snacks you can almost imagine that you’ve been transported to Barcelona. And like a Spanish restaurant you can find huge crowds mingling and drinking jugs of Sangria till well after midnight. The menu is laden with delicious treats, including sliced scallops, jumbo shrimp wrapped in noodles, stuffed empanadas and grilled eggplant. It’s located among other upscale restaurants, around the corner from the Cinematheque. Brasserie M&R (Map p150; x696 7111; 70 Ibn Gvirol St; dishes 50-100NIS; hnoon-5am) Up there with the most popular Tel Aviv restaurants, this French restaurant is busy all the time – stop by around 3am on a Tuesday and wonder at the crowds. The big leather couches, mirrors, brass fittings and brusque service will make Parisians feel at home, while the oysters, steaks and paté will please even the most sophisticated palates. It’s quietly known as a meeting place for local celebri-
ties, but still maintains a neighbourhood atmosphere. Messa (Map p150; x685 6859; 19 Ha’arba’a St; dishes 80-160NIS; hnoon-1am) More than a restaurant with impeccable haute cuisine, Messa has a magical quality that raises the restaurant experience to a new level. The centrepiece of the white-on-white dining hall is an elongated table, where strangers are placed together to mix and mingle over their seafood casseroles, zucchini flowers and crème brûlée. Around the edge are small alcoves where others disappear into enormous black cushions so soft they nearly induce sleep. The servers appear frequently to announce options for the next course, and everything is made from scratch by chef Aviv Moshe, who blends his Kurdish heritage with French and Mediterranean cooking. Following your meal, spare time for a drink in the stunning jet-black bar, where the oversized lamp shades appear suspended in the void of darkness. Dress is casual but Messa remains one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city – a popular dinner spot for celebrities, the prime minister and VIPs visiting from abroad. CAFÉS
Coffee Bean (Map p150; x529 8669; 73 Ibn Gvirol St; sandwiches 16-20NIS, coffee 12-20NIS; h7.45am-12.30am Sun-Thu, 7.45am-3.30am Fri, 8.45am-1am Sat) This coffee-shop chain offers a relaxed, smokefree, air-con sitting area. Laptop users will enjoy the big tables and free wi-fi. There are outlets on the first floor of the Dizengoff Centre and at 30 Ibn Gvirol St. Shine (Map p150; x527 6186; 38 Shlomo HaMelech
St; h 8.30am-12.30am Sun-Thu, 8.30am-5.30pm Fri, 10.15am-12.30am Sat; v) This neighbourhood
café, occupying a lovely spot under the trees, has a minimalist interior of white walls and silver trim, although most people prefer the outdoor patio. It attracts a young, smart set who mingle over brunch, drinking cappuccinos with soy milk (10NIS) or champagne cocktails. The menu is mainly light salads and sandwiches. Vegetarians will enjoy the curry tofu. Tozeret Haaretz (Map p156; x522 0802; 12 Masarik Ave; h7am-midnight Sun-Fri, 9.30am-midnight Sat)
Overlooking beautiful Masarik park, this timeless bohemian café serves up some of the best cakes and sweets in the city, as well as some good-value snacks and meals. Try the excellent shakshuka (18NIS to 39NIS). Make
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sure you go to the right place; it’s tucked behind another café called Masarik 12. Café Bacio (Map p156; x528 9753; 85 King George
St; snacks 10-25NIS; h 8am-midnight Sun-Fri, 4pmmidnight Sat) There is a very likable mood here,
especially in the evening, when the attached lounge-room fills up with artists, musicians and plain old regulars. It’s very sociable, a little bit like a bar without the alcohol. Instead the main menu items are desserts – ice cream, brownies, cakes and coffee. QUICK EATS
Sabihe (Map p160; 42 Frishman St; per sabihe 12NIS; h 9am-11.30pm Sun-Thu, 9am-3pm Fri, 8-11.30pm Sat) A variation on the felafel, the sabihe
includes a crushed hardboiled egg, sauces and condiments in a pita. The long lines waiting for one of these is an indication of its popularity. Bagels & Coffee (Map p160; x620 3162; 69 Dizengoff St; bagel with toppings 18NIS; h9am-2am) USstyle bagels served up with your choice of cream cheese or veggie toppings. Karish (Map p160; 98 Dizengoff St; wrap 18NIS; h11am-2am) Step up to the bar and order hot-off-the-grill chicken or steak wrap, stuffed with diced tomatoes, peppers, guacamole and garlic sauce. Delish. Buddha Burger (Map p160; x077-787 8792; 75 Di-
zengoff St; snacks 16-20NIS; hnoon-10pm Sun-Thu, 11amlate afternoon Fri, after sunset-11pm Sat; v) A vegan
bar and takeaway place whose specialities include burgers (NIS16), frankfurters, sandwiches made with smoked tofu, fruit shakes made with soy milk (13NIS to 18NIS) and quiches based on milkless cheese.
Rothschild Blvd, Neve Tzedek & Florentine This neighbourhood has a high concentration of upscale restaurants. It covers the area between Rothschild Blvd and Florentine, as well as Nahalat Binyamin St. RESTAURANTS
Kyoto Salsa (Map p162; x566 1234; 31 Montefiore St; dishes 50-100NIS;hnoon-midnight; a) Black lac-
quer furniture and sharp lighting make a stunning stage for this Japanese and Latin fusion restaurant. The excellent menu ranges from Latin-spiced seafood casserole to a Japanese business set lunch for 59NIS. Or for something light, order up some sushi, washed down with a margarita.
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Betty Ford (Map p162; x510 0650; 48 Nahalat Binyamin St; hnoon-late) This retro funk bar–
restaurant has a wonderful kitchen serving up delicious burgers topped with matbucha (cooked red peppers and tomatoes). Other great menu items include meat kebabs and grilled crab. The bathroom downstairs is an experience in itself with an (almost) unisex bathroom. 24 Rupees (Map p162; x681 8066; 14-16 Shocken St; hnoon-midnight Sun-Thu, 7pm-midnight Sat) Down a windswept street in southern Tel Aviv, amid motorcycle shops and warehouses, sits this extremely popular rooftop Indian restaurant. The setting is reminiscent of a Sinai tiki-camp, complete with floor mattresses, colourful carpets and low tables, but the food is definitely Indian. You have your choice of three types of vegetarian thali (24NIS) and homemade drinks – try the mango lassi (24NIS). There is a very mellow, secret-society vibe here and the owners Uri and Neta are dedicated to preparing food with the freshest ingredients, all making it worth the long trek. A word of advice: the door downstairs is hard to spot and looks locked – don’t worry, it’s not. Moses (Map p162; x566 4949; 35 Rothschild Blvd; hnoon-4am) This popular burger place stays busy well after midnight, especially on weekends. You can eat outside on the deck overlooking beautiful Rothschild Blvd or sit in the air-con interior. Moses serves some of the best hamburgers (45NIS) in Tel Aviv: a plump, 200g mixture of seasoned lamb and beef served with tangy sauces and toppings, or you can choose from a selection of appetisers and sandwiches. After midnight the price of a burger and fries drops to 29NIS. Yakimono (Map p162; x516 8666; 19 Rothschild Blvd; sushi 45-65NIS; hnoon-midnight) This Japanese place has a hard-edged minimalist design with shades of grey and sharp lighting. There is no dress code per se, but it was one the few places we found where the clientele tends to dress up rather than down. The sushi is excellent, but if you prefer a hot meal they do grilled teriyaki steaks and chicken – Sting apparently loved the place on his visit in 2006. Suzana (Map p162; x517 7580; 9 Shabazi St; meals 45-65NIS;h10am-midnight) If you’ve just come out of a performance at the Suzanne Dellal Centre, and want to enjoy another Neve Tzedek favourite, head across the street to this elegant outdoor dining establishment. Here you’ll get a fusion of European and
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Luche (Map p160; x525 5999; 33 Bograshov St; meals 35-45NIS; h8am-1am) Fresh and fun, Luche is a
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Mediterranean dishes, including stuffed vegetables and Cornish hen. Enjoy your meal on the open deck in the shade of an enormous ficus tree. If you are here in the evening, take in views of lovely Neve Tzedek while enjoying a drink on the rooftop lounge. Bugsy (Map p162; x681 3138; 26 Florentine St; meals 60NIS; h9am-late Sun-Fri, 11am-late Sat) Named after the well-known Jewish gangster Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel, this dimly lit bistro has intimate seating and a menu featuring everything from marinated burgers to parmesan latkes. In the evening it turns into a lounge bar, complete with a DJ spinning records from a little alcove above the bar. QUICK EATS
Patat (Map p162; 38 Nahalat Binyamin St; fries 12NIS; h4pm-5am) When your pub crawl has come to an absolute standstill, muster up a little more energy to reach this hole-in-the-wall joint on Nahalat Binyamin St. They only serve French fries, with a variety of dips. Chocolate Bar (Map p162; x560 4570; 45 Rothschild Blvd; h8am-1am) Specialising in chocolate bars, chocolate drinks and even chocolate pizza, this place has the potential to overdose your sweet tooth. All the chocolate and ice cream
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is homemade. Besides the obvious attraction of so much chocolate, this is also a very comfortable place to sit and watch stately Rothschild Blvd go about its business. Olive (Map p162; x510 6680; cnr Lilienblum & Herzl Sts; sandwiches 20-25NIS;h24hr) Feeding hungry party-goers 24/7 with freshly grilled sandwiches and snacks. With jazz music and diner-style seating, it makes for a perfect late-night break between clubs.
Old Port, Little Tel Aviv & Basel St Home to some outstanding restaurants, the Tel Aviv Old Port is a must for a oneoff dining experience. The entire area, a wasteland of abandoned warehouses a decade ago, has been renovated into a vibrant precinct of cafés, bars and restaurants. RESTAURANTS
Agadir Hotel (Map p150; x544 4045; Old Port; burgers 30-40NIS; hnoon-6am) About 500m north of Benny the Fisherman is another fashionable restaurant with fine food offerings, mostly steaks and burgers piled high with a dozen different toppings (options include goat’s cheese, Portobello mushrooms, guacamole and smoked goose breast, among others).
CITY CLOSED, GONE SWIMMING Jerusalem and Tel Aviv celebrate Shabbat in very different ways. While the Holy City dresses up, prays by the Western Wall and dines communally, Tel Avivans kick their shoes off, eat out and crawl between the pubs. The great weekly parade begins around 2pm on Nahalat Binyamin St. The pedestrian walkway is invariably packed with artists’ stalls and musicians, the cafés are full and there is usually dancing. Walk also through neighbouring Carmel Market to witness the scenes as the traders slash prices and even give away bags of fruit and vegetables. Another great happening is the Friday afternoon/evening party on Chinky Beach (aka Drum Beach) near the Dophinarium. Locals play music and dance on the sand. There’s no charge for turning up, and you can buy food and drinks. Show up around an hour before sunset. On Saturday, if the weather is fine, the beaches are packed solid. A salsa dancing party is held at Bundulo Beach (behind the Renaissance Hotel) between 4pm and 8pm. HaYarkon Park is also busy with joggers, bikers and footballers. Tel Avivans also visit Jaffa, where the eating and entertainment places are open and busy. While all the city buses grind to a halt, a sherut (service taxi) service runs the No 4 route up and down Ben Yehuda St and Allenby St. Mercedes sheruts operate to Jerusalem and Haifa from HaHashmal St, east of the southern end of Allenby St. The other operational public transport is the United Services bus No 90, running from the Dan Panorama Hotel along Allenby, Ben Yehuda, Bograshov, Dizengoff, Reines and Arlosoroff Sts to Herzlia up the coast. While many restaurants and shwarma stands will be closed, a walk of one or two blocks in any direction will lead you to an open fast-food place or supermarket. All the travellers’ bars by the beach continue serving uninterrupted. Laundrettes are also open, a good thing if you need clean clothes for a big night out when the Shabbat ends.
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Done up like a Moroccan hotel lobby from the 1920s, there is another, more casual branch, located at 2 Nahalat Binyamin St. Tierra Health Bar (Map p150; x604 7222; 54 Yermiyahu St; dishes 35-90NIS; h10am-midnight; v)
Tierra Health Bar does a wide range of organic treats; we recommend the chicken breast with millet or the red tuna and mushrooms – both excellent! But even better than the food is the massage you can get from your server (seven minutes, 20NIS) – the staff members at Tierra are all certified massage therapists. To complete your healthy lunch date, grab a seat at the oxygen bar for 10 minutes of 100% pure O2. Benny the Fisherman (Map p150; x544 0764; Old Port; dishes 70-90NIS; hnoon-midnight) Sit on the deck and enjoy the sun setting over the harbour at this picturesque seafood restaurant. It’s part of the newly renovated Old Port area, and while it’s still relatively new on the scene, it has won a popular following for the grilled fish, shrimp and calamari. Portions are large and the service is excellent. CAFÉS & QUICK EATS
Hummus Ashkara (Map p150; 45 Yirmiyahu St; meals 18NIS) This is where locals go when they’re after excellent hummus and fuul (fava bean paste). Further credibility was earned when a national newspaper recently voted its hummus the best in Israel. The sign is in Hebrew only, so look out for the Coca-Cola sign and the tables on the street.
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Yemenite Quarter, Upper Allenby St & Sheinken St Minzar (Map p156; x517 3015; 60 Allenby St; h24hr) Set back from the main street, this is a bohemian-style coffeehouse that actually specialises in beer. Happy hour extends from 5pm to 10pm. Cosa Nostra (Map p156; x517 5242; 10 Nahalat Binyamin St; h8pm-5am) Tucked into a shack, this funky little bar attracts musicians and bohemians after a cold beer and old-school rock and rap. When was the last time you grooved to a line-up of Run DMC and the Bee Gees?
HaYarkon St, Ben Yehuda St, & Frishman Beach Mike’s Place (Map p160; x052 267 0753; 86 Herbert Samuel Esplanade; h4pm-late) On the beach, this is the place to go for live music. Blues and rock bands play nightly from 10.30pm. There’s also a sizable menu of grill-style meals, cocktails and, especially, beer. Happy hour lasts from 4pm to 9pm, and all day on Saturday. Buzz Stop (Map p160; x510 0869; 86 Herbert Samuel Esplanade; h24hr; i) If the music gets too loud at Mike’s Place you can crawl next door to the Buzz Stop. The food ain’t great, but there is a wide selection of beer, a busy atmosphere and free internet for customers. La Mer (Map p160; x523 7822; Herbert Samuel Esplanade; h24hr Jun-Sep) This summertime beach bar is a 24-hour party hub. Come in the evening when you can dig your feet in the sand, sip cocktails and watch the moonlight play off the sea. It’s opposite Mike’s Place.
RESTAURANTS
2C (Map p150; x608 1990; Azrieli Towers, 49th fl; meals 150-180NIS; hnoon-midnight Sun-Thu, 8.30pm-1am Sat)
Views of Tel Aviv don’t get much better than the ones from restaurant, located on the top floor of the round Azrieli Tower. The kosher menu offers meat dishes such as fillets and chops with fresh veggies.
DRINKING Tel Aviv has bars and pubs scattered all over the city; the highest concentrations are around upper Allenby St, Lilienblum St, the Florentine area, Nahalat Binyamin St, the Old Port and Yad Harutzim. Travellers’ bars are on Ben Yehuda St and Herbert Samuel Esplanade. Most are open seven days a week and charge between 15NIS and 20NIS for a beer.
Dizengoff St, Ibn Gvirol St & Habima Sq Bukowski (Map p160; x523 2323; 39 Frishman St; h 10pm-late) Completely enclosed with
sound-proof walls and without a sign on the outside, you could walk past this place a dozen times and never know that there is a rockin’ party behind the closed door. Smoky and dimly lit, this local bar is a dress-down place with a vociferous following and a long list of drinks. Predominantly ’80s music.
Rothschild Blvd, Neve Tzedek & Florentine o Blaumilech (Map p162; x 560 8852; 32 Rothschild Blvd; h7pm-late) Overlooking gor-
geous Rothschild Blvd and busy Allenby St, Blaumilech is perfectly placed to draw in big crowds to its cosy confines. Comfy
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sofas line the interior of this low-lit loungebar and in between them people attempt to dance to the rock, pop and hip-hop dished out by the nightly DJ. It can be a wild scene with so many people trying to dance, drink and mingle in such a tight space. The clientele is an unpretentious 20s and 30s crowd and you shouldn’t expect anyone to turn up before 11pm. If the interior is overcrowded you could always hang out on the front deck, a great spot to catch a breather before diving back into the fray. Golden Bar (Map p162; x516 9194; 9 Rothschild Blvd; h6pm-late) DJs play a strong mix of rock, blues and rap for patrons on the street-side patio or the small indoor dance floor. There is also a decent choice of pub grub scrawled onto a blackboard, including chicken wings, burgers and fries. Breakfast Club (Map p162; x560 8852; 6 Rothschild Blvd; h1am-late) Plastered with photos of the famous and infamous (Kim Il Sun, Stalin, the Ayatollah and Salvador Dali), and showing bizarre movies on its TVs (Blade Runner, The Wall), this place makes for a unique downtown dance experience. It’s known as a late-night destination, so don’t bother turning up until 2am or 3am. Shoshana Johnson (Map p162; x506 7443; 97 Allenby St; h6pm-late) A curious find in downtown Tel Aviv. Where most places are all sleek chrome and neon lights, this belongs in the Latin Quarter of some other continent. The ambiance is relaxed but it’s undoubtedly a singles bar, popular with a 30ish crowd. There is no sign in English, so look for the ‘Libros en Español’ sign. And the name? Shoshana Johnson was an American POW caputured in Iraq – although we’re not sure what that has to do with a bar on Allenby St. Lanski (Map p162; x517 0043; 1st fl, Shalom Tower, 6 Montefiore St; h9pm-late Sat-Thu, 10pm-late Fri) Built in the shape of an ‘H’ for maximum eyecontact opportunities, this bar makes claim to be the biggest in the Middle East, an assertion we won’t try to dispute. Sunday is bartenders’ night, when Tel Aviv’s barmen come in to swap war stories. Shesek (Map p162; x516 9520; 17b Lilienblum; h9pm-late) Something of a black sheep on this street of progressive bars, Shesek is a rough-around-the-edges scenester bar and bohemian haunt well known for pumping out a variety of music (mash-ups and punk to
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trance and avant-garde hip-hop) and quality beer (including Taybeh, a microbrew manufactured in Ramallah). It’s the kind of place where you can have a civilised conversation with the DJ and make a few requests. Blend (Map p162; x510 0985; 20 Ahad Ha’am St; h9pm-late) Set in the courtyard of a historic house, this is one of the most attractive bars in the city. This open area gives a unique feel, as if you’re at a cocktail party at the home of some fabulously wealthy Tel Avivan. Mish Mish (Map p162; x516 8178; 17a Lilienblum St; h8pm-late) Looking back to an earlier age of cocktails and jazz music, Mish Mish attracts a slightly older crowd of Lilienblum faithful. It’s right next door to the more youthful Shesek. Nanuchka (Map p162; x516 2254; 28 Lilienblum St; h10pm-late) This Georgian place is set inside an old home, and this fact comes through in the rambling nature of the place – there are several interconnected rooms, one for dining, one for drinking and others for floor lounging. It serves partially as a restaurant but most people simply try to wedge their way to the bar, where a convivial atmosphere makes it easy to meet others. Jewish Princess (Map p162; x050 0260; 67 Yehuda Halevi St; h9.30pm-late) A healthy mix of gay, straight and bisexual yuppies pervades this creatively designed bar, fitted with leather couches and red lighting that pokes through dangling lamps. There is a hidden lounge out the back, tapas is available and the management is friendly. Lenny’s (Map p162; x518 4589; 7 Vital St; h8am1am Sun-Fri, 10am-late Sat) Young and hip, Lenny’s is a great little neighbourhood bar in Florentine. There are a few other bars on this street that you can crawl to in a matter of seconds.
Old Port, Little Tel Aviv & Basel St M.A.S.H. (Map p150; x605 1007; 275 Dizengoff St; h5pm-4am) This long-time travellers’ haunt has billiard tables, cheap beer and a friendly vibe. It’s a good place to watch sports or just drink till you fall down (the name is short for More Alcohol Served Here). Rivendell (Map p150; x602 3129; Old Port; beer 20NIS; h9pm-late) One of several über-chic lounge-bars in the Old Port. If the name sounds familiar, Rivendell was an Elven outpost in the Lord of the Rings. No elves here, just A-listers enjoying the seafront
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location and pricy drinks. Wednesday is an ’80s dance party.
ENTERTAINMENT Nightclubs
Tel Aviv has the best nightlife in Israel but you need to be prepared for some late nights. Doors usually don’t open until midnight and the party really doesn’t get going until around 2am. There are two main areas for the big clubs. One is located at the Old Port, a newly renovated area of bars, clubs and restaurants frequented by tourists, yuppies and off-duty soldiers; the second is an industrial area called Yad Harutzim, popular with hard-core clubbers who can handle the party and the 6am after-party. You can reach the Old Port on foot or by bus from the centre while Yad Harutzim, southwest of the centre, is best reached by cab (20NIS from the centre). Cover charges for dedicated discotheques range from 50NIS to 100NIS. Bars, some of which double as dance clubs, are free. There’s rarely a dress code, but most people put on their clubbing best. At the time of writing, a new, large dance club was being built at Namir Sq. For a full listing of bars and clubs, pick up a copy of
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Time Out Tel Aviv, available at kiosks and hotels. Move (Map p150; x602 0426; Old Port; admission 60NIS; h11pm-late Mon-Sat) If you only have the time for one club in Tel Aviv, make it this place. Bursting at the seams with young Israelis, the quandary of how so many people fit into such a small space is a sight to behold. Tuesday is gay night. TLV Club (Map p150; x544 4194; Old Port; admission 50-100NIS; hmidnight-late Mon, Fri & Sat) This large discotheque often features Israeli rock and pop stars – call to find out what’s on. Admission prices vary, depending on who’s performing. Dome (Map p162; x687 0591; 3 HaTsfira St; admission 60-100NIS; h1am-late) One of the biggest dance clubs, but if you need to slip away from the crowds, just go out back to a beach-style chill-out space. Student parties are held on Fridays. Vox (Map p162; x687 0591; 2 Yagia Kapaim St; admission 40-70NIS; h1am-late) Around the corner from Dome, Vox is a bit smaller and sexier than its neighbour. There are several levels, a voyeur terrace and a hidden couch area for make-out sessions. Gay parties are held on Friday. HaOman Tel Aviv (Map p162; x681 3636; 88 Arbanael St; admission 100NIS; h1am-late) Sister club
PUB CRAWLING IN TEL AVIV A proper pub and nightclub tour of Tel Aviv requires a bit of money and lots of endurance. Around sunset, kick off your evening with a drink at one of the beach bars, such as Le Mer (p175) at Frishman Beach or Sakaya (p185) in Jaffa. Other seaside options that open early are Mike’s Place (p175) and Buzz Stop (p175), both popular travellers’ haunts, but if you have a taste for some local flavour, head to the café-bars around Kikar Magen David, such as Minzar (p175), or try Betty Ford (p173) on Nahalat Binyamin St. Most dedicated bars won’t open until 10pm. Around this time head down to Lilienblum St for an hour or two of pub crawling, stopping in at Nanuchka (opposite) and Shesek (opposite). Around midnight, check out the action at one of the Rothschild Blvd bars such as Blaumilech (p175), Golden Bar (opposite) and nearby Shoshana Johnson (opposite) or the Jewish Princess (opposite). Clubs start shakin’ between 2am and 3am and at this point a cab could come in handy. Try a club at the Old Port, the best of which are TLV Club (above) or Move (above). If you’ve got the energy, the best after-parties happen in the wee hours at Yad Harutzim clubs such as Vox (above) or Dome (above). If you’re looking for something a bit more laid-back, try the bars on Florentine St. The famed club HaOman Tel Aviv (above) is not too far away if you’re up for some late-night dancing. Consider this as a loose guide only. The best bars and clubs come and go and you’ll need to check local listings or ask bartenders for info on parties and special events. The monthly magazine Time Out Tel Aviv is a good place to start. Wherever you end up, you can enjoy the dawn right back where you started, as most beachside bars such as La Mer will be waiting with open arms.
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to the one in Jerusalem, this is one of the biggest, brashest clubs in the city. It hosts international DJs and has plenty of swank, including an on-site sushi bar, a sunken dance floor and five bars. Come dressed to impress or the high and mighty bouncers will never let you inside. In summer, free films are sometimes screened on the beach near Allenby St. Cinematheque (Map p150; x606 0800; 1 Ha’arba’a St; admission 35NIS) This is the flagship in a chain of Israeli cinemas that feature classic, retro, foreign, avant-garde, new wave and off-beat films. It often hosts film festivals. Alternatively, choose a film from the video library and pay 20NIS for a private screening. For Hollywood films, try Dizengoff Cinema (Map p156; x620 0485; Ground fl, Dizengoff Centre), the Hod Theatre (Map p160; x522 8090; 101 Dizengoff St) or Rav-Chen Movie Theatre (Map p160; x528 2288; Kikar Dizengoff ).
Theatre & Dance New Cameri Theatre (Map p150; x606 0960; www .cameri.co.il; Golda Meir Centre, 19 Sha’ul HaMelech Ave) Hosts theatre performances in Hebrew, with simultaneous English translation on Thursdays only. The theatre is in the Israeli Opera House (x692 7777). Habima Theatre (Map p156; x629 5555; Tarsat Blvd, Habima Sq) Home of Israel’s national thea-
tre company, Habima stages performances on Thursday, with simultaneous Englishlanguage translation. Zoa Theatre (Map p150; 1 Daniel Frisch St) A small theatre with nightly performances in Hebrew. The Yiddish theatre (www.yiddishpiel.co.il) occasionally stages performances here. Tickets from 160NIS. Suzanne Dellal Centre (Map p162; x510 5656; www.suzannedellal.org.il; 5 Yechieli St) Stages a variety of performing arts including dance, music and ballet. Beit Lessin (Map p160; x725 5300; 101 Dizengoff St) Has at least one theatrical performance per week. Tzavta (Map p150; x695 0156; 30 Ibn Gvirol St) This club-theatre has pop and folk Israeli music, as well as Hebrew-language comedy and improv theatre on Fridays.
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Live Music
Camping Gear
Classical music concerts are sometimes held at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art (see p159) and the Israeli Opera House. You can hear live rock and blues music at Mike’s Place (p175) at 10pm nightly. Rock bands also play at Fusion (Map p162; x791 0303; cnr HaMasger & Yad Harutzim Sts). For jazz, check out Café Noah (p171) at 8.30pm on Sunday, or the Coffee House (x528 0565; 88 Dizengoff St) from 4pm to 7pm on Fridays. European and American rock, pop and rap stars make frequent appearances in and
There are a few outdoor stores around town, many of them selling travel guidebooks, maps and all manner of camping supplies. One of the most well known, Lametayel (see p152) is a combination bookshop and camping store. Another good option is Maslul (Map p160; x620 3508; 47 Bograshov St).
is a pleasure to browse, thanks to the colourful walls and comfy lounge. Both men and women are catered for and you can accessorise with handmade wallets and jewellery. Couple Of (Map p156; x520 1490; 207 Dizengoff St) Handmade sandals for both men and women come in a variety of designs and mediums at this Dizengoff St shoe boutique. The fashions are created by a husband-andwife team, Elon and Sheli Satat-Kombor, who favour shoes that lend equal priority to comfort and design. Prices range between 500NIS and 1500NIS. Naama Bezalel (Map p156; x629 3938; 40 Sheinken St) Parting with Tel Aviv traditional fashions (short skirts and tank tops), designs here span the fashion legacies of the 20th century. Everything from vintage-style lingerie to 1950s Euro holiday designs and 1960s polka dots are on display. Enki By VV (Map p156; x527 4335; 38 Mohaliver St) Specialising in handmade casual women’s clothing, this studio-shop, operated by VV Ben-Ezra, has a good selection of colourful summer and winter outfits. This is but one of several fashion studios on Mohaliver St, an excellent place to browse the latest designs and meet the people who create them.
Crafts & Souvenirs
Music
A crafts fair is held on Nahalat Binyamin St every Tuesday and Friday. Even if you’re not in the mood to spend money, this is a great place to walk around and soak up Tel Aviv’s exuberant atmosphere. You’ll find paintings, ceramics, jewellery and glasswork. Interspersed among the craft sellers you’ll spot buskers, mime artists and dancers. If antiques are your thing, check out the junk market held every Tuesday and Friday at Kikar Dizengoff. Among the detritus you’ll find old coins, stamps and other antiques. The best Judaica is available in Jerusalem, but if you are bargain hunting you’ll find shops along Ben Yehuda St, some of them opposite the Sky Hostel. These shops also sell postcards, souvenirs and the like.
There are plenty of music stores around town, including a Tower Records in the Opera Tower Shopping Centre, as well as CD sellers in the Carmel Market. For a good selection of Israeli rock, plus tickets for upcoming concerts, try Krembo Records (Map p156; x525 9507; www.kremboshop.com; 18 Sheinken St).
PSY-TRANCE PARTYING Israeli trance music, adapted from music brought home during the ’80s and ’90s from post-army trips (of both kinds) around Goa, has in recent years developed into a strong local scene. Its parties, known as Psy-trance, are often overnight or two-day affairs frequently held on an isolated patch of beach or forest clearing, rather than inside the confines of a Tel Aviv club. Entry to parties tends to be free or donation-based; there’s a liberating lack of bouncers and attitude, and, unlike many other forms of electronic music, the focus is firmly on peace, love and harmony. Psychedelic artwork, light shows and lasers, projected images of ecstatic Hindu gods and a combined crowd of blissed-out hippies and revellers dressed as fairies make these parties an experience a visitor won’t quickly forget. Israel’s first trance artists included DJ Miko and Astral Projection; nowadays, Infected Mushroom, Skazi and Astrix are key players on the party scene, though new talent regularly hits the DJ booths. To find out where and when to go, look for fliers in Tel Aviv record shops and Sheinken St clothes stores; Krembo Records (see opposite) was one of the pioneers on the scene and is the very best place to enquire. Also worth delving into are www.isratrance.com and www.trance .co.il (for which you’ll need to register), both giving info on upcoming parties. You’ll usually have to call to find out the exact locations, which are often closely guarded secrets until just hours before the sun sets and the party starts. Thanks to Daniel Owen for his assistance with this boxed text. Amelia Thomas
around Tel Aviv. Check Time Out Tel Aviv to see who is coming to town.
Sport Tel Avivans are passionate about their football team, the Maccabi Tel Aviv. Big matches are played October to June at Ramat Gan National Stadium (229 Aba Hillel Silver Rd, Ramat Gan), reached from downtown bus No 20, 42 or 67. Tickets can be bought at the stadium on game day for 40NIS to 120NIS or in advance from Le-an ticket agency (Map p160; x524 7373; 101 Dizengoff St).
SHOPPING Tel Aviv has plenty of shopping areas, ranging from streetside flea markets and antique shops all the way up to designer boutiques and shopping malls.
Clothing HaMachteret (Map p156; x620 2413; 17 Almonit Alley) By refashioning old garments and designing new items (with vintage fabric), designer Assaf Pelleg has carved out a niche market for himself. The spacious showroom of HaMachteret (which means Underground)
Photography Photo Film (Map p156; x517 0968; 84 Allenby St) Good selection of new and used photo equipment, plus photo processing. MDK (Map p156; x510 7711; 36 Allenby St) This shop sells photographic equipment.
Shopping Centres & Markets Israel’s first mall, the Dizengoff Centre (Map p156; x621 2400, ext 2; cnr Dizengoff & King George Sts; h9am-midnight Sun-Thu, 9am-4pm Fri, 8pm-midnight Sat) is a bustling centre of commerce filled with cafés, fast-food joints and retail shops. It also has two cinemas, a supermarket, a couple of fitness centres and an indoor pool. An Israeli food fair is held noon to 8pm Thursday and 10.30am to 4pm Friday.
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The Opera Tower Shopping Centre (Map p156; x510 796; 1 Allenby St; h10am-10pm), located
at the top of Allenby St and Herbert Samuel Esplanade, also contains shops and a cinema. It is a modern, fashionable place with a convenient location near the hotels and the beach. The first three floors of the Azrieli Centre
ping mall and cinema. There is a mixed bag of upmarket shops and chain retail outlets, plus a better than average food court. If you prefer heavily laden carts and lots of shouting to the gloss and glamour of the malls, check out Tel Aviv’s convivial Carmel Market (see p155), where you can pick up spices, food, T-shirts and various odds and ends. For clothing and swimwear, you’ll get the best deals at the nearby Bezalel Market (Map p156), located just off King George St.
GETTING THERE & AWAY Air
Most travellers fly in and out of BenGurion Airport, usually on El Al (Map p160; x971 6111; www.elal.co.il; 32 Ben Yehuda St), but Arkia
(Map p160; x699 2222;
[email protected]; 74 HaYarkon St) also has daily flights to Eilat (370NIS) and
Haifa (442NIS, daily except Saturday) from Sde Dov airport, north of the Yarkon River. The other domestic airline is Israir (Map p160; x795 5777; www.israir.co.il; 23 Ben Yehuda St).
For more information on baggage and ticketing see p400. Airline offices in Tel Aviv: Air Canada (Map p150; x607 2111; www.aircanada .com; Azrieli Centre, 132 Menahem Begin Rd) Air France (x755 5005; www.airfrance.com; 7 Jabotinsky St, Ramat Gan) Alitalia (x971 1047; www.alitalia.it; Ben-Gurion airport) American Airlines (Map p160; x795 2133; www.aa .com; 29 Ben Yehuda St) Austrian Airlines (Map p160; x511 5110; www.aua .com; 1 Ben Yehuda St) British Airways (Map p150; x606 1555; www.british airways.com; Azrieli Centre, 132 Menahem Begin Rd) Cathay Pacific (Map p160; x795 2133; www.cathay pacific.com; 29 Ben Yehuda St) Continental Airlines (Map p150; x511 6700; www .continental.com; 25 Ha’mered St) KLM (x971 1138; www.klm.com; Ben-Gurion airport) Lufthansa (x513 5355; www.lufthansa.com; e-ticket only, counter at Ben-Gurion airport)
Qantas (Map p160; x795 2133; www.qantas.com; 29 Ben Yehuda St)
Royal Jordanian Airlines (Map p160; x516 556;
www.rj.com; 5 Shalom Aleichem St) South African Airways (Map p160; x510 2828; www.flysaa.com; 23 Ben Yehuda St) United (x513 5600; www.united.com; e-ticket only, Lufthansa counter, at Ben-Gurion airport)
Bus From Tel Aviv’s enormous central bus station (Map p150; x694 8888) outgoing intercity buses depart from the 6th floor, where there’s also an efficient information desk. Suburban and city buses use the poorly signposted stalls on the 4th floor. There are some Dan departures from the 1st floor also. Tickets can usually be bought from the driver as well as from the ticket booths. Note that during Shabbat you’ll have to resort to sheruts (service taxis). Buses leave for Jerusalem (No 405, 17.70NIS, one hour, every 15 minutes); for Haifa (No 910, 23NIS, 1½ hours, every 20 minutes); Tiberias (Nos 830, 835 and 841, 42NIS, 2½ hours) once or twice hourly from 6am to 9pm; Eilat (65NIS, five hours), more or less hourly from 6.30am to 5pm (an overnight service departs at 12.30am); and Be’er Sheva (13.70NIS, 1½ hours, two or three hourly). Tel Aviv’s second bus station, the Arlosoroff terminal (Map p150; x695 8614; cnr Arlosoroff &
AP Derakhim Sts; 4-9pm Sun-Thu, 11am-3pm Fri 6-11pm Sat), adjoins the central train station north-
east of the centre. To get there, take bus No 61, which travels along Allenby St, King George St, Dizengoff St and Arlosoroff St. For information on buses to Egypt, see p403.
Car Most of the car-rental agencies are on HaYarkon St, near the Sheraton Moriah Hotel. Parking can be a nightmare in downtown Tel Aviv. Parking at the red-and-white curb is illegal and you’ll be towed if you do. Lots and garages charge around 45NIS per 24 hours of parking. Avis Ben-Gurion Airport (x971 2315); Tel Aviv (Map p160;
x527 2314; 113 HaYarkon St) Budget Ben-Gurion Airport (x971 1504); Tel Aviv (Map p160; x524 5233; 99 HaYarkonl St, in Dan Tel Aviv) Eldan Ben-Gurion Airport (x977 3400); Tel Aviv (Map p160; x527 1166; 114 HaYarkon St) Europcar (Map p160; x524 8484; 126 HaYarkon St)
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Hertz Ben-Gurion Airport (x977 2444); Tel Aviv (Map p160; x522 3332; 144 HaYarkon St)
Sherut (Service Taxi) The sheruts (service or shared taxis) outside the central bus station run to Jerusalem (20NIS) and Haifa (25NIS). On Saturday, they leave from HaHamashal St just east of Allenby St and charge about 20% more than the weekday fare. See p409 for more information.
Train Tel Aviv has three train stations: the main station, Tel Aviv Merkaz (Map p150; x577 4000/ 5770; www.israrail.org.il/english), is located at the end of Arlosoroff St; the smaller HaShalom train station is convenient for the Azrieli Centre; while further south, HaHaganna is a fiveminute walk from the central bus station. From Tel Aviv Merkaz, you can travel to Haifa (24.50NIS, one hour) via Netanya (12.50NIS, 25 minutes), more or less hourly from 6am to 8pm Sunday to Friday, and on to Akko (34NIS, 1½ hours) and Nahariya (38NIS, 1¾ hours). Heading south, you can travel down the coast to Ashkelon (22.50NIS, one hour) and as far as Be’er Sheva (25.50NIS, 1¼ hours), both departing once or twice hourly. To reach Tel Aviv Merkaz from the centre, take bus No 61 or 62 north from Dizengoff St to the Arlosoroff bus terminal, which is a two-minute walk from the station.
GETTING AROUND Tel Aviv plans to build a subway but at the rate the project is progressing most locals admit that they would just as soon expect to see the Messiah. Until then, a combination of bus, taxi and bike will have to suffice.
To/From the Airport The most straightforward method of getting from Ben-Gurion airport into Tel Aviv is by train – the station entrance is outside the international terminal, to the left. At least two trains run per hour to Tel Aviv Merkaz station (12NIS, from 3.30am to 11pm daily). A bus used to travel from the airport to the city centre, but at the time of writing services had been suspended. However, bus No 475 (11.70NIS) still travels between the airport and the central bus station, departing from the station and from the airport
(outside the departure area) every 20 minutes to 30 minutes. Otherwise, a taxi will cost around 90NIS.
Bicycle Tel Aviv is flat and traffic is relatively light so it’s easy to get around by bike. A few streets even have dedicated bike paths, such as Rothschild Blvd, Ben-Gurion Ave and Ben-Zion Ave. For rentals, try O-Fun (Map p150; x544 2292; 197 Ben Yehuda St), which rents bikes for 30NIS per day. Alternatively, Maslul (see p179) has a bike that it lets out for day use (free).
Bus Tel Aviv city buses are operated by Dan (x639 4444; www.dan.co.il) and follow an efficient network of routes, running from 5.30am to midnight except Shabbat. The single fare is 5.20NIS, but for 12NIS you can buy a red pass (hofshi yomi), which allows one day of unlimited bus travel around Tel Aviv and its suburbs; it is valid from 9am until the end of the day. Currently, these are the major Tel Aviv bus routes: Bus No 10 Central train station via Arlosoroff St, Ben Yehuda St, Allenby St, Herbert Samuel Esplanade, Jaffa Rd and on to Bat Yam. Bus No 18 Central train station along Petah Tikva Rd and Sha’ul HaMelech Ave to Ibn Gvirol St, then Frishman St, Dizengoff St, Pinsker St, Trumpeldor St and Ben Yehuda St, Allenby St, Yerushalayim Ave and on to Bat Yam. Bus No 25 Tel Aviv University via the Diaspora Museum, then HaMaccabi St, Ibn Gvirol St, Arlosoroff St, then Shlomo HaMelech St, HaMelech George St, Allenby St and Carmel Market. Bus No 4 Central bus station via Allenby St, Ben Yehuda St and Dizengoff St to the Reading terminal, north of the Yarkon River. Bus No 46 Central bus station via Jaffa Rd to Jaffa. Bus No 5 Central bus station, along Allenby St, up Rothschild Blvd, along Dizengoff St, Nordau Ave, Ibn Gvirol St, Pinkas St, Weizmann St and HaMaccabi St and then back. Useful for the HI hostel, the Egyptian embassy, Habima Sq and Kikar Dizengoff. Bus No 61 Along King George St, Dizengoff St, Arlosoroff St and Jabotinksy St to Ramat Gan in east Tel Aviv. Sherut No 4 Same route as bus No 4 for the same price. Its advantage is that it’s more comfortable, taking only as many passengers as there are seats, and it’s quicker – once it’s full it only stops to let people off. It also operates on Shabbat (when the price doubles), between the northern end of Ben Yehuda St to the inter-urban sheruts at the bottom of Allenby St.
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(Map p150; x608 1179; www.azrielicenter.co.il in Hebrew; 132 Menahem Begin Rd; h10am-10pm Sun-Thu, 10am-4pm Fri, 8pm-midnight Sat) are also taken up by a shop-
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Founded, according to the Old Testament, by Japheth, in the wake of the famed flood that shot his father Noah to fame, Jaffa came to prominence as a port during the time of Solomon. The King of the Israelites lost the town in 1468 BC to the Egyptians, whose soldiers made their surprise entry hidden in clay pots. The tides of Islam swept over the port in the 8th century, to be repelled briefly during the time of the Crusader conquests. From that time on, Jaffa remained in Muslim hands until the British General Allenby
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While the downtown area of Jaffa was largely constructed during the Ottoman period, the oldest remains of the city, dating back thousands of years, are in the coastal enclave of Old Jaffa. It’s worth visiting twice, once in the daytime to see the visitors centre and appreciate the view back towards Tel Aviv and once in the evening to savour the fine restaurants and seaside ambience. As you enter from Roslan St, walk past the boarded-up Antiquities Museum of Tel Aviv-Jaffa (which may reopen pending an increase of visitors), to a grassy knoll called HaPisgah Gardens. Here you’ll find a small amphitheatre with a panorama of the Tel Aviv seafront as its backdrop. Excavations nearby have uncovered Egyptian, Israelite, Greek and Roman remains. The bizarre white neo-Mayan sculpture on one of the hills purportedly depicts the fall of Jericho, Isaac’s sacrifice and Jacob’s dream. From the gardens, cross the Wishing Bridge, making sure to touch your zodiac sign on the rail, look towards the sea and make a wish. INFORMATION Visitors Centre........................................................ 1 A3 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Amphitheatre......................................................... 2 Clock Tower............................................................3 Flea Market.............................................................4 Ilana Goor Museum................................................5 Mahmudiya Mosque...............................................6 St Peter’s Monastery.............................................. 7 Simon the Tanner's House...................................... 8 Wishing Bridge....................................................... 9
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EATING Bernhardt Show....................................................11 Dr Shakshuka........................................................12 Fisherman's Restaurant.........................................13 Itzik Bar.................................................................14 Puaa......................................................................15 Said Abu Elafia & Sons..........................................16
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With its sea views, wind chimes, outdoor cafés, galleries and laid-back atmosphere, Old Jaffa is something of a mini-holiday getaway for Tel Avivans. But it wasn’t always so. For around 4000 years, while Tel Aviv was nothing more than sand dunes, it was Jaffa that stood as one of the great ports of the Mediterranean Sea. Jaffa’s small harbour doesn’t get much seafaring traffic these days, but the predominately Arab town does haul in its share of tourists, especially Israelis coming here for a weekend brunch. It’s a great little town for strolling and you can stop in at neighbourhood restaurants for a masbacha (chickpeas in warm hummus-tahini sauce) or join a crowd of locals as they casually puff away on their nargileh (water pipe).
Jaffa is divided into two parts. Old Jaffa, which is of the most interest to travellers, is located on the knoll overlooking the sea, west of Yefet St. East of Yefet St down Olei Zion St is New Jaffa and the open-air flea market.
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The greater Tel Aviv area, known as the Gush Dan region, is a web of nondescript suburbs slowly consuming the farmland developed by the early Zionists. Rishon LeZion, the fourth-largest city in Israel and once a separate entity, is now virtually connected to the Tel Aviv metro area. The highlight of the region is the long stretches of golden beaches between Tel Aviv and Netanya, but you won’t be alone; Israelis flock to the coast, especially on weekends. Historic Jaffa, with its 4000-year-old harbour, is another pleasant break from the
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ENTERTAINMENT Arab-Jewish Theatre............................................. 18 A2 Mayumana........................................................... 19 A3 TRANSPORT Boat Tour Launch ................................................20 A3 Bus Stop for Tel Aviv.............................................21 B1
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drove out the Turks in 1917. Jews had lived here since at least 1840 and by the end of the century, Jaffa had become a major gateway for boatloads of arriving immigrants. There were tensions between the new arrivals and the existing Arab community and, in 1921, these boiled over into fullblown anti-Jewish riots. The riots were to recur every few years until the decisive fighting of 1948, which saw the defeat and subsequent flight of the majority of Jaffa’s Arab population, leaving the ancient town in Jewish hands. Since that time, Jaffa has been extensively renovated and developed as that perennial Israeli favourite – an artists’ quarter, with attendant galleries, craftshops and cafés.
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All Tel Aviv taxis charge by the meter. Plan on 20NIS to 25NIS for trips anywhere within the central city (if you have a group of four people it becomes more cost-effective than the bus). They operate according to two tariffs: the lower tariff between 5.30am and 9pm and the 25% higher night tariff between 9pm and 5am.
hustle and bustle of Tel Aviv. Here you’ll find great restaurants and the expertly preserved Old Jaffa, with its winding lanes and art galleries. The mixed Arab-Jewish town of Ramla, which has a bustling market on Wednesdays, has not yet been tainted by the tourist brush. It contains a number of places of historical interest and is easily reached by train. Rehovot is home to the Weizmann Institute of Science, one of the world’s premiere science academies; you can combine a visit to the institute with a tour of the Carmel winery in Rishon LeZion. Among the destinations listed in this section, Jaffa is the only one within walking distance from Tel Aviv; the rest are easy day trips and can be visited by local bus or train from Tel Aviv.
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The bridge connects the gardens to Kikar Kedumim (Kedumim Sq), the reconstructed centre of Old Jaffa, ringed by restaurants, clubs and galleries but dominated by the bulk of St Peter’s Monastery (h8-11.45am & 3-5pm Oct-Feb, 8-11.45am & 3-6pm Mar-Sep). This cream-painted Franciscan church was built above a medieval citadel and in its later guise as a Christian hostelry it was visited by Napoleon. In a chamber underneath the square is the well-designed visitors centre (student/adult 6/8NIS; h10am-6pm), where you can view partially excavated remains from the Hellenistic and Roman era and watch a 15-minute film on Jaffa. You can also pick up an informative free map down here. Descending the steps beside the monastery will lead you to a tightly squeezed lane, at the southern end of which is Simon the Tanner’s House. This is the traditional site of the house where the Apostle Peter stayed after restoring Tabitha to life (Acts 9:32). In the courtyard you can see a well, believed to have been used in Peter’s day, and a stone coffin from the same period. When Muslims built a mosque on the site in 1730, they used the coffin as an ablutions font. The main artists’ area is stepped Mazal Dagim St and its branching stone alleyways named for the signs of the zodiac. The most interesting gallery is the Ilana Goor Museum (x683 7676; www.ilanagoor.com; 4 Mazal Dagim St; adult/child/student/senior 24/14/20/20NIS; h10am-4pm Sat-Thu, to 6pm Fri), home of the first Jewish
khan and built in the 18th century. It served as a hostel for Jewish pilgrims arriving at the Jaffa port on their way to Jerusalem. Today it is the private home of artist Ilana Goor, who has turned her home into a tasteful display, with three floors of modern eclectic pop and ethnic art, created by artists from Israel and abroad. THE PORT & ANDROMEDA’S ROCK
One of the oldest known harbours in the world, the port of Jaffa (then known as Joppa) was mentioned by Hiram, King of Tyre, in conversation with Solomon (II Chronicles 2:16) and referred to in Jonah 1:3. For centuries this was where pilgrims to the Holy Land first arrived en route to Jerusalem and it was Palestine’s main port. Beyond the sea wall are a cluster of blackened rocks, the largest of which is named
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after Andromeda who, according to Greek mythology, was chained here as a sacrificial victim but was snatched from the jaws of the great sea monster by Perseus on his winged horse. The municipality has plans to erect a statue of Andromeda on top of the rock. CLOCK TOWER & FLEA MARKET
For many visitors, Jaffa’s main attraction is not the thousands of years of history but the simple joy of browsing through what seems to be a thousand years of junk. East of Yefet St, the streets of Jaffa are taken over by a city wide flea market, which has a decent reputation for antiques and interesting oriental bits and pieces. It’s a great place to pick up an old pair of boots, a rusty xylophone or, as one marketeer tried selling us, a 6ft-tall grinning plastic monkey wearing a top hat and trench coat. The market could require several visits if you’re a serious shopper, as new items appear regularly. Bargaining is the order of the day, and the stallholders’ traditional sales patter includes the one about making a quick first sale early on Sunday morning to bring good luck for the coming week. It’s closed on Saturday. As you are heading in or out of town, take a moment to contemplate the Ottoman clock tower, built in 1906, on Yefet St. To the southwest of the clock tower is Mahmudiya Mosque (1812), which was built using columns filched from Caesarea and Ashkelon; it’s closed to non-Muslims.
Tours Every Wednesday (except Yom Kippur) a free guided Old Jaffa walking tour is led by the Association for Tourism, Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Meet by the clock tower at 9am; the tour ends at about noon. You can also do a two-hour, audio-guided walking tour (depending on numbers 25-45NIS). Pick up the audio player at Jaffa’s visitor centre. Also worthwhile is a boat tour (x682 9070; admission 20NIS), running every 30 minutes from 11am to 7pm Saturday.
Festivals & Events Every Thursday, Jaffa hosts a small street fair in the flea market after 8pm. In July and August, Jaffa also hosts the Jaffa Nights concerts in HaPisgah Gardens (in Old Jaffa) after 9pm.
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l o n eaccommodation l y p l a n e t . c o monline at lonelyplanet.com Book
Sleeping Old Jaffa Hostel (x682 2370; www.inisrael.com/old
jaffahostel; 8 Olei Zion St; dm 45NIS, s 150-230NIS, d 170260NIS; i) In a beautiful old Turkish home,
decorated with sepia family photographs, the Jaffa is both friendly and atmospheric. The large bar and common room, as well as the airy dorms and comfortable private rooms, are decorated with historic Arabic furniture and objets d’art. London’s Independent newspaper recently included this place in a list of top 50 guesthouses worldwide (it was ranked No 15). Enter from Ami’ad St. Beit Immanuel (x682 1459; www.beitimmanuel
.org; 8 Auerbach St; dm 1/2/3 nights US$20/18/16, s/d/ tr US$45/62/75; i) Built in 1884 by Baron
Ustinov, Peter Ustinov’s father, this was originally the Park Hotel, in which guise it entertained guests such as Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Nicely renovated, and with a garden, it now comprises a pilgrims’ hostel, study facilities and a worship centre for a Hebrew-speaking congregation. Prices include breakfast. It’s just outside Jaffa, south of Jaffa Rd. To get there take bus No 44 or 46 from the central bus station and get off at the Nechustan Lift factory (look for the sign) – Auerbach St can be located by the rocket-like spire of Immanuel Church. The hostel is a 10-minute walk to either Jaffa or Neve Tzedek.
Eating For Israelis, Jaffa’s main culinary attraction is fish, and both Mifraz Shlomo St and the port area boast numerous outdoor restaurants. Said Abu Elafia & Sons (x681 2340; 7 Yefet St; h24hr) This is a bakery that has become a legend in Israel. It was Jaffa’s first bakery, established in 1880, and four generations down the line the Abu Elafia family is busier than ever. The main attraction is a uniquely Arab pizza-like concoction that involves cracking a couple of eggs on a pitta, stirring in tomato, cheese and olives, and baking it in the oven. Other items include 24 varieties of bread, such as pitta coated in sesame seeds or spices; ask for a za’atar or a sambusa (a sort of samosa). Dr Shakshuka (x682 2842; 3 Beit Eshal St; meals 35-50NIS; h8am-midnight Sun-Fri) This is a culinary highlight in the area. The setting is an old Ottoman-era building decorated
with hanging lamps, dried chilli peppers and abandoned guitars, but the real highlight is the food. Along with its eponymous shakshuka (a skillet concoction featuring egg, capsicum, tomato sauce and spices), the Gabso family whips up a range of Libyan and other North African delights. For an enormous business lunch you’ll pay 64NIS, and a massive ‘complete couscous’ spread with couscous, bread, salads, lamb and a stuffed potato will set you back just 44NIS. Don’t miss it! Puaa (x682 3821; 3 Rabbi Yohanan St; mains from 45NIS; h 10am-12.30am) Part retro-style café and part flea market, this place specialises in lunchtime soups and salads, but dabbles in fish and chicken dishes. The beverage selection includes an excellent lassi yogurt drink with cardamom. In the unlikely event that you have a room that needs furnishing, you could also take home the plates, tables, chairs, silverware and wall hangings – everything is for sale. Note that it stays open all night on Shabbat. Bernhardt Show (x 681 3898; 10 Kikar Kedumim; mains from 75NIS; hnoon-11pm) This is an upmarket seafood blast, serving calamari, sea trout, mullet, mussels and other fruits de mer (including lobster from 220NIS). Those on a tight budget can stick to the starters and salads, which average 35NIS to 40NIS. Fisherman’s Restaurant (x682 4115; Jaffa Port; mains from 60-80NIS; hnoon-midnight) As the name suggests, this is another place for seafood. They serve up a fantastic shrimp in garlic butter (85NIS) and a choice of good salads (20NIS to 30NIS). Aside from the tasty menu items, the main reason to eat at the port is to enjoy the harbour atmosphere and cool sea breeze. Around the flea market you’ll find plenty of hole-in-the-wall tamiya and felafel stands; try the popular Itzik Bar (x518 4882; 5 Olei Zion; h7am-4pm), which serves up two eggs, chips, salad and hummus for 20NIS.
Drinking Sakaya (x681 8177; 8 Nakhum Goldman St; h7pmlate) If you prefer to drink your alcohol under the moonlight, try this open-air bar on the southern beach promenade. They play a fun mix of music and occasionally have live shows. Call ahead to make sure it’s not booked out for a private party.
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from Tel Aviv. Built in 1897, it is the oldest in Israel and produces some of the country’s finest wines. From 1929, the winery was also used by the Haganah as weapons depot and training grounds during its fight with the British. Visitors are treated to a multimedia presentation on the vinification process and
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Israelis come from all over to enjoy Netanya’s beaches, which are crowded on weekends with swimmers, sunbathers and volleyball players. There are lifeguards on duty, plus changing rooms, showers, lounge chairs and umbrellas. HaRishonim Promenade, the cliff above the beach, is
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(x 03-948 8802; www.carmelwines.co.il; adult/child 15/12NIS) makes for a pleasant half-day trip
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Located in the sleepy town of Rishon LeZion (First to Zion), the Carmel Winery
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h9am-10pm Sun-Thu, to 2pm Fri) Internet café and international telephone service. Tourist office (x882 7286; fax 884 1348; Ha’Atzmaut Sq; h8.30am-4pm Sun-Thu, 9am-noon Fri) Housed in a kiosk at the southwest corner of Ha’Atzmaut Sq.
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Buses run roughly every 15 minutes to and from Tel Aviv (14.80NIS, 30 minutes), and every half-hour to and from Haifa (20NIS, one hour) and Jerusalem (32NIS, 1¼ hours). To reach Caesarea, Megiddo, Nazareth or Tiberias, change buses in Hadera.
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Anyone with a sudden urge to fly off to the French Riviera could save money by popping up to Netanya for a few hours. This sun-and-sand resort town offers 11km of the finest free beaches in Israel, populated largely by French-Jewish immigrants. The lively pedestrianised main street is lined with shops, cafés, patisseries and a handful of excellent restaurants.
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at this beautifully renovated hotel. An eyecatching red lobby leads to stark white rooms with new carpets and balconies offering sea views. All rooms come with flat-panel TV and fridge and there is access to a Jacuzzi, gym, sauna and outdoor pool. Stamfer (x884 4714; 6 Stamfer St; dishes 35-50NIS; h8am-3am) Veering away from Netanya’s usual batch of family restaurants, Stamfer attracts a singles crowd in search of light meals and a lively atmosphere. The food runs from fruit shakes and salads to pastas and stir-frys, served indoors or on the large patio. In the evening it turns into a bar.
Ahad Ha’am St; admission 8NIS; h9am-2pm Sun-Thu, to 1pm Fri), housed in a collection of period
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solomon; 18 Hamapilim St; s/d, with breakfast US$85/100; as) Midrange travellers are in for a treat
Sheruts (7NIS) depart frequently from the east side of the central bus station. Or take bus No 200 or 201 from there. Trains (7NIS) from any of the three Tel Aviv stations also come to Rishon, departing every 20 minutes. Many visitors follow a visit to the winery with a visit to the Weizmann Institute in nearby Rehovot – a 10-minute ride from the bus station at Rishon LeZion.
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lers could try this friendly and comfortable hotel, set inside a large, rambling home. King Solomon (x861 1397; www.inisrael.com/king
Getting There & Away
Kook
NETANYA
Hotel Orit (x861 6818; www.israelsvan.com/orit; 21 Chen St; s/d, with breakfast US$40/56) Budget travel-
buildings that lend insight into the pioneer spirit that drove the early Zionist settlers and the obstacles they faced. Your ticket is also good for a sound and light show at the nearby Village Well.
HaRav
From the centre of Tel Aviv, it’s a pleasant 2.5km seafront stroll to Old Jaffa. Alternatively, take bus No 46 from the central bus station, bus No 10 from Ben Yehuda St (or the train station), bus No 26 from Ibn Gvirol St, bus No 18 from Dizengoff St or bus No 18 or 25 from Allenby St, and get off at the clock tower. To return to the centre, take bus No 10 from Yerushalayim Ave.
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a sampling of the wines – tours are held at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm Sunday to Thursday, but advance bookings are required. After seeing the winery, head across Village Park, passing the large water tower (built in 1898) and turn right on the pedestrianised Rothschild St. Continue to the end of the street, where facing you is the Great Synagogue, built in 1885 and registered as a warehouse because the Turkish authorities wouldn’t allow the Jews to build a place of worship – step inside, it’s open during the day. Across the street from the synagogue the quaint History Museum (x03-959 8862 1621; 2
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great for strolling and sea views. From here you can even take an elevator down to the beach. The cliffs also make for good paragliding; contact Dvir (x899 0277, 050 833 3103). Horseriding is available at the Ranch (x866 3525; per hr 100NIS), on the northern edge of Netanya. They offer daytime and moonlight rides on the beach. If you are in town on Shabbat you’ll spot folk dancing around Ha’atzamaut Sq.
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Arab-Jewish Theatre (x681 5554; www.arab-hebrew -theatre.org.il; 10 Mifratz Shlomo St) Hebrew- and Arabic-language plays that openly discuss pressing differences between Arabs and Jews. Mayumana (x681 1787; www.mayumana.co.il; 15 Loius Pasteur St) The Israeli version of ‘Stomp’ is a hugely popular show so if you want tickets you’ll need to book well in advance. Gesher Theatre (x681 3131; www.gesher-theatre .co.il; 7-9 Yerushalayim Ave) Contemporary Russian theatre largely comprising new immigrants; it’s a favourite venue of world-famous Russian clown, Slava.
TRANSPORT Bus Station...................................8 C3 Sherut (Service Taxi) Stand.......... 9 C2
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AYALON CAVE It’s a rare event when Ramla makes headlines, but in 2006 the world’s scientific community became momentarily captivated by the announcement that eight previously unknown animal species were found in a hidden cave near the city. The ‘Ayalon Cave’ was found when men digging a rock quarry noticed a fissure in the ground; upon inspection they found a 2.5km subterranean chamber – the second longest in Israel. Despite being sealed off from the outside world for millions of years, small critters and their offspring managed to survive in the darkness. All are related to, but different from, animals already known to scientists. One, for example, looks like a scorpion but is blind and whitish in colour. Among the invertebrates, there are four crustaceans and four terrestrial species. While scientific studies continue, the cave, which contains an underground lake, remains closed to the public.
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was a stopover on the road from Egypt to Damascus. Prior to the arrival of the Crusaders in the 11th century, Ramla was Palestine’s capital and it maintained its importance in the Middle Ages as the first stop for the Jerusalem-bound pilgrims who came ashore at Jaffa. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War the majority of the Arab population was forced to flee, and they were replaced by Jewish immigrants from various countries. Although just 20km southeast of Tel Aviv, Ramla is surprisingly untouristed, but its handful of Islamic and Christian monuments and friendly mixed population of Arabs and Jews make it worth a visit, especially for the Wednesday market.
Sights The Ramla Museum (x929 2650; cnr Herzl Ave & Shlomo HaMelech St; www.museum-ramla.org.il; admission 6NIS; h9am-4pm Sun-Thu, to 1pm Fri) Aside from
providing a basic overview of town’s history, it also acts as Ramla’s de facto tourist information centre. For 12NIS you can buy a joint ticket for the museum, the Tower of the 40 Martyrs and the Pool of St Helena. It stands in front of Ramla’s sprawling market and Great Mosque. The market is busiest on Wednesdays. The Church of St Nicodemus & St Joseph of Arimathea (admission free; h9am-noon Mon-Fri) was constructed in the 16th century on what Christians allege to be the site of biblical Arimathea, the hometown of Joseph, who is
Pool of St Helena......................4 B1 Ramla Museum .......................5 D1 Tower of the 40 Martyrs..........6 A2 Mosque of Hafeeza
EATING al-Yemeni Samir Restaurant......................7 C2 TRANSPORT Bus Station...............................8 D1
believed to have arranged the burial of Jesus with Nicodemus (John 19:38-39). Owned by the Franciscans, the church’s claim to fame is that Napoleon stayed in the adjacent monastery during his unsuccessful campaign against the Turks. The church itself has a distinctive square bell tower and a painting above the altar that is attributed to Titian (The Deposition from the Cross). The entrance to the church is off Bialik St, through the first gate on your left. Ring the bell and one of the monks living here will let you in. If the outer gate is also locked you’ll need to poke around for a key-keeper. The impressive, somewhat neglected Tower of 40 Martyrs (admission 5NIS; h8am-2.30pm Sun-Fri, 7.30am-3.30pm Sat) is a 14th-century minaret built as an addition to the 8thcentury White Mosque (Jamaa al-Abiad), of which only traces remain. The tower is named after 40 martyrs allegedly buried nearby. The inscription above the door to the tower, dating from 1318, indicates renovations at the site made by Sultan Muhammad Al-Nasir. An attendant should be on hand to let you inside the tower (views are best in the early morning). Set in pleasant gardens off HaHaganah St, the Pool of St Helena (admission 8NIS; h8am2.30pm Sun-Thu, to 2pm Fri, to 4pm Fri) is an 8thcentury reservoir that was reputedly built for Haroun ar-Rashid of The Thousand and One Nights fame, although the name it goes by refers to the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine. (In Arabic it’s called the
TEL AVIV
With its bustling market, underground pools and crumbling Islamic architecture, Ramla makes for an interesting half-day trip from Tel Aviv. It’s not quite as old as nearby Jaffa – history here stretches back ‘only’ 1300 years – but the town is noteworthy as the only one in Israel founded and originally developed by Arabs. Founded in AD 716 by the Umayyid caliph Suleiman, Ramla (‘spot of sand’)
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science museum where you can see how waves are made, spin on a gyroscope and play with numerous other toys that demonstrate the laws of physics. Also on the institute’s grounds next to the tombs of Dr Chaim Weizmann and his wife Vera is the Weizmann House (admission 15NIS). Designed by the renowned German architect Eric Mendelsohn, a refugee from Nazism, the house was built in 1937 in the international style. There is a museum inside, displaying his personal collection of
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The world-renowned Weizmann Institute of Science (x934 4500; www.weizmann.ac.il; h9am4pm) was named after the first president of Israel, Chaim Weizmann, who was a leading research chemist, and statesman. During WWI, Weizmann’s scientific researches proved valuable to the Allied war effort and the goodwill generated may have been a factor in squeezing the Balfour Declaration out of the British in 1917. The institute in its present form was established in 1934, on moshav (cooperative settlement) land, to provide facilities for research and study in the sciences. Students and staff continue the work today, conducting research into fields as wide-ranging as disease, agriculture, the environment and computer technology. As you enter the institute campus, on your right is the Wix library building that houses the visitors centre and multimedia presentation (adult/child 15/10NIS). Campus attractions include the Solar Tower Observation point, the History Pavilion, the Physics Pavilion and the Ziskin Building (where you can see a ‘super computer’ built in 1964). A highlight is the Clore Garden of Science (x934
The best way to Rehovot is by train (12.50NIS, 30 minutes) from any of the Tel Aviv stations. From the train station it’s a five-minute walk to the Institute. You can also catch a sherut (14NIS), departing frequently from the central bus station, or an Egged bus (No 201 or 301, 13.50NIS, 40 minutes, every 10 minutes).
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Ask any Israeli what they know about Rehovot and they will probably mention the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel’s premier research centre for applied sciences. The city itself is a relatively new creation, having been founded in 1890 by a group of ambitious Zionists from Poland. Rehovot, located 60km from Tel Aviv, is unspectacular, but the institute is easily reached by train and makes for a fine half-day trip.
photos, books and memorabilia, notably his passport (the first in Israel). Parked outside is the Lincoln limousine presented to Weizmann by Henry Ford Jr, one of only two ever made (the other was given to US President Truman).
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Pool of Al-Anazia and in Hebrew it’s called Breichat Hakeshatot, The Pool of Arches.) An attendant on hand will unlock the entrance when visitors arrive.
Eating Samir Restaurant (7 Shafik Adas St; dishes 25-35NIS; h8am-8pm) Stepping out of dusty Shafik
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owner will tick off the various meat kebabs and salads on offer.
Getting There & Away There are trains to Ramla (10NIS, 20 minutes) from Tel Aviv departing every 20 minutes through the day. Buses to Tel Aviv (10NIS, 40 minutes) run every 20 minutes, with slightly less-frequent services to Jerusalem (18NIS, 75 minutes). While buses to Tel Aviv depart until around 10pm, the last Jerusalem bus is at 8pm. TEL AVIV
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Adas St, the clock turns back several centuries in historic Samir, an ancient Arab home given a beautiful restorative touch. There is no English menu, but the friendly
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Haifa & the North Coast
The history of the north is largely based on its coastal cities, which for centuries have connected the Middle East and Europe. The harbour at Caesarea saw legions of Roman soldiers pass through its gates. Later, Akko welcomed Marco Polo and other travellers heading east. Haifa has recently taken over as the major port city, ushering in thousands of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. The north coast also offers some magnificent landscapes, including a string of white-sand beaches from the resort town of Nahariya straight up to the Lebanese border, culminating with the surf-pounded cliffs at Rosh HaNikra. There is some excellent hiking in the area, especially around Montfort and Carmel National Park. From the coast the land rises into tree-clad hillscapes, dotted with idyllic villages inhabited by an eclectic mix of Druze, Arabs and Jews. Russians have accounted for the majority of the new immigrants, and have done much to transform the cultural fabric of Haifa. Quaint communities have sprung up elsewhere, including an artist’s village in Ein Hod and the wine-producing town of Zichron Ya’acov. Tragically the north coast is also in the line of fire between Israel and Lebanon and fighting periodically spills across the border. Enjoy its natural beauty and history, but keep an ear to the ground for the latest developments.
HIGHLIGHTS Rosh HaNikra
Strolling through the gardens of the spectacular Baha’i Shrine of the Bab (p195) Tempting Armageddon at Megiddo (p214), a biblical site expected to host the end of the world
Akko
Imagining the glory of Herod’s great palaces at the archaeological site of Caesarea (p210) Exploring the ancient alleys and underground tunnels of Akko (p215), an extraordinary fortified town on the sea
Baha'i Shrine of the Bab
Feeling the spray of the sea as it surges through the grottoes of Rosh HaNikra (p222), close to the Lebanese border
Megiddo Caesarea
H A I FA & T H E N O R T H C O A S T
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Gifted with tranquil bays, a mild climate and natural resources, Israel’s north coast has always been a key centre of industry and a gateway to the Holy Land. This economic prosperity has attracted a variety of ethnic groups, making it one of the most heterogenous areas of the country.
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& Edith Hecht Museum (5.5km); Carmel National Park (6km); Isfiya & Daliyat al-Karmel (8km)
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The city’s name first appeared in 3rd-century Talmudic literature and, although its origin remains obscure, it’s been suggested that ‘Haifa’ is related to the Hebrew words hof yafe, which mean ‘beautiful coast’. A thousand years ago, Haifa was considered an important Arab town, but early in the 12th century it was destroyed in battles with the Crusaders. Nearby Akko superseded the town in importance, and at the time of the Ottoman conquest of Palestine, Haifa was an insignificant village. By the early 19th century, Haifa’s Jewish community had begun to increase. With the growth of political Zionism the town expanded quite dramatically, although early in the 20th century the population was still only 10,000. What today is the port area
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As the country’s major new port, Haifa was the first sight of the ‘Promised Land’ for shiploads of arriving Jewish immigrants. Prior to the British withdrawal from Palestine, Haifa became a Jewish stronghold and it was the first major area to be secured by the newly declared State of Israel in 1948. The city earned a reputation for liberalism, which, to a certain extent, it still maintains. The mostly secular Jewish community enjoys a better than average relationship with the local Arab population, who are mainly Christian. In recent years Haifa has shifted its economy from heavy industry to tech. This culminated in 2004 when two professors at Haifa’s Technion were awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry after describing the manner in which cells destroy unwanted proteins. IBM also maintains a strong presence here, with a research laboratory staffed by 600 people. When Katusha rockets started pummelling the city in the summer of 2006, the work carried on, with technicians uploading data from their laptops while hunkered down inside bomb shelters.
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There are plenty of bus and train links from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to Haifa and the north coast. If you are driving, it’s a straight shot up Hwy 2. There are also bus links to the Galilee region; drivers take Hwy 77 from Tiberias. The best way around the area is with your own car. If you choose not to hire one, Egged buses can get you to (or close to) most places, though you may have to put up with some long waits.
was then marshland, and the slopes of Mt Carmel were home only to grazing sheep. In 1898 Theodore Herzl, the founder of political Zionism, visited Haifa and visualised what lay ahead for the fledgling city: ‘Huge liners rode at anchor…a serpentine road led up to Mt Carmel’, and ‘at the top of the mountain there were thousands of white homes and the mountain itself was crowned with imposing villas’. His predictions have proved amazingly accurate. Haifa’s modern revival truly got under way with the construction of the Hejaz railway between Damascus and Medina in 1905, and the later development of lines to Akko and the south of the country. Land was reclaimed from the sea to create an area of offices and warehouses, and Haifa rapidly became the country’s shipping base, naval centre and oil terminal. Much of this development took place under the rule of the British Mandate – the British were the first to exploit Haifa’s naturally sheltered position as a harbour, bucking the ancient trend of favouring Caesarea and Akko.
To Haifa Airport, Lev HaMifratz Bus Terminal (3km); Hertz (3km); Akko (22km); Nahariya (31km)
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Getting There & Around
ing roads and one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, Haifa is one of the most picturesque cities in the Middle East. Its cultural fabric as a mixed city of tolerance between Arabs and Jews also makes it something of an anomaly in Israel. Traditionally a blue-collar city centred on its large port, Haifa’s working class has changed in recent years with the development of a hi-tech industry. The diverse economy has spurred development, bringing office parks and shopping malls to the outskirts, a trend that has sadly had a debilitating effect on the downtown commerce. There are signs of revival, however, thanks in part to the restoration of the old German Colony, now the city’s premier address for fine dining. Haifa has also spent the past few years developing an arts and culture community, improving museums and the like, but at heart it remains an industrial town, with attractions such as a technology museum and an enormous port-side grain silo. Haifa’s most striking feature is the Baha’i Gardens, an inspiring slash of green that cuts down the entire length of Mt Carmel. The religiously minded would also want to visit the holy sights of Elijah’s cave and the neo-Gothic Stella Maris Carmelite Church. Haifa’s central location and good transport links make it a useful base from which to explore the area. There is no great need to lug your bags up and down the coast when Akko, Caesarea and other highlights in the area can be visited on day trips.
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The north coast sees warm summer temperatures that reach into the low 30s Celsius, and winter temperatures dipping to the low teens. It’s one of the wettest parts of the country, with more than 150mm of rain in December and January, a fact that allows most of the region to stay green through the year.
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Orientation
EMERGENCY
TOURIST INFORMATION
BAHA’I GARDENS
Haifa is divided into three main tiers, with levels of affluence growing the further you head up the slopes of Mt Carmel. Travellers arriving from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem by bus or train are set down at Hof HaCarmel, which is about 5km south of the city – you’ll need to change to a local train or bus to reach Haifa Merkaz, the Port Area, which is within walking distance of the downtown area. The two major downtown roads are Ha’atzmaut St and, one block inland, Jaffa Rd. A familiar landmark is Kikar Paris (Paris Sq), the lower terminal of the city’s subway line (the Carmelit). One kilometre west of Kikar Paris is Ben-Gurion Ave, the main road of the trendy German Colony. About a half-kilometre hike uphill from Kikar Paris is the Hadar HaCarmel (Glory of the Carmel) area, or Hadar for short. Centred on Herzl St, Hadar is the city’s commercial centre, with a heavy concentration of shops, office blocks, restaurants and cafés. It’s a good place to brush up on your Russian as this is the language of choice here. The Carmel district occupies the higher slopes of the city, where exclusive residences benefit from cool breezes and magnificent views. The high street, HaNassi Ave, has several excellent restaurants and a youthful vibe. Many roads in Haifa run parallel to the coastline and are linked by steeply angled stairways. It is feasible to walk between some sections of the port area and Hadar, but the tiring slopes encourage you to use public transport to Carmel Centre.
Ambulance (x101) Fire (x102) Police (x100; 28 Jaffa Rd)
Haifa Tourism Development Association (Map
With every tree trimmed to perfection and every blade of grass seemingly cut to the exact same height, the 18 terraces of the Baha’i Gardens (Map p196; x831 3131; admission free; h9am-5pm Thu-Tue) are truly a sight to behold. The gardens are one of the two great holy places for members of the Baha’i faith (see The Baha’i, below), an independent movement that originated in Persia in the middle of the 19th century. The Baha’i are based in the area because the faith’s founder, Baha’ullah, spent 25 years imprisoned in nearby Akko. Baha’ullah visited Mt Carmel four times and announced to his son that this would be the final resting place for the remains of the Bab (Gate), his spiritual predecessor who died in Persia in 1850. The remains were brought to Haifa in 1909 and interred into the golden-domed Shrine of the Bab (h9am-noon), which combines the style and proportions of European architecture with designs inspired by the Orient. Truly an international building, it was designed by a Canadian architect and built with Italian stone and Dutch tiles.
INTERNET ACCESS
Internet Café (Map p196; x838 4692; 122 HaNassi
Ave; per hr 25NIS; h9am-midnight Sat-Thu, 9am-5pm Fri) At the top of the stairs at Gan Ha’em subway. Manilla (Map p196; x052 424 4445; 31 Nordau St; per hr 10NIS; h9am-6pm Sun-Thu, 9am-midnight Fri-Sat) Internet café in Hadar.
ISSTA (Map p196; x868 2227; www.issta.co.il; Bei Hakranot Bldg, 20 Herzl St) Books air tickets and sells student ID cards.
Sights
Free wireless hotspots can be found at Greg Coffee (p204), Mandarin (p204) and Dinner Rush (p203).
Haifa’s premier attraction is the Baha’i Gardens and this is where most travellers should head first if time is limited (you should make sure you have prebooked your visit). Museums are scattered around Wadi Nisnas, Hadar and Carmel Centre – all can be reached by foot and by subway. The maritime museums, Elijah’s Cave and the Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery are a few kilometres northwest and are best reached by bus.
INTERNET RESOURCES
www.haifa.muni.il Official website for the municipality.
www.tour-haifa.co.il Official website for the tourist board. Contains updates on what is happening around the city. LIBRARIES
University of Haifa Library (x824 0289; University of Haifa; h8.30am-7.45pm Sun-Thu, 8.30am-12.45pm Fri) Beautiful library with a large collection of Englishlanguage books and temporary art or historical exhibits. MEDICAL SERVICES
Rambam Medical Centre (Map p193; x1 700 505 150; Bat Galim) This is one of the largest hospitals in the country. MONEY
Free street maps are available at most hotels and the Haifa tourist office. The tourist office also sells a glossy map with a backside containing information on sights and activities.
Information
POST
BOOKSHOPS
Main Post Office (Map p196; 19 HaPalyam Ave;
Book Exchange (Map p196; x862 8540; 31 HeHalutz
h8am-12.30pm & 3.30-6pm Sun-Tue & Thu, 8am-1pm Wed, 8am-noon Fri) Located in the port area, 300m southeast of Kikar Paris. Post office German Colony (27 Ben-Gurion Ave); Hadar (cnr HaNevi’im & Shabtai Levi Sts) Another handy branch is behind the Haifa Tower.
St) Big selection of used books. Steimatzky Bookshop (Map p196; x866 4058; 16 Herzl St); Carmel Centre (130 HaNassi Ave) Steimatzky also has branches at the Hof HaCarmel train station, among other places.
TRAVEL AGENCIES
WI-FI ACCESS
The Bank Leumi and Bank HaPoalim main branches are both on Jaffa Rd, and you’ll find branches with ATMs along most city streets. Exchange bureaux are likewise common; in the Carmel Centre there is one at the corner of Wedgewood and HaNassi. Post offices marked on our map will change travellers cheques.
MAPS
p196; x853 5605, 1 800 305 090; www.tour-haifa.co .il; 48 Ben-Gurion Ave) Immediately at the foot of the Baha’i Gardens, this tourist office distributes several useful publications, including A Guide to Haifa Tourism and a city map (4NIS), which outlines four themed walking tours.
THE BAHA’I The Baha’i faith is one of the world’s youngest religions, established only in the middle of the 19th century. Its central belief is in equality and unity, and it clings to the notion that many prophets have appeared throughout history, including the likes of Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Jesus and Shakyamuni Buddha. The origins of the faith can be traced back to one Ali-Muhammad (1819–50), a native of Shiraz, Iran. In 1844 Ali declared that he was the ‘Promised One’, manifestation of the God and ‘the Bab’ (Gate) through which prophecies would be told. The charismatic Ali gathered up followers (called Babis) but was later arrested for heretical teachings and executed by firing squad in Tabriz. One prophecy of the Bab included the coming of ‘one whom God would make manifest’. In 1866, a Babi named Mizra Hussein Ali proclaimed that he was this Messianic figure and assumed the title of Baha’ullah, having received divine inspiration while imprisoned in Tehran’s infamous Black Pit. As with the Bab, Baha’ullah’s declarations were unwelcome in Persia and he was expelled first to Baghdad, and then Constantinople, Adrianople and finally the penal colony of Akko. Sitting in his cell in Akko he dedicated himself to laying down the tenets of a new faith, the Baha’i, which comes from the Arabic word baha (glory). Among his writings, Baha’ullah stated that one could not be born a Baha’i; at the age of 15, a person chooses whether or not they want to be Baha’i. He also spoke of gender equality, the oneness of mankind, world peace, the need for universal compulsory education and harmony between religion and the sciences. Baha’i now claim an estimated six million followers in more than 75 countries. Only a handful permanently resides in Israel as the Baha’ullah declared such an act to be sacrilegious. There are around 700 volunteers who come from abroad to serve in the World Centre (the Baha’i governing seat). Tradition dictates that once in their life a Baha’i must make a pilgrimage to Haifa to walk up the 1400 steps of the Baha’i Gardens.
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The tomb, which was completed in 1953, is considered one of the two most sacred sites for the world’s six million Baha’is (the other site is the tomb of Mizra Hussein Ali outside nearby Akko; see p195 for details). Visitors to the shrine must remove their shoes and be modestly dressed (no shorts or bare shoulders).
Higher up the hill, behind the shrine, stands the Universal House of Justice, an impressive, classically styled pseudo-temple that also belongs to the Baha’i but is closed to the public. While the lower gardens were built in the 1960s, the construction of the upper gardens was made between 1987 and 2001, at a price 0 0
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tag of US$250 million. Pilgrims solemnly tread uphill, soothed by the sounds of the lapping water as it flows past the steps. The 18 terraces have a distinctly European feel, with wrought-iron gates opening up to stone balustrades, sculptures, fountains and impossibly steep walls of grass. One hundred full-time gardeners are on hand to maintain the site. The Baha’i Gardens are accessible to the general public only on guided tours, which must be prebooked well in advance. Meet at the appointed time at Ye’fe Nof St at the top of the garden (and a little down to the left, look for the sign). Baha’i pilgrims, however, can organise individual entry. Further downhill on Ye’fe Nof St, west of the Baha’i Gardens, is the Ursula Malbin Sculpture Garden (Map p193; www.malbin-sculpture .com; Gan HaPesalim, HaZiyonut Blvd), a small park filled with contemporary bronze sculptures focusing mainly on children at play. Ursula Malbin is a Berlin-born sculptor who fled Nazi Germany in 1939. Since 1967 she has split her time working in Ein Hod and Switzerland. INFORMATION American Consulate....................1 Bank HaPoalim........................... 2 Bank Leumi.................................3 Book Exchange........................... 4 Exchange Bureau........................ 5 Haifa Tourism Development Association............................. 6 Internet Café.............................. 7 ISSTA.......................................... 8 Kiryat Rabin (Sail Building).......... 9 Main Post Office...................... 10 Manilla..................................... 11 Police Station............................12 Post Office................................13 Post Office................................14 Post Office............................... 15 SPNI Haifa.................................16 Steimatzky Bookshop................ 17 Steimatzky Bookshop............... 18 Ulpan Emunah..........................19 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Al-Kebir Mosque...................... 20 Baha'i Gardens..........................21 Beit HaGefen Arab-Jewish Centre...................................22 Chagall Artists' House...............23 Dagon Grain Silo.......................24 Esteklayl Mosque...................... 25 Haifa Art Museum.....................26 Haifa City Museum....................27 Mane Katz Museum................. 28 National Museum of Science, Planning & Technology.........29
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As Haifa quickly rose up Mt Carmel during its great expansion in the early 20th century, real estate speculators banked on the top of the hill. Not only were the views great, but the hill top enjoyed a pleasant breeze and was always a few degrees cooler than the port area. The Carmel Centre, as it became known, was soon home to a clutch of five-star hotels plus a quaint street lined with cafés and boutiques. Cultural life has improved with the installation of a cinematheque that screens art house films. As you stroll behind the hotels you’ll spot the entrance for the Mane Katz Museum (Map p196; x838 3482; 89 Ye’fe Nof St; admission free; h10am-4pm Sun-Mon & Wed-Thu, 2-6pm Tue, 10am1pm Fri, 10am-2pm Sat). Mane Katz (1894–1962),
an influential member of the group of Jewish Expressionists based in Paris earlier in the 20th century, was given this home by the Haifa city authorities in return for the bequest of his works to the city. Back on HaNassi, next to the Dan Carmel hotel, is the somewhat incongruous Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art (Map p196; x838
Railway Museum...................... 30 Shrine of the Bab...................... 31 Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art........................................ 32 Universal House of Justice........ 33 SLEEPING Baloutin Rosa............................34 Beth Rutenberg Hostel.............. 35 Beth Shalom Hotel.................... 36 Dan Carmel.............................. 37 Dan Panorama Hotel................ 38 Haifa Tower............................. 39 Holiday Inn Bayview.................40 Molada Guest House................ 41 Nof Hotel................................. 42 Port Inn.................................... 43 St Charles Hospice....................44 EATING Arabica..................................... 45 B Bagels.................................... 46 Beneno.....................................47 Canibar Village......................... 48 Dinner Rush.............................. 49 Douzan.....................................50 Fatoush.....................................51 Felafel Michelle.........................52 Greg Coffee.............................. 53 Hashmura 1872........................54 Jacko Seafood........................... 55 Mandarin.................................. 56 Mayan Habira........................... 57 Shamli...................................... 58 Yan Yan.................................... 59
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3554; www.hms.org.il; adult/student 29/22NIS; 89 HaNassi Ave; h10am-4pm Mon-Wed, 4-9pm Thu, 10am-1pm Fri, 10am-3pm Sat) and its unique collection of Far
Eastern works. The museum, founded by Felix Tikotin in 1957, features everything from 14th-century Buddhist scroll art to pottery, metal work and newer exhibits on Japanese animation and even Pokémon. On the crest of Carmel, across from the upper Carmelit subway station, is Gan Ha’em (Mother’s Park), a cool swath of greenery with an arcade of shops and cafés, and an amphitheatre that hosts summer evening concerts. The northern area of the park is given over to an extremely attractive small zoo (Map tile house and microhabitats that are home to bears, lions, monkeys and other creatures. There is also a rogue peacock that bolts past unsuspecting visitors (watch out!). Within the grounds of the zoo you can also enter the M Stekelis Museum of Prehistory, the Biological Museum and the Natural History Museum. Hours for the museums are the same as the zoo and one ticket is good for all the sites. Bus No 21, 28 or 37 (departing from bus stops downtown or the bus stations) will take you to the zoo. GERMAN COLONY
At least once during your stay in Haifa, walk up Ben-Gurion Ave from Jaffa Rd and enjoy the splendour that is the German Colony backed by the cascading lights of the Baha’i Gardens. The colony (really just this street), was renovated in the 1990s into the city’s premier address for shopping and dining, with many of its buildings restored and given plaques that describe the history of the area. Haifa’s tourist information centre is also located here. Part of the renovation required that the entire street be moved 168cm, so that its centre divide would line up with the staircase of Baha’i Gardens. The colony was established in 1869 by the Templers (not to be confused with the Knights of the Templars), a Christian society that aimed to help Palestine ready itself for the second coming of Christ. The Templers built seven colonies in Palestine and are credited with developing the country in the late 1900s, providing improved methods of transportation, technology and agriculture.
The colony built contained attractive stone houses with steep red-shingled roofs. It impressed the Baha’ullah, the founder of the Baha’i faith, and was visited by Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1898. Germans continued to live in the colony until WWII when the British threw them out as suspected Nazi collaborators. Dramatised tours of the German Colony, led by actor-guides, describe the history of the colony and are done Saturdays at 11am. Call for a reservation on x1 800 305 090. Near the bottom of Ben-Gurion Ave is the Haifa City Museum (Map p196; x851 2030; 11 Ben-Gurion Ave; adult/child 20/10NIS; h10am-4pm Mon & Wed-Thu, 4-8pm Tue, 10am-1pm Fri, 10am-3pm Sat), which
displays revolving exhibitions by local artists. The building in which it is housed was once a conference hall and later served as a school. HADAR
The busiest area of commerce in Haifa, Hadar is a rash of shops and restaurants covering a low foothill between the Carmel Centre and the port. Herzl, the main thoroughfare of Hadar, was the city’s original residential district but is now a little worse for wear. Pedestrianised Nordau St has become a favoured haunt of the city’s Russian immigrant community, so much so that it now bears an uncanny resemblance to Moscow’s Arbat. An exception to Hadar’s shabbiness is the elegant 1920s concoction of European Orientalism that is the National Museum of Science, Planning & Technology (Map p196; x862
8111; www.netvision.net.il/inmos; Technion Bldg, Shemaryahu Levin St, Hadar; adult/senior/child/student 35/17.5/ 20/25NIS; h9am-4pm Sun-Mon & Wed-Thu, 9am-7.30pm Tue, 10am-2pm Fri, 10am-6pm Sat). Sometimes re-
ferred to as the Technodea, the museum specialises in interactive exhibits, of which it has more than 250, and it’s a great place to visit with children. Audio guides are available for a reasonable 3NIS. WADI NISNAS
Haifa’s grizzled old Christian-Arab quarter, Wadi Nisnas, is a maze of twisting streets that tumble from Hadar down towards the port area. The sandy block architecture, heavily laden donkey carts and smells of cumin and cardamom firmly place Haifa back in the Middle East. To get a feel for the place, walk downhill from the Haifa Art Museum and through the Arab market. You’ll spot displays
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of public art, hardware shops, narrow alleys and plenty of felafel stands to suppress your hunger. In December and January there is a unique ongoing festival here that celebrates Hanukkah, Christmas and Ramadan. The Haifa Art Museum (Map p196; x852 3255; www.hms.org.il; 26 Shabtai Levi St; adult/senior/child/ student 22/11/16/16NIS; h10am-4pm Mon & Wed-Thu, 4-8pm Tue, 10am-1pm Fri, 10am-3pm Sat) is a mu-
seum of modern art, containing temporary multimedia displays created by local artists. The same ticket (good for three days) will also get you into the Haifa City Museum and the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art. A block west of the Haifa Art Museum, and on the corner of Herzlia St, is the Chagall Artists’ House (Map p196; x852 2355; 24
HaZiyonut Blvd; admission free; h9am-1pm & 4-7pm SunThu, 10am-1pm Sat) which displays the work of
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to Cairo or north to Beirut or Damascus. To get there follow HaPalyam Ave past the mosque – the museum is a few minutes’ walk further, on the left. There is no reason to visit the port area, unless you are catching a ferry to Cyprus or have a keen interest in seeing Israel’s entrepôt for grain. The enormous Dagon grain silo (Map p196; x866 4221; Plummer Sq) is the distinctive fortresslike construction on Ha’atzmaut St that dominates the skyline of lower Haifa. There’s a museum within the plant where you can take a free guided tour to learn something about the other oldest profession: the cultivation, handling, storing and distribution of grain. Tours are at 10.30am Sunday to Friday, and the museum closes for the day once the tour is over.
contemporary Israeli artists. Further along HaZiyonut Blvd, on the corner of HaGefen St, is the Beit HaGefen Arab-Jewish Centre (Map p196; x852 5252), which sponsors joint ArabJewish social activities, and could be worth a visit – check to see if there are any social events or lectures during your stay.
MARITIME MUSEUMS
DOWNTOWN & PORT AREA
may sound a bit bland but it’s actually quite fascinating and worth a visit. The museum deals with the successes and failures of the Zionists’ illegal attempts to infiltrate into British-blockaded Palestine in the 1930s and ’40s. The centrepiece of the museum (quite literally – the building has been constructed around it) is a boat, the Af-Al-PiChen (Hebrew: Nevertheless), whose hold carried 434 refugees to Palestine in 1947. The boat was intercepted by the British and its passengers were forced into internment camps in Cyprus. Other stories are told about the famed Exodus, a ship that carried over 4500 passengers that was forced back to Germany, and the Struma, which sank off the coast of Istanbul, killing all but one of its 767 passengers. The neighbouring National Maritime Museum (Map p193; x853 6622; 198 Allenby Rd; adult/ child 29/22NIS) deals with the history of shipping in the Mediterranean area. The collection contains old maps, models of ancient ships, navigation equipment and bits and pieces of sunken ships. For 45NIS you can buy a combo ticket for this museum, the Haifa Art Museum and the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art.
Shopping malls in outlying suburbs did much to kill off downtown business, and shop owners wistfully remember days of a better economy. But signs of life have returned in the past few years, helped by some new bars along Jaffa Rd near Kikar Paris. The best time to visit is on Friday afternoons when a craft market spills onto Jaffa Rd, drawing artists from around the region who come to sell their work. The oldest buildings in the city are located in this area. About 100m east of Kikar Paris you’ll spot the dilapidated AlKebir Mosque (Great Mosque), which has a curiously un-Islamic minaret resembling nothing so much as a provincial English town clock tower. A short distance away is the better maintained, typically Ottoman Esteklayl Mosque (Independence Mosque), still in use for worship. Housed in the old Haifa East train station, the Railway Museum (Map p196; adult/student 8/6NIS; x856 4293; Faisal Sq; h9am-noon Sun, Tue & Thu) features a collection of stamps, photo-
graphs, tickets, timetables and rolling stock. Old timetables remind you that you could at one time travel from here by train south
Across the road from Bat Galim, and around 2km west of the German Colony, are a couple of museums as well as one of Israel’s holiest sites. The Clandestine Immigration & Navy Museum (Map p193; x853 6249; www.amutayam.org.il; 204 Allenby Rd; adult/child 10/5NIS; h8.30am-4pm Sun-Thu)
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p196; x837 1833; adult/child 30/15NIS; h9am-6pm SatThu, 9am-2pm Fri), which sports an aviary, a rep-
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ELIJAH’S CAVE
A holy place for three faiths, Elijah’s Cave lieved to have hidden from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel after he slew the 450 priests of Ba’al (Kings 1:17-19). There is also a Christian tradition that the Holy Family sheltered here on their return from Egypt, hence the alternative Christian name, Cave of the Madonna. Enter the cave in modest dress. Although prior to 1948 the cave was a mosque dedicated to Khadar (the Green Prophet), Elijah in Muslim guise, these days the rock chamber is usually crammed full of praying Haredim. Outside, the garden is a favourite picnic spot for local Christian Arabs. The cave is located over the road from the National Maritime Museum and up a narrow string of steps. To reach the cave and the museums take bus No 5, 26, 43, 44, 45 or 47. The path running by Elijah’s Cave leads, after a short, steep ascent, to the Carmelite Monastery. STELLA MARIS CARMELITE MONASTERY & CABLE CARS
The Carmelites are a Catholic order that originated in the late 12th century when a band of Crusaders, inspired by the prophet Elijah, opted for a hermetic life on the western slopes of Mt Carmel (hence the name). The desired solitude was rarely granted as, over the centuries, the Carmelites suffered Muslim persecution, frequently having to abandon their monasteries. Occasionally, the Carmelites did have a hand in their own misfortune, as in 1799 when they extended their hospitality to Napoleon during his campaign against the Turks. The French lost their battle for the region and the Carmelites lost their monastery. The present monastery and church, built over what the Carmelites believe to be a cave where Elijah lived, dates from 1836 after the previous buildings were destroyed in 1821 by Abdullah, pasha of Akko. It’s worth visiting the church (Map p193; x833 7758; h6am-noon & 3-6pm) to view the beautiful painted ceiling, which portrays Elijah and the famous chariot of fire (in which he ascended to heaven), King David with his harp, the saints of the order, the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel and David, and the Holy Family with the
four evangelists below. A small adjoining museum contains ruins of former cloisters dating from Byzantine and Crusader times. The pyramid in the garden close by the church’s entrance is the tomb of French soldiers commemorating those who died during Napoleon’s campaign. To get to the monastery take bus No 26 from Hadar, or 31 from Carmel Centre. There is also a cable car (Map p193; x833 5970; one-way/return 16/22NIS; h10am-6pm) that runs up to the monastery from Bat Galim Promenade below, not far from the cave and museums. While the views from the cabins aren’t as good as those from the observation point on Stella Maris Rd up at the top, on a hot day you’d certainly want to skip climbing to the monastery. UNIVERSITY OF HAIFA
One of Israel’s premier places of higher learning, University of Haifa (x824 0111; www .haifa.ac.il; Mount Carmel), 5.5km south of Carmel Centre, covers all areas of academia, but specialises in the liberal arts. There is another spin on ‘higher learning’ here as the university is perched spectacularly on the summit of Mt Carmel with views of Haifa and far beyond. The best place to take in the panorama is from the observation deck of the 27-storey Eshkol Tower, which was designed by the renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. The basement of the Eshkol Tower houses the impressive Reuben & Edith Hecht Museum (x825 7773; www.mushecht.haifa.ac.il; admission free; h10am-4pm Sun-Mon & Wed-Thu, 10am-7pm Tue, 10am-1pm Fri, 10am-2pm Sat), which houses a
fine collection of archaeological artefacts relating to Jewish history before the Diaspora. There is plenty of ancient pottery, weapons and even a pair of 2100-year-old petite-sized sandals. The museum highlight is a 5th-century-BC Greek ship found near Caesarea in 1984. It has been carefully rebuilt and placed in a specially designed annexe of the museum. An art wing upstairs contains sections on French Impressionist and Jewish art from the 19th and 20th centuries. Among the works are paintings by Monet, Pissaro and Van Gogh. Near Eshkol Tower, check out the open air museum, a collection of ancient buildings brought here from other parts of Israel and reconstructed. There are several buildings
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from the Negev and an oil press from Kastra, on the Carmel Coast. Tours of the university can be made, but by advance booking only; call x824 0097 to make a reservation. To get to the university take bus No 37 from outside the Carmel Centre, bus 24 from downtown or bus No 46 from the Hof HaCarmel train station. CARMEL HAI BAR
The Carmel Hai Bar (x984 1750; adult/child 18/8; h8am-4pm) is a functioning wildlife preserve
where wild goats, wild sheep and deer are bred and monitored until they can be released into the wild. The entrance to the reserve is on Rte 672, about 300m past the Haifa University. It’s a good idea to call first as hours are sporadic. The preserve is on the edge of Carmel National Park, known locally as the Shveytsaria HaK’tana (Little Switzerland). It is renowned for its fertility; vineyards covered the area in ancient times and the name Carmel is derived from the Hebrew Kerem-El (Vineyard of God). For some pleasant walking or for a picnic, take bus No 92 from Herzl St in Hadar or Carmel Centre and just get off when it gets green enough for you.
Activities BEACHES & POOLS
Ports tend to make a mess of the coast so it’s not too surprising that Haifa’s beaches are infamously toxic and strewn with garbage. Case in point is Bat Galim beach (Map p193), considered one of the best surf breaks in the country and host to international competitions – surfers constantly lament its piles of rusting metal, bricks, concrete, disused furniture and other refuse. You might want to try the religious HaShaqet Beach (Map p193), located on the east side of Rambam Medical Centre, which is open to men Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and open to women Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Saturday is mixed. If you really fancy some sun-worshipping in Haifa, you should head for the much more attractive Hof HaCarmel Beach, located near the Hof HaCarmel train station in the south of the city. The beach has an inviting promenade with a number of restaurants and cafés, some of them upscale places serving steak and seafood. Folk dancing is held here on Saturdays (11am February to
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June and 7pm July to January). Trains from Haifa Merkaz come here every 20 minutes for 5NIS. Zamir and Dado beaches north of Hof HaCarmel are also quite clean. The Maccabi pool (x838 8341; 19 Bikkurim St; admission 40NIS) has two heated swimming pools and a fitness room. From Gan Ha’em subway station, walk south down HaNassi Ave, which becomes Bikurim St. Some of the large hotels, such as the Dan Carmel, also open their pools to nonresidents, with admission fees around 50NIS to 80NIS. OTHER ACTIVITIES
If you enjoy horse riding, visit Bet Oren riding stables (x830 7262, 830 7242), which offers rides for 100NIS per hour. Prices come down if you come with a group. Bet Oren is a 20-minute drive south of Haifa, just off the road to Daliyat al-Karmel. For adrenaline junkies there is skydiving (x639 1068) at Hof HaBonim, south of Haifa. A tandem jump costs around US$245. Scuba divers can explore the dive sites off the coast with Ze’ev Hayam Diving Club (x832 3911, 866 2005; Kishon Fishing Harbour); they have an eight-day PADI diving course (1100NIS) and dives for certified divers. Another way to explore the Med is to take a boat tour (x841 8765; adult/child 40/25NIS) around Haifa Bay. Departures are from the Kishon Fishing Harbour. Tours are held Sunday to Thursday 8am to 4pm and Friday 10am to 1pm with advance booking.
Courses Ulpan Emunah (Map p196; x862 8142; 20 YL Peretz
St) Language courses are held five days a week from 5pm to 8pm. Enrolment is US$540 per month and courses generally last six months. University of Haifa Ulpan (x054 279 5649; www .uhaifa.org; University of Haifa) Charges US$850 for a fourweek intensive language course at the university 5.5km south of Carmel Centre.
Tours The Haifa Tourism Development Association organises a free guided walking tour every Saturday at 10.30am; meet behind the Nof Hotel (101 HaNassi Ave) in Carmel Centre. The guide leads you down to the Haifa City Museum (cover your own admission), taking in most of the sights en route – including the Baha’i Shrine of the Bab, so dress modestly. It’s not exactly mind-blowing,
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(Map p193; admission free; h8am-5pm Sun-Thu, 8.30am12.45pm Fri) is where the prophet Elijah is be-
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but it’s a convenient way to get your initial bearings in Haifa.
Sleeping Haifa has plenty of high-end accommodation in the Carmel Centre but budget options are a little spread out and not too plentiful. For anywhere you want to stay, call ahead and reserve a room, especially in July and August, when sudden waves of Baha’i pilgrims can make accommodation very scarce. Beth Rutenberg Hostel (Map p196; x838 7958; 77 HaNassi Ave; dm US$22; a) Close to Molada Guesthouse is this cheaper hostel, which is run by the same institute. Phone ahead during normal working hours to secure a bed. The building itself was built in 1939 by Pinchas Rutenberg, founder of the Haifa Electric Corporation. Templers planted the garden that surrounds the building. After Rutenberg’s death the building was used as a youth centre, and it continues in this capacity today. Baloutin Rosa (Map p196; x852 4972; 49 BenGurion Ave; s/d US$25/30; a) The proprietors of this German Colony homestay let out an extra room in their home. It’s not too glamorous, but it has a great location on this trendy street near the Baha’i Gardens. Carmel HI Hostel (x853 1944; www.iyha.org.il; dm/s/ d US$20/37.50/56; a) Comfortable and friendly, this place is close to the Hof HaCarmel train and bus station, but less convenient for Haifa’s main tourist attractions. Take bus No 3 or 114 from the Hof HaCarmel station or 43 or 45 from downtown. St Charles Hospice (Map p196; x855 3705; stcharls@
netvision.net.il; 105 Jaffa Rd; s/d/tr, with breakfast US$35/ 60/75) Sometimes called the ‘German Guest-
house’, St Charles is owned by the Latin Patriarchate and run by the Catholic Rosary Sisters. It’s housed in a beautiful building and there is a lovely garden out back. Rooms are simple but comfortably furnished, well maintained and come equipped with fans and private showers. The gate is often locked so you’ll need to ring the bell to enter. Molada Guest House (Map p196; x838 7958; www
.rutenberg.org.il; 82 HaNassi Ave; s/d, with breakfast US$40/60; a) Run by the Rutenberg Institute for Youth
Education, this DIY guesthouse has large rooms with single beds, a desk and hot-water showers. As it’s designed to house students there’s a distinct college dormitory feel, with
an unkempt kitchen and living room. But it’s also empty most of the time so you feel like you have the place to yourself. There is no reception but someone is usually around during daytime hours to let you in. After hours, ring the doorbell and somebody will let you in. It is opposite the Dan Carmel hotel. oPort Inn (Map p196; x852 4401; www
.portinn.co.il; 34 Jaffa Rd; dm/s/d/tr US$14/47/66/84; ai ) The comfortable sitting lounge
and friendly reception at the Port Inn will have you dropping your bags at first sight. Recently renovated rooms are simply furnished, with neat bedding and spotless bathrooms. Dorm rooms are comfortable but you’ll need to book ahead to reserve a lower bunk – this place does get busy. There’s a communal kitchen with an attached lounge where guests can watch TV or browse the bookshelf. Breakfast (extra 20NIS) is prepared by the family that runs the place and includes a freshly cooked omelette, juice, toast and spreads. Laundry service is available for 40NIS. The owners are also a great source of local information and can give tips on transportation and will even help book you a place on the Baha’i Gardens tour. MIDRANGE
Haifa Tower (Map p196; x867 7111; 63 Herzl St; s/d, with breakfast US$55/65; a) This distinctive multitiered building rises incongruously out of the Hadar district. Its best days seem behind it and rooms appear to have been decorated when Golda Mier was in office, but it’s still a functional midrange option that won’t break your bank. Best of all, it’s usually empty so it can be a fall-back if Baha’i pilgrims have filled up other hotels. Stella Maris Hospice (Map p193; x833 2084; Carmelite Monastery; s/d, with breakfast US$40/70; a)
It’s not the most convenient place to stay in Haifa, but the Stella Maris Hospice does offer plenty of old-world charm and some great views over the bay. The hospice is run by the Carmelite order and geared towards Christian pilgrims, but there is plenty of room for independent travellers, so long as they don’t mind the simple rooms, sombre atmosphere and 11pm curfew. Bus Nos 26, 30, 31, 99 and 115 stop near the hospice. You’ll need to ring the bell at the gate to get inside. Beth Shalom Hotel (Map p196; x837 7481; www
.beth-shalom.co.il; 110 HaNassi Ave; s/d/tr, with breakfast
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US$60/84/108; a) In the Carmel Centre district, this is a basic but comfortable Lutheran ‘evangelical guesthouse’. Each of the 30 rooms is brightly lit, spotless and nicely renovated with hardwood floors. It’s a homy place with a garden and a small library. There is a comfortable lounge, and complimentary hot and cold drinks are served throughout the day. Dinner is available for an additional US$10. From downtown take the metro. TOP END
Dan Panorama Hotel (Map p196; x835 2222; www
.danhotels.co.il; 107 HaNassi Ave; s/d, with breakfast US$153/ 166; ais) The Panorama, conveniently
located in the heart of the Carmel Centre, offers just about every imaginable facility, including a pool, gym, sauna and internet room. There is even an attached mall if you need to go on spur-of-the-moment shopping sprees. Rooms are tastefully decorated, although none have balconies. Nof Hotel (Map p196; x835 4311; www.inisrael.com
/nof; 101 HaNassi Ave; s/d with breakfast US$84/104; ais) This 86-room four-star hotel
breaks up the Dan monopoly in the Carmel Centre. It’s a bit smaller than the other hotels in this category, but the service is excellent and they are slowly improving the place (a spa centre was being built when we visited). The hotel has free wi-fi, a business centre and a kosher Chinese restaurant. Similar to other hotels on this strip, the upper rooms in the hotel offer great views of Haifa Bay. Holiday Inn Bayview (Map p196; x835 0835; www
.holiday-inn.com/haifaisrael; 111 Ye’fe Nof St; s/d, with breakfast US$159/179; ais) Perched on the
edge of Carmel Heights, the Holiday Inn plunges down from street level nine floors. It’s the newest and most modern hotel in the area, with a welcoming lobby that features a comfy green sofa under a glass dome. A variety of facilities includes a sauna, gym, Jacuzzi, pool, business centre and free wi-fi. Attractive rooms are brightly lit with sufficient work space and a minibar.
Eating RESTAURANTS
Dinner Rush (Map p196; x836 1908; 122 HaNassi Ave; dishes 25NIS; hnoon-1am) A concept bar, this one has the bartenders doubling as chefs who serve up American diner-style food – pasta, burgers and chicken wings. Portions are large, reasonably priced and usually satis-
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fying, but avoid the disappointing goulash. The food comes up hot and fast; it’s right next to the Gan Ha’em metro station. Hashmura 1872 (Map p196; x855 1872; 15 BenGurion Ave; dishes 39-105NIS; hnoon-midnight Sun-Thu, noon-8pm Fri & Sat) The premier dining address
in the German Colony, Hashmura 1872 does a range of pasta, chicken, steak and lamb dishes, but the speciality is seafood. Shrimp, carpaccio (thinly sliced raw fish) or squid starters cost 39NIS to 55NIS, and salmon, bream or mussel mains are 72NIS to 80NIS. A glass floor reveals the extensive wine cellar in the historic 1872 basement, where there’s also an atmospheric pub. Yan Yan (Map p196; x866 0022; 28 Jaffa Rd; main dishes 35-50NIS; hnoon-11pm) Friendly downtown place serving excellent Chinese and Vietnamese fare. The Chinese business lunch costs 39.50NIS and in the evening there’s a 49NIS all-you-can-eat special. Prices are cheaper for takeaway, making it a popular option for travellers staying in the nearby Port Inn. Jacko Seafood Central Haifa (Map p196; x866 8813; 12 Qehilat Saloniki St; dishes 55-65NIS; hnoon-midnight); Carmel Centre (11 Moriah Blvd) Something of a Haifa
institution, Jacko has been a consistent purveyor of seafood dishes for the past 30 years. Top marks to the excellent fish dishes, including salmon, bream, bass, shark, triggerfish and St Peter’s fish. These can be prepared a half-dozen ways; try the house speciality, the Jacko, cooked in butter, garlic and white wine. Other underwater critters (calamari, crab or shrimp) are also available, plus there are grilled Turkish kebabs. Fatoush (Map p196; x852 4930; 38 Ben-Gurion Ave; dishes 40-60NIS; h8am-1am) Set up like a medieval Arabic house, complete with burgundy cushions, nargileh (water pipes) and candle lamps, Fatoush is an atmospheric and popular restaurant serving a fusion of Western and Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s named after a kind of salad eaten by poor people of the Levant – a Middle Eastern version of peasant pie – but there is much more to the menu than fatoush. Try the aroos al-wadi (pride of the valley), baked bread topped with minced calf meat, or tasty seafood dishes. You can dine inside a cavernous underground chamber or, in pleasant weather, it’s just as nice to eat under the olive trees on the street-side patio. Mayan Habira (Fountains of Beer; Map p196; x862 3193; 4 Nathanson St; h10am-5pm Wed-Mon,
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of Haifa, this restaurant can place before you parts of animals that you may have never tasted before. The classically Eastern European menu, created by the Romanian family that runs the place, includes jellied calf’s foot, gefilte fish, chopped liver and petshai (boiled calf’s leg). You can also try kreplach, a meat-stuffed dumpling known affectionately as a ‘Jewish wonton’. Douzan (Map p196; x852 5444; 35 Ben-Gurion Ave; dishes 25NIS; h10am-1am) Douzan means ‘to tune an instrument’. Likewise the atmosphere and food in this restaurant is meant to tune your senses. Decorated with old clocks, musical instruments, antique furnishings and velvet cushions, owner Fadi Najar has created a harmonious atmosphere and is proud that both Arabs and Jews dine together under his roof. The food is all home cooked, prepared by Fadi’s mother Leila. It’s a fusion of French and Arab recipes, with specials like chicken cordon bleu, and some unexpected treats such as sfeeha (small meat pie topped with feta cheese and pine nuts). Canibar Village (Map p196; x864 4622; 5 AlPasha St; dishes 25-40NIS; h11.30am-2am) A play on words gives this meat restaurant and bar combo its name. The interior design is one of stone walls and vines, but it’s made hip by the blood-red lighting and flat-panel TVs that show music videos. It’s a popular place for lunch among the downtown business set, but gets going as a singles bar after dark. Come on a Friday night before stepping into Luna dance club, next door. CAFÉS
Mandarin (Map p196; x838 0691; 129 HaNassi Ave; dishes 30-50NIS; h8.30am-1am) Step off busy HaNassi Ave, down past a gardenlike entrance with the sign ‘Mandarin’ and you’ll assume you’re headed for a Chinese restaurant. Where you actually end up is a quaint café with a wood deck and cosy interior set to a soundtrack of funk and blues. The menu features soups, salads, big sandwiches and pastas. There is live jazz on Thursdays and free wi-fi for laptop users. Arabica (Map p196; x810 7761; 96 HaNassi Ave; dishes
40NIS; h10am-midnight Sun-Thu, 9am-3am Fri, 5pm-1am Sat) This pastel-painted European-style café
is big on homemade items – everything is made from scratch. The menu is geared towards the sandwich and salad crowd, and
caffeine lovers will appreciate the 100% pure Arabica coffee. Beneno (Map p196; x 852 4155; 49 Hillel St; h9.30am-1am Sun-Fri, noon-1am Sat) An artsy café shuttered in a quiet neighbourhood halfway up the mountain, Beneno serves a simple menu of sandwiches, soups and salads. Its closest landmark is the Shrine of the Bab so it does tend to get a few Baha’i pilgrims. It’s also a meeting place for Haifa’s gay and lesbian community. It’s a short walk from the Masada subway station. Greg Coffee (Map p196; 3 Derekh HaYam St; h7am1am) Decorated with kettles and jars of spices and coffee beans, Greg might remind you of your mum’s kitchen back home. Aside from the homy feel, you get excellent coffee and brownies, while laptop users can access the free wi-fi. QUICK EATS
Felafel Michelle (Map p196; 21 Wadi Nisas Rd; h8am6pm Mon-Sat) Serves up what many locals claim to be the best felafel in Haifa. As you are walking east on Wadi Nisas Rd, look for the hole-in-the-wall on the left side of the road. Shamli (Map p196; 130 HaNassi St; h11am-midnight Sat-Thu, 11am-9pm Fri) Putting a twist on shwarma, this small eatery serves grilled meats and sausages (as opposed to meat cut from a spit) inside pita with various toppings. B Bagels (Map p196; x837 7676; 121 HaNassi Ave; h7am-4am Sun-Thu, 24hr Fri & Sat) This small eatery sells bagels with cream cheese, lox and other toppings. It’s next to the Carmel Centre subway station. Around the HaNevi’im St end of HeHalutz St, you’ll find a wide range of excellent felafel and shwarma, as well as bakeries selling sweet pastries, sticky buns and other delights. The other prime shwarma area is Allenby Rd, around HaZiyonut Blvd. For fruit and vegetables, shop at the little Arab bazaars in Wadi Nisnas or Hadar.
Drinking For an evening out, locals head for the trendy bars and cafés along Moriah St and the environs of Carmel Centre. A handful of bars and nightclubs are clustered around downtown. Beer House (Map p196; x822 9750; Gan Ha’em Park; h7pm-late) The Beer House is a little downtrodden but if you are after some very nice beer it’s hard to beat. The bartender can guide you through the complexities of
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WHAT TO DO ON SHABBAT IN HAIFA With a little planning, the Shabbat shutdown shouldn’t have too much of a negative impact on your visit to Haifa. To begin, things do not shut down entirely as one quarter of the city is Arab and their lives carry on as usual. The liberal municipality makes things easier by keeping some sights open as well as transportation links, though they have a late starting time of around 9.30am. Start off a Saturday morning with a visit to the Baha’i Shrine of the Bab and Gardens. Other museums that remain open at least part of the day include the Mane Katz and the Science and National Maritime museums. The free Saturday morning guided walking tour takes in a number of these places. Or take bus No 23 from HaNevi’im St in Hadar up to Carmel Central where Gan Ha’em, the zoo, the museums and the cafés and restaurants are all open. The Arab Market and grocers in Wadi Nisnas stay open, as do some of the felafel merchants, the bakeries and the cafés along HaNevi’im and HeHalutz Sts in Hadar. For a truly eventful day do as most Haifans do and take a day trip out of the city. Zichron Ya’acov and Ein Hod are absolutely bursting with activity on Saturdays. Transport would be tricky without your own car so make sure to hire a vehicle on Friday before the Shabbat. It’s a bit easier to get to Akko and the Druze village of Daliyat al-Karmel, as both are connected to Haifa by sherut (shared taxi). On Shabbat, Israelis love to visit Daliyat al-Karmel to shop in the vast outdoor furniture market that lines the streets. While in the area you could also visit Mukhraqa’s Carmelite Monastery of St Elijah, plus nearby Beit She’arim and Megiddo. If all else fails, grab a bottle of strong sun block and hit the beach at Dor or Akhziv. The Hof HaCarmel beach is also popular on Saturday and folk dancing is held here to close the Shabbat.
the 120 types of beers on offer and provides good commentary with friendly service to boot. They usually recommend a fruity Belgian beer (try the peach). They also serve food and do a nice smoked meat platter. It’s below street level in Gan Ha’em Park. Bear (Map p196; x838 1703; 135 HaNassi Ave; pub
meals 35-75NIS; h6pm-3am Sun-Wed, 11am-4am ThuFri, 5pm-3am Sat) The Bear is a popular Irish
pub and is regarded as the city’s main expat hang-out. Munch on pretzels and try to identify your favourite teams’ scarf – it’s bound to be on one of the walls. For meals, you can choose between salads, sandwiches, chicken, steak and seafood, washed down with your choice of 12 different draught beers. Basement (Map p196; x853 2367; 2 HaBankiim St; h9pm-3am) Dim, hedonistic and rowdy, this alternative rock bar is popular with young Haifans. Live music is featured on Saturdays while Sunday is open mike night; aspiring rock stars will have a captive audience. Irish House (Map p196; x810 3776; 120 Ye’fe Nof St; h9pm-late) A classic Irish pub right down to the meat pies and pints of Guinness. Decorated with jerseys from around the globe and set up with multiple TVs showing sports, it’s a good place to come and watch a football or rugby match. Syncopa (Map p196; x 866 0174; 5 Khayat St; h8pm-late) Injecting some life back into the
downtown area, this new bar on the corner of Nathanson St attracts a slightly more mature crowd. A cream-coloured interior glows with the soft lighting and the whole place grooves to a funk beat. Paired with Mayan Habira around the corner you’ve got a hardy evening of meat and alcohol.
Entertainment NIGHTCLUBS
Nightclubs charge between 50 and 70NIS cover charge; don’t bother turning up until at least 1am. Luna (Map p196; HaPalyam Ave; hmidnight-late Thu-Fri) Part Crusader castle, part modern nightclub, Luna is an exciting, large nightclub where young sybarites can drink at five bars or dance in three separate halls, each with its own genre of music. The main hall is a huge vaulted room with stone walls, strobe lights and hip-hop music to blow your ears out. There is also a chill-out patio and a Bedouin tent in summer. Thursday is student night. Achurva (Map p196; x867 1265; Captain Steve St, Port Area; hmidnight-sunrise Thu night) You’ll need to dance around the puddles of beer in this grungy rooftop dance place in the port. It’s not the most glamorous outfit but it remains extremely popular with the soldier crowd.
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H A I FA & T H E N O R T H C O A S T
10am-midnight Tue) Serving up the ‘soul food’
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CINEMAS
Cinematheque (Map p196; x810 4299; www.ethos.co .il; 142 HaNassi Ave; admission 33NIS) Shows avantgarde, off-beat and foreign films. The phone number is just a recording in Hebrew asking you to leave a call-back number (an Englishspeaking staff member should get back to you soon).
MDK (Map p196; x867 6731; 8 HaNevi’im St) Camera repair shop and dealer.
Getting There & Away AIR
THEATRE
Arkia (Map p196; x861 1600; 80 Ha’atzmaut St) connects Haifa with Eilat on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday (447NIS). Haifa airport (HFA; x04-847 6100) is in the industrial zone east of Haifa; a taxi will cost around 25NIS.
Haifa Municipal (Meirhoff ) Theatre (Map p196; x860 0500; www.ht1.co.il; 50 Pevsner St) Stages con-
BUS
certs and Hebrew-language theatre. Tickets cost around 160NIS. Bus Nos 21, 23, 24 28 and 37 go to the theatre. Matnas Hadar (Map p196; x862 4231; hadarh@mat nasim.org.il; 29 Yerushalayim St) Community centre with a regular schedule of amateur concerts and Hebrew-language performances. LIVE MUSIC
Morrison (Map p196; x054-812 3801; 111 Ye’fe Nof St; h7.30pm-late) This booming bar and livemusic venue has bands on weekends and karaoke on Mondays. It caters to a young crowd of students and soldiers. The entrance is down a flight of steps next to the Holiday Inn Bayview. Martef 10 (Map p196; Basement 10; x824 0762; www.martef10.com; 23 Yerushalayim St; h10pm-late)
‘Basement 10’ is a nonprofit student club that hosts live-music shows most nights of the week from 10pm. During the school year it’s closed Tuesday and Saturday. During the summer it’s closed Saturday and Monday. Shows are usually jazz, Irish or Israeli music. It’s very informal – cushions on the floor make up the seating and dress is casual. The room is windowless and a little claustrophobic, but smoking is thankfully prohibited.
Shopping Auditorium Mall (Map p196; 153 HaNassi Ave; h10am10pm) Located in the Carmel Centre next to the Cinematheque. It’s small, but handy if you are staying in the area, and contains a Steimatzky bookshop, supermarket and pharmacy. City Centre (Map p196; x853 0111; 6 Ben-Gurion Ave; h10am-10pm Sun-Thu, 9.30am-2pm Fri, 8-10.30pm Sat) Handy little mall if you are in the Ger-
man Colony. It has a modern feel inside while retaining the Templer architecture on the outside. Brand-name shops, cafés and restaurants are inside.
Arriving from the south, passengers are dropped off at the new Hof HaCarmel bus station (adjacent to the train station of the same name), from where you can take bus No 103 downtown. The old central bus station (Map p193; HaHaganah Ave) handles city buses. Buses to Akko, Nahariya and the Galilee use the eastern bus terminal at Lev HaMifratz. During the day, buses depart every 20 minutes for Tel Aviv (No 900 or 910, 23NIS, 90 minutes), while there’s an hourly service to Jerusalem (No 940 or 947, 39NIS, two hours). Heading north, bus No 271 and 272 (express) go to Nahariya (13.50NIS, 45 to 70 minutes) via Akko, and bus No 251 and 252 (express) stop at Akko (11.50NIS, 30 to 50 minutes). Eastbound, bus No 430 goes to Tiberias (28NIS, 90 minutes) and bus No 332 goes to Nazareth (17.50NIS, 45 minutes). For buses to Jordan see p405. CAR
You can cover a lot of territory in northern Israel by hiring a car for a couple of days. It allows you to easily visit off-the-beatentrack places like Montfort, Ein Hod and Peqi’in. In Haifa, the only car-rental agency in town is Avis; others are east of the city near the Lev HaMifratz bus station. Avis (Map p196;x867 0170; 2 HaPalyam Ave) Hertz (x861 1613; 102 Ha’atzmaut St) FERRY
For information on travelling to and from Cyprus by ferry, see p406. SHERUT (SERVICE TAXI)
Sheruts (service or shared taxis) to Akko (15NIS), Nahariya (20NIS) and Tsfat (25NIS) gather one block north of Solel Bone Sq, on the northern edge of Hadar. For the Druze village of Daliyat al-Karmel (13NIS), sheruts depart daily from 9am to
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CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE In the summer of 2006, when the Katyushas started flying into northern Israel, Hezbollah’s Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah pleaded with the Arabs of Haifa to flee the violence. Some heeded his call, others defied him, and still others sat in the middle, confused by the restive pull of their Arab blood and Israeli citizenship. Opinions may have been mixed as to where loyalties stood, but what became obvious was that a disproportionate number of civilians killed in Israel were in fact Arab. While Arabs make up just 20% of Israel’s population, they accounted for around 40% of civilian casualties in the fighting. Critics blame the deaths on inadequate protection. Arab towns were sorely lacking in earlywarning measures such as air raid sirens. Only after two Arab children were killed in Nazareth did the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) offer to equip the city with sirens. Likewise, bomb shelters were in short supply, accommodating only a third of the population for most Arab towns. Some towns were utterly devoid of shelters, causing Israeli Arabs to accuse the government of wanton neglect. Hassan Nasrallah may have been unsuccessful in boring a divide between Jews and Arabs in Israel but the cracks he made in the walls highlighted tensions between the two. For an in-depth look on the complexities of Arab life in Israel, read Susan Nathan’s controversial book The Other Side of Israel.
4pm, with the last sherut at 2pm on Friday. TRAIN
Haifa effectively has several train stations. The southernmost is Hof HaCarmel, which is useful for getting southbound trains to Tel Aviv and elsewhere. The second most useful is Haifa Merkaz, near the port and downtown. Lev HaMifratz, in the eastern part of the city, is close to the Lev HaMifratz bus station, where you’ll end up if you’ve taken a bus from Akko. From Haifa Merkaz, trains depart roughly hourly for Tel Aviv (27.5NIS, 90 minutes) via Netanya (23NIS, one hour), and north to Nahariya (16NIS, 45 minutes) via Akko (12.50NIS, 30 minutes). For questions about train schedules, dial x*5770.
Getting Around BUS
For city bus information call x854 9131. The main city bus destinations: Carmel Centre Bus No 22 from HaGefen St near Hayarok St, bus No 24 from the central bus station and Herzl St, Hadar, and bus No 37, also from Herzl St. German Colony Bus No 37 from the Carmel Centre. Hadar Bus Nos 6, 19, 21, 24, 28 and 51 from the central bus station to Herzl St. Bus No 3 from the Carmel Centre. CARMELITE SUBWAY
Israel’s only underground, the Carmelit (x837
6861; per person 5.50NIS; h6am-10pm Sun-Thu, 6am-3pm Fri, 7pm-midnight Sat), connects Kikar Paris with
the Carmel Centre, via the Hadar district. Visitors can ride to the top and see the city sights on a leisurely downhill stroll. A packet of 10 tickets can be purchased for 49.50NIS, or you can buy a transfer ticket to connect with a city bus for 8.80NIS.
DALIYAT AL-KARMEL داﻟﻴﺔ اﻟﻜﺮﻣﻞ
x04 / pop 13,000
כרמל-דלית אל
The largest Druze settlement in Israel, Daliyat al-Karmel is one street down on the southern spur of Mt Carmel, 15km south of Haifa. Although still referred to as a village, don’t arrive thinking you’ll be among stone houses and wheat fields – years of growth have sent Daliyat sprawling over the neighbouring hills and have nearly fused it with the smaller Druze village of Isfiya, just to the north. Despite its growth, Daliyat’s commerce is still concentrated on its lone high street, a 100m stretch of food stands, jewellery shops and stalls cluttered with brightly coloured shawls and trousers, metalwork and factory-manufactured tabla drums, pottery and paintings. Bargains for one and all. Following the road due west from the sherut stop, about 800m along is a square little building, whitewashed with a crude red pimple of a dome. This is the Mausoleum of Abu Ibrahim, which serves as a local mosque. An inscription beside the door in Arabic warns would-be vandals: ‘Do not stain the walls with blood’ – not a reference to Arab-Israeli tensions but to the Islamic
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practice of daubing bloody handprints everywhere after slaughtering sheep on feast days. Heads must be covered to enter, but you can glance in from the doorway. A few minutes further on is Beit Oliphant (signposted as Beit Druze), which was the home of the Christian Zionists Sir Lawrence Oliphant and his wife between 1882 and 1887. The Oliphants were among the few non-Druze to have a close relationship with the sect, and did much to help the community. In the garden is a cave where they hid insurgents from the authorities. The house was recently renovated and is now a memorial to the many Druze members of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The house faces a modern sports hall, outside which stands a tank and artillery piece with an 18m-long wall mural depicting the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the signing of the Camp David peace treaty. For eating, Andarin (x839 7393; mains 25-30NIS; h9am-7pm) is right on the main street and is a classy little restaurant that has a takeaway shwarma bar and a sit-down menu. Appetisers include stuffed vine leaves, tabbouleh and other salads. For a main course you could choose the excellent lamb with bean tagine, a mutton stew or kebabs. Directly opposite, Halabi Bros (x839 3537) is a more informal hummus and shwarma place. If you are on a budget they have felafel for 5NIS.
Getting There & Away The Druze villages are a half-day trip from Haifa. Sheruts depart from Eiyahu St near Kikar Paris in the morning when full and charge 13NIS. Returning to Haifa, the sheruts become less frequent after about 5pm, and you run the risk of either a long wait for a stretch-Mercedes to fill up, or of being forced to pay more for a special taxi. Sheruts pass through Isfiya en route between Haifa and Daliyat al-Karmel.
CARMELITE MONASTERY OF ST ELIJAH ﻣﺨﺮﻗﺔ מוחרקה About 4km south of Daliyat al-Karmel is one of the most renowned viewpoints in Israel, the Carmelite Monastery of St Elijah (admission 3NIS; h8am-12.30pm & 2.30-5pm), built to commemorate Elijah’s showdown with the 450 prophets of Ba’al (Kings 1:17-19). Climb to the roof of the monastery to enjoy the great views across the patchwork of fields of the Jezreel Valley.
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There is no public transport to the monastery, so you have to walk from Daliyat al-Karmel, or take a taxi. Bear left at the signposted junction or you’ll end up miles away and be part of the view you are meant to be admiring.
ATLIT
ﻋﺘﻠﻴﺖ
עתלית
x04
The old Haifa–Hadera coastal road passes Atlit, a coastal settlement 16km south of Haifa. The main reason to stop here is to visit the Atlit Illegal Immigrants Camp (x984 1980;
adult/student 17/14NIS; h9am-5pm Sun-Thu, 9am-1pm Fri), a major detention centre for thousands
of illegal immigrants captured by the British as they tried to enter Palestine during the British Mandate era. After a few months in detention, prisoners were released and free to enter Palestine. On 10 October 1945, the Palmach (Special Forces unit of the Haganah) broke into the camp and released 200 prisoners. The daring infiltration, led by a young Yitzhak Rabin, caused the British to close the camp. A one-hour tour of the camp includes a short film and a guided tour of the barracks. It was rebuilt thanks to the accounts of prisoners who stayed there, and you’ll see their living quarters and a dreadful wash house where new arrivals were stripped of their clothing and disinfected with DDT. Atlit has some impressive Crusader castle ruins known in Latin as Castrum Pergrinorum and in French as Château Pèlerin (Pilgrims’ Castle). The castle was built by the Crusaders around 1200 and fell to Arab armies in 1291. Sadly, the castle is off-limits to visitors, as it is part of a naval installation.
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Works by the colony residents are exhibited at the Ein Hod Gallery (admission 4NIS; h9.30am5pm), and at the Janco-Dada Museum (x954
1961; www.jancodada-museum.israel.net; adult/student 20/10NIS; h 9.30am-5pm Sun-Thu, 9.30am-2pm Fri, 11am-3pm Sat), which also exhibits collages,
drawings and paintings by Marcel Janco himself. From the museum’s top-floor porch you can appreciate the kind of view that inspired Janco to settle here. Opposite the Janco-Dada Museum is the Beit Gertrude Gallery (admission free; h11am-2pm Sat Sep-Jun), dedicated to Gertrude Krause, a co-founding member of the colony. The museum contains more locally produced artwork and hosts occasional concerts, lectures and other cultural events. At other times than those indicated, you can inquire at the Ein Hod Gallery and if staff are not busy, they will let you in. Among other offbeat exhibits in Ein Hod is the Nisco Museum (x052 475 5313; wound
With fine food, great wine, country air and throngs of holiday makers, Zichron Ya’acov looks like a slice of Napa Valley shorn off and transported to the Middle East.
Sights The town was established in 1882 by Romanian Jews who formed one of Palestine’s first Zionist settlements. Nowadays Zichron Ya’acov (Jacob’s Memorial) is more renowned for its role in Israel’s wine industry. Visitors are welcome at the Carmel Winery
instruments, some of the items dating back to the 19th century. Occasional Friday evening concerts are held at the restored Roman Amphitheatre, up the road from Beit Gertrude. For more information on Ein Hod, check the website www.ein-hod.israel.net.
both for export and domestic consumption. Guided tours in English (15NIS) need to be arranged in advance. Hameyasdim, two blocks west of the winery, is a cobblestone street lined with 19thcentury homes that have been restored to perfection, many of them converted into boutique shops, cafés and ice-cream parlours. It makes for pleasant walking and is at its most bustling on the Shabbat. The end of the midrahov (pedestrian mall) is marked by the Aaronsohn House Museum (x637 7666; www.nili-museum.org.il in Hebrew;
Eating & Drinking
Dadaist painter Marcel Janco happened upon Ein Hod in 1950 and fell in love. The Arab village had been abandoned two years earlier during the 1948 war and Janco saw the empty homes as the perfect place to set up his workshops. Others followed and today the village is home to around 140 artists and their families.
Sights
Getting There & Away
There are various working studios and Israelis come here to learn such skills as ceramics, weaving and drawing. The studios are mainly closed to casual visitors.
Bus Nos 202, 222 and 922 go past the Ein Hod junction on the Haifa–Hadera coastal road. Buses are fairly frequent and the trip takes about 20 minutes from Haifa. From
עין הוד
זכרון יעקב
x04 / pop 9000
(x629 0977; www.carmelwines.co.il; h8.30am-3.30pm Sun-Thu, 8.30am-1pm Fri), which produces wines
x04
ﻋﻴﻦ ﻫﻮد
ZICHRON YA’ACOV زﺧﺮون ﻳﻌﻘﻮب
[email protected]; adult/child 20/10NIS; h9.30am-4.30pm Mon-Thu & Sat), a collection of mechanical music
Doña Rosa (x954 3777; www.dona-rosa.israel.net; steaks 65NIS; hnoon-9.30pm) Israelis from all over the country save their appetite on the drive to Ein Hod, anticipating a feast of meat at this Argentinean steakhouse. No expense is spared as all the ingredients are imported from Argentina, including the meat, charcoal and wine. You can enjoy your meal on the balcony or in the rustic interior of this old wood and stone building. Art Bar (x054-460 0613; h11am-3pm & 9pmmidnight) Danny Schlyfestone is the village beermeister and one of the local characters. He brews up fresh stouts and ales in his home; don’t leave town without downing a bottle or two.
EIN HOD
the junction, walk up the hill for about 10 minutes, and the village is on the right. It’s possible to take a Hadera-bound bus and tell the driver you want to go to Ein Hod, and then to take a 30-minute walk to the village.
40 Hameyasdim St; adult/student 15/12NIS; h8.30am3pm Sun-Thu, 8.30am-1pm Fri), named after a noted
agronomist and botanist who lived in Zichron Ya’acov. He and his family were also leaders of the NILI, a network of agents who spied on the Turks during WWI, and so the museum not only houses his collection of Palestinian plants but also tells the story of NILI. Tours of the museum in English are conducted every 90 minutes. In the early days, the town owed its survival to donations from the Baron de Rothschild, who funded the establishment of the vineyards, the town synagogue and other buildings. One of his buildings, the former Administration House, has been converted into the First Aliya Museum (x 629 4777; 2 Hanavid St; admission 15NIS; h 9am-2pm Sun-Thu),
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208 HA I FA & T H E N O R T H C OA S T • • C a r m e l i t e M o n a s t e r y o f S t E l i j a h
Book accommodation online l o nate lonelyplanet.com lyplanet.com
210 HA I FA & T H E N O R T H C OA S T • • C a e s a re a
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achievements of the founder of Caesarea, Herod the Great.
That same year he added most of the fortifications visible today. They proved totally inadequate under the onslaught of the Mamluk sultan Beybars, who in 1261 broke through the Crusader defences and devastated the city. The ruins remained deserted and over time were swallowed by shifting windblown sands. More than 600 years later, in 1878, groups of refugees from Bosnia (soon to become part of ill-fated Yugoslavia) were installed here by the Turks but driven out again during the 1948 war, making their tenancy relatively short-lived. It was only with the establishment of Kibbutz Sdot Yam that ancient Caesarea began to re-emerge. While tilling the land, farmers found bits and pieces of the old city and archaeologists soon followed. Children on the kibbutz were rewarded with pieces of candy if they could retrieve something valuable. More investment was made in the 1990s and today the foundations of Caesarea are largely open to the public.
Caesarea
which commemorates the immigrants who came to Israel during the early settlement years between 1882 and 1904. A multimedia presentation describes the trials and tribulations of those heady days.
Sleeping & Eating Bet Maimon (x639 0212, 629 0999; www.maimon.com;
Getting There & Away
x04 / pop 3400
ﻗﻴﺴﺎرﻳﺔ
קיסריה
While it may not look like much nowadays, Caesarea was one of the great cities of antiquity, rivalling other ancient harbours such as Alexandria and Antioch. Despite efforts by various conquerors to keep the city alive, time and warfare eventually had their way and by the 14th century AD most of Caesarea had disappeared under the shifting dunes. Major excavations have been made over the past 15 years and Caesarea is now one of the country’s top archaeological developments. The impressive renovations include a new visitor centre with a dynamic multimedia display. Cafés and restaurants add to the scene and even after the park
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Zichron Ya’acov is about 5km southeast of Dor, accessed by Hwy 652. Buses travel here from Tel Aviv (bus No 872, 23NIS, one hour, hourly) and from Hof HaKarmel (bus No 202 or 222, 13.50NIS, 30 minutes, hourly)
CAESAREA
CAESAREA
9
Caesarea National 13 Park Southern Entrance 14
To Kibbutz Sdot Yam (100m); Caesarea Museum
INFORMATION Strato's Tower........................................................ 1 A2 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Bathhouse..............................................................2 Byzantine Street .....................................................3 Caesarea Beach Club.............................................. 4 Caesarea Experience............................................... 5 Church................................................................... 6 Crusader Citadel (Time Tower)............................... 7 Crusader City Walls................................................ 8 Herodian Amphitheatre..........................................9 Lower Byzantine Aqueduct....................................10 Mosque................................................................ 11 Old Caesarea Diving Centre................................. 12 Promontory Palace...............................................13 Roman Amphitheatre...........................................14 Roman Aqueduct..................................................15 Vaulted Crusader Street....................................... 16
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EATING Crusaders ............................................................ 17 A2 Helena..................................................................18 A2
History This place was initially a small Phoenician settlement in the 3rd or 4th century BC. Herod inherited the site and set about building his city in 22 BC. Dedicating it to his patron, the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar, Herod apparently aimed to build the most grandiose city imaginable. For several years, hundreds of builders and divers worked around the clock to complete the project. To create the two lofty breakwaters which stretched for 540m on the southern side and 270m on the north, stones of 230 cu metres were lowered into the open sea. In the pursuit of his desire, Herod became increasingly tyrannical and those who questioned, let alone disobeyed, his orders were often executed. Following Herod’s death (sighs of relief all round, no doubt), Caesarea became the local Roman capital. Pontius Pilate resided here as prefect from AD 26 to 36, and his name appears on an inscription found in the ruins of the theatre. The Bible also records (Acts 10) that a Roman centurion serving at the garrison here was the first Gentile to be converted to Christianity, baptised by Peter. Following the First Revolt (AD 66–70), in which the Jews rose up against – and were crushed by – the Romans (and expelled from Jerusalem), thousands of captives were executed in Caesarea’s amphitheatre. Some 65 years later, after the Romans put down the Bar Kochba Revolt, the amphitheatre again became an arena of cruelty as 10 Jewish sages were tortured to entertain the masses. The city was seized by the Arabs in AD 640 only to fall into disrepair. In 1101 the Crusaders took Caesarea from the Muslims and discovered in the city a hexagonal, green-glass bowl that they believed to be the Holy Grail, the vessel from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper. It is now kept at the Cathedral of St Lorenzo in Genoa. The Crusaders favoured Akko and Jaffa as their principal ports and therefore only a part of Herod’s Caesarea was rehabilitated. The city was to change hands between Arabs and Crusaders four times until King Louis IX of France captured it in 1251.
Orientation & Information Caesarea’s remains are spread along a 3km stretch of the Mediterranean coast, just west of the old Haifa–Hadera coastal road. Most visitors approach from the highway, first seeing the walled Crusader city with its citadel and harbour. Beyond the walls is Caesarea’s oldest structure, Strato’s Tower, and 1km beyond that, littered across the beach, are the skeletons of the Roman aqueducts. Park in the lot to the right as you arrive from the highway. From here you’ll see the main entrance to the Caesarea National Park (x636 1358; www.parks.org.il; basic ticket adult/child 23/12NIS, with interactive tour 40/33NIS; h8am-5pm Apr-Sep, 8am-4pm Oct-Mar). If your time is limi-
ted, enter here and explore the main sights around the harbour. If you have more time, you could enter at the southern entrance (800m south of the main entrance) and work your way north through the ruins. Either way, be sure to take the option of the multimedia tour, which helps bring to life the sprawling ruins. Once you are inside the park everything is well signposted. When you buy your ticket make sure to pick up a map of the area; it describes five colour-coded walking tours of the site. Also grab a Caesarea National Park brochure, which contains brief
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4 Zahal St; s/d, with breakfast US$96/104; ais)
This pleasant, family-run hotel has 25 spacious rooms with TV and modern décor. The patio and garden have some spectacular views towards the coast (especially at sunset) and there are welcome amenities such as a sauna and Jacuzzi. The restaurant serves Mediterranean and Sephardic dishes in a rustic setting. The hotel is located on the western slopes of Zichron Ya’acov – it’s well signposted from Hwy 4. Haneshika (x 639 0133; 37 Hameyasdim St; h12.30-3.30pm Tue-Sat, 7-11.30pm Mon-Sat) Charming Haneshika is an old farmhouse and garden, taking you back to Zichron Ya’acov’s days of yore. Inside the cosy dining hall, you can sample some fine Provençale cuisine, including excellent appetisers like potato gnocchi with mozzarella and country-style sausages. For a main course you might want to order the lamb casserole with eggplant or the pork stew.
closes you can still visit and dine alfresco by the sea. A more modern Caesarea of shopping malls and gated communities has developed outside the archaeological area. The Israeli developers will have to go some way, however, to exceed the almost megalomaniacal
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descriptions of the sights inside the park. Both the brochure and map are free.
Sights ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE
The original Herodian structure of the amphitheatre has been modified and added to over the centuries. The semicircular platform behind the stage is an addition dating back to the 3rd century, and the great wall with the two towers is part of a 6th-century Byzantine fortress built over the ruins. A great deal more reconstruction has gone on in more recent times to transform the amphitheatre into a spectacular venue for concert performances. Beyond the amphitheatre is a rocky point with the ruins of the Promontory Palace, a colossal structure built in Roman times. Its western portion contains a pool believed to have been used as a fish market. HERODIAN AMPHITHEATRE & THE BATHHOUSE
The U-shaped dirt plaza near Promontory Palace is the Herodian Amphitheatre, also known as the hippodrome, where chariot races and other sporting events took place. The theatre is 250m long and 50m wide, with enough seating for 10,000 spectators. Next to the amphitheatre are the remains of a bathhouse. Well-preserved mosaics are protected from the elements by a temporary roof. CRUSADER CITY
King Louis IX of France built the fortifications and moat that surround the Crusader City. The wall was 900m long, 13m high and enclosed the harbour and the city, which during Crusader times was much smaller than Herod’s Caesarea. There were 16 towers and a moat that is still largely intact. The French monarch actually spent a year here overseeing the construction. Once inside you should follow the marked route to the left, which takes you along the vaulted street to the remains of a Crusader-era church, built over the site of Caesar’s temple and destroyed by the Arabs in 1291. Down by the harbour and easily identifiable is the mosque constructed by the Turks for the Bosnian refugees in the late 19th century.
l o n eaccommodation l y p l a n e t . c o monline at lonelyplanet.com Book
CAESAREA EXPERIENCE & CRUSADER CITADEL
KIBBUTZ SDOT YAM & THE CAESAREA MUSEUM
As you walk out on the jetty, the long building on your left is the Caesarea Experience, which starts off with a 10-minute movie (in English at appointed times) dramatising the history of the city from birth to destruction. A second room contains computer-animated holographs of King Herod & Co, designed to answer your every question. The two-storey building behind the Caesarea Experience is the Time Tower, also known as the Crusader Citadel. The top floor contains the third segment of the multimedia experience, a computer-generated show that allows you to see the city at different periods of its existence. It goes quite far in helping you understand the layers of history in the archaeological park. From the Time Tower you get a view of the harbour. The dark blotches are actually the foundations of the enormous breakwater constructed by Herod. The Caesarea Experience costs 25NIS, but it’s cheaper if you buy a combined ticket when you first enter the national park.
Kibbutzniks from nearby Kibbutz Sdot Yam to the south have spent the past five decades digging up the history of Caesarea. Many of the relics from the ancient city have ended up at the kibbutz in the on-site Caesarea Museum (x636 4637, 636 4366; admission 10NIS; h10am-4pm Sat-Thu, 10am-1pm Fri). Among the relics here is a replica of the Pontius Pilate inscription. The plaque is of enormous historical significance as it’s the only physical evidence that the man who the Bible says ordered the crucifixion of Jesus Christ actually existed. The original is on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
BYZANTINE STREET (CARDO)
Outside the city walls and across the street is a fenced-in excavated Byzantine street (Cardo) with two large 2nd- or 3rdcentury statues. Some steps lead down to the street, which is attributed in an inscription in the mosaic floor to Flavius Strategius, a 6th-century mayor. The statues originally belonged to temples and were unearthed by the ploughs of local kibbutzniks. The white marble figure is unidentified but the red porphyry one is most probably the Emperor Hadrian holding an orb and sceptre. ROMAN & BYZANTINE AQUEDUCTS
Driving out of the site and back towards the highway, take a left at the roundabout to the Roman aqueduct. Although most of it has been buried by sand, the aqueduct nearest to the sea is about 17km long. Built by the Romans in the 2nd century, it carried water from mountain springs to Caesarea. The other, lower Byzantine aqueduct dates from the 4th or 5th century and runs for about 5km before connecting to an artificial lake to the north.
Activities The Caesarea Beach Club (adult/child 25/20NIS) is the small slice of shoreline fringing Herod’s harbour. The price includes the use of lounge chairs, umbrellas and showers. There are also kayaks available to hire. The beach at the Roman aqueduct is another fine place to swim. There is no charge there but you get what you pay for as there are only basic facilities. Scuba divers will get a kick out of diving in the harbour, where your dive master will give you a guided tour of Herod’s breakwater. It is organised by the Old Caesarea Diving Centre (x626 5898; www.caesarea-diving.com), which has a dive shop on the jetty, just behind the Time Tower. A group dive with equipment costs 165NIS per person.
Sleeping Grushka B&B (x638 9810; www.grushka.co.il; 28 Hameyasdim St, Binyamina; d 525NIS, plus per child 125NIS; ai) This friendly Dutch- and Israeli-run
B&B offers several comfortable rooms as well as a quiet cottage and a fully equipped villa for families. It’s just a seven-minute walk from the Binyamina train station; or call for a pick-up. It makes a pretty good base if you want to explore Caesarea and nearby Zichron Ya’acov. Dan Caesarea (x626 9111; www.danhotels.com; s/d US$120/140; ais) The best hotel in Caesarea offers comfortable digs and lots of activities. Colourfully decorated rooms have balconies, some of which have sea views. Around the hotel you can walk in landscaped gardens, or even play a round of golf at the attached 18-hole course. Other
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amenities include a gym, spa and tennis courts.
Eating Helena (x610 1018; dishes 60-80NIS; hnoon-10pm) Watch the fishing boats bob in the harbour as you settle into this elegant multilevel restaurant, with the best seats on the wood deck. Chef Amos Sion, one of Israel’s wellknown culinary masters, aims to impress with some tasty appetisers including a nice fried calamari and focaccia bread, and filling main dishes – try the whole grilled fish. It is at the beginning of the jetty. Crusaders (Zalbanim; x636 1931; dishes 65-80NIS; h11am-12.30am) Located at the northern end of the port, Crusaders is recognisable by its pleasant patio and large, airy interior. It’s a family-friendly place with a large menu serving everything from steaks to grilled fish and shrimp platters. This is not a good place for dieters as the apple pie and ice cream dessert are almost irresistible. It’s a great place to watch the sun set and, once darkness has taken over, you can mosey over to the wine bar for a drink.
Getting There & Away From Tel Aviv or Netanya, take any bus along the coastal road towards Khadera, where you can disembark and connect with bus No 76 to Caesarea, the best of which depart at 8.20am, 11.25am, 1.10pm and 2.45pm. Coming from Haifa, get off at the Caesarea intersection and hike or hitch the last 3.5km to the site. Alternatively, take the train (x638 8007) to Binyamina from Tel Aviv (21NIS, 45 minutes) or Haifa (17.50NIS, 30 minutes) and look for a taxi to take you the last 7km.
BEIT SHE’ARIM ﺑﻴﺖ ﺷﻌﺎرﻳﻢ
בית שערים
Once an ancient city of antiquity and later a necropolis for Jews, Beit She’arim (x04-983
1643; adult/child 18/8NIS; h8am-5pm, entrance until 3pm)
is now a shady park and key destination for archaeology hounds. Don’t confuse this place with the similar-sounding Beit She’an, near the Sea of Galilee. Beit She’arim is nowhere near as impressive and does not justify a major detour, but if you’re in the area with time on your hands, it may be worth a visit. During the 2nd century, Beit She’arim was the meeting place of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme court, headed at the time by
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PROMONTORY PALACE
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Getting There & Away Beit She’arim is located 19km southeast of Haifa. With your own car, take Hwy 75 to Hwy 70, then take Hwy 722 north and turn left at the sign that says ‘Qiryat Amal’. The entrance to Beit She’arim is a further 400m. If you don’t have your own wheels, take bus No 338 from Haifa to Kiryat Tivon, and walk 2km to the park.
The archaeological site is 2km north of Megiddo Junction, which is the wellsignposted intersection of the Haifa–Jenin road and the Afula–Hadera highway. There are several Haifa–Afula buses passing by daily, as well as half-hourly Tiberias to Tel Aviv services – ask the driver to let you off at Megiddo Junction and then walk or hitch a lift the last 2km. Megiddo can also be reached from Nazareth via Afula.
עכו
Don’t make Akko the first place you visit in Israel. After visiting this wonderfully preserved city of stone all the historic settlements scattered across Israel will appear rather ho-hum. Akko, sited on a narrow spit of land that pokes into the sea, seduces visitors with its narrow alleys, slender minarets, secret passageways, subterranean vaults and impressive ramparts. But
History Long before it was graced with the royalty of Europe, Akko could already boast a distinguished and colourful history. It received mention in Egyptian sacred texts of the 19th century BC and it’s reputedly the place where Hercules, the Rambo of 0 0
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Baha'i Temple
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Land Gate
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To Walls Beach (100m); Purple Beach (1km); Palm Beach Hotel (2km)
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Akko Bay
Burj el-Kishla
Clock Tower
Templar Crusader Tunnel
Sinan Pasha Mosque
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Lighthouse
Eli Cohen Park
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Felafel Places
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St George's Church
DRINKING Leale al-Sultan.......................22 D2
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Al-Magdallah Mosque 10
EATING Abu Christo...........................18 Donianan...............................19 Elias Dieb & Sons...................20 Hummus Said........................21
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SLEEPING Walied’s Akko Gate Hostel.... 17 D2
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To Public Library (200m); Bus Station (1.7km); Train Station (2.3km); Baha'i Gardens (3km); Beit Lohamei Hageta'ot Museum (5km); Nes Ammin (5km); Ahuzat Gaya (9km); Nahariya (9km) Burj Wall Mahmat zzar's Al-Ja
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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Akko Citadel............................5 C1 Al-Jazzar Mosque....................6 C2 Burj al-Kommander..................7 D1 Burj al-Kuraijim.........................8 B1 Festival Garden........................9 C1 Hammam al-Pasha.................10 C2 Khan al-Umdan.....................11 C3 Knights' Halls.........................(see 5) Kurdi & Berit..........................12 C2 Museum of Underground Prisoners............................13 C1 Okashi Art Museum...............14 C1 Sea Service & Tours...............15 C3 Turkish Bazaar.......................16 C2
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attraction for doomsday watchers or just the plain curious. Although nothing too apocalyptic has happened yet, Megiddo has been the scene of important and bloody battles throughout the ages. Details of the first blood to be spilt at the site come from hieroglyphics on the wall of Karnak Temple in Luxor, which describe the battle that Thutmose III fought here in 1468 BC. Megiddo remained a prosperous Egyptian stronghold for at least 100 years, holding out against the Israelites (Judges 1:27) and probably only falling to David. Under his son, Solomon, Megiddo became one of the jewels of the kingdom, known as the Chariot City – excavations have revealed traces of stables extensive enough to have held thousands of horses. For a while Megiddo was a strategic stronghold on the Roman Empire’s Via Maris trade route, but by the 4th century BC the town had inexplicably become uninhabited. However, its strategic importance remained, and among those armies that fought here were the British in WWI. On being awarded his peerage, General Allenby took the title Lord Allenby of Megiddo. Jewish and Arab forces also fought here during the 1948 War. Excavations have unearthed the remains of 20 distinct historical periods, from 4000 to 400 BC, but it takes some stretch of the imagination to see in the modern-day site any traces of former grandeur. Help is given through some excellent models in the visitors centre museum, and by informative signs planted around the site sketching out the relevance of the earthen hummocks and depressions. The most tangible aspect of the excavations is the preserved 9th-centuryBC water system. This consists of a shaft sunk 30m through solid rock down to a 70m tunnel. This hid the city’s water source from invading forces, rather like Hezekiah’s version in Jerusalem. There is no water to slosh through here, though. Save the tunnel until last as it leads you out of the site,
Getting There & Away
n St
(x659 0316; adult/child 23/12NIS; h8am-5pm Sat-Thu, 8am-4pm Fri). Megiddo is today a very popular
while other historic towns in Israel are busy packaging their heritage for the benefit of tourists, Akko has taken a more modest approach, leaving its homes for families, not artists, and its souq (market) for fishers, not souvenir hawkers. Akko is the Acre of the Crusaders, and as the capital and port of the Latinate Kingdom of Palestine, it received ships from Amalfi, Genoa, Pisa and Venice. St Francis of Assisi and Marco Polo were among the guests in the knights’ dining halls. Things haven’t changed much since then and the modern visitor can get a real sense of Akko’s history by wandering its streets. Accommodation is sadly lacking and most visitors just come for the day, which is a shame as Akko is at its most romantic by moonlight.
Weizm an
Better known as Armageddon (in Hebrew Har Megiddo, meaning ‘Mt Megiddo’), the site that St John predicted would host the last great battle on earth (Revelation 16:16) is now preserved in Megiddo National Park
depositing you on a side road some distance away from the visitors centre.
Crusa ders
מגידו
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Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi. The rabbi took on responsibilities both secular and religious, and conducted political affairs between Jews and the Roman overlords. At Tzipori he called together Jewish scholars and compiled the Mishnah (Jewish holy law). When Yehuda HaNassi died he was buried in Beit She’arim. The Jews traditionally buried their dead on the Mount of Olives, where the Messiah was expected to appear, but after they were expelled from Jerusalem many followed the lead of Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi and chose Beit She’arim as a place of burial. During the 4th century the town was destroyed by the Romans, presumably in the process of suppressing a Jewish uprising. During the following 600 years the many tombs suffered further destruction and looting, and the catacombs gradually became covered by earth and rock falls until they were eventually forgotten. It was not until 1936 that archaeologists first discovered Beit She’arim’s remains, although extensive exploration only truly began after Israel’s independence in 1948. The site today is basically in two parts – the town’s remains on the crest of the hill, and the tombs below. As you drive towards the entrance of the park, the ruins of a 2ndcentury synagogue are off to the left. The actual entrance to the park, where you pay for a ticket to visit the catacombs, is around the hairpin bend. There are 31 catacombs here and a small museum in an ancient rock-cut reservoir. The catacombs are slightly spooky caves – cool chambers filled with now-empty stone coffins. The largest catacomb contains 24 separate chambers with more than 200 sarcophagi. Note the variety of symbols and inscriptions carved onto the coffins, including epithets written in Hebrew, Aramaic, Palmyran and Greek. Some of the dead, it is believed, had come from as far away as Persia and Yemen.
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Greek mythology, took refuge to heal his wounds. Another theory on the origins of the town’s name suggests that it is derived from the Ancient Greek word ake, meaning ‘point’ (headland). Always an important port, Alexander the Great established a mint here in 333 BC, which operated for 600 years. After the Greek conqueror’s death, Akko was taken by the Egyptian Ptolemites, who called it Ptolemais. In 200 BC they lost it to the Syrian Seleucids, who struggled to keep it until the Romans, led by Pompey, began two centuries of rule. In 636, Akko fell to the Arabs, who enjoyed a fairly untroubled reign until the coming of the Crusaders. The arrival of the Christian armies heralded the most turbulent period in Akko’s history. The Crusaders seized the town and established it as their principal port and lifeline. They lost it to Saladin (Salah ad-Din) for a time, but it was retaken during the Third Crusade by armies under the command of Richard the Lionheart and King Philip of Spain. Every now and again the differences had to be settled long enough to repel an attack from the Muslims, but in 1291 the Mamluks appeared with an army that outnumbered the defenders 10-to-one. After a twomonth siege, during which most of Akko’s inhabitants escaped to Cyprus, the town fell. It was pounded to rubble by the Mamluks and remained in ruins for the next 450 years. The rebirth of Akko was undertaken by an unlikely midwife, an Albanian mercenary, Ahmed Pasha al-Jazzar, known as ‘the Butcher’ (jazzar means ‘butcher’ in Arabic) – a nickname that had nothing to do with his skill with meat cutlets. Taking advantage of the weak and corrupt Ottoman administration, Al-Jazzar established a virtually independent fiefdom and bullied the port back into working order. Old Akko, as it exists today, was shaped by the decrees of Al-Jazzar. By 1799 the city had become important enough for Napoleon to attempt its capture, but he was repelled by Al-Jazzar with some help from the English fleet. Akko remained in Turkish hands until the British captured Palestine in 1917. They set up their headquarters in Haifa, and Akko’s importance dwindled, although its citadel was maintained as the main prison in
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Palestine. During the 1930s, Akko became a hotbed of Arab hostility towards increased Jewish immigration and the notion of a Zionist state, but Jewish forces captured the town fairly easily in 1948. Since then the Jews have more or less left Old Akko to the Arabs, preferring to develop their own new town east of AlJazzar’s walls. In May 2002 the city was awarded Unesco World Heritage status.
Orientation All the places of interest are firmly enclosed within the walls of Old Akko, so you really only need to get to know a small, albeit confusing, area. To get within the walls, coming out of the train station, turn right on Herzl and then take the first left on Derekh Ha’arb’a. Walk past the bus station (which is on your left) and walk one block to the traffic lights and turn right onto Ben Ami St. After walking through the pedestrianised shopping precinct (midrahov), turn left onto Weizmann St and you’ll see the city walls ahead. All up, it’s a 20-minute walk; you can make things easier on yourself by taking a taxi.
Information Library (h9am-7pm Sun-Thu, 9am-3pm Fri) Located 200m north of the Old City walls, the library offers internet access for 7NIS per 30 minutes. Money Change (x991 5097; cnr Weizmann & Al-Jazzar Sts; h9.30am-6.30pm) Changes US dollars and euros. Banks with ATMs can be found in the new city. Police (x987 6736; Weizmann St) Located in the parking lot near the tourist office. Post Office (Al-Jazzar St; h8am-12.30pm & 4-6pm Sun-Mon & Wed-Thu, 8am-1.30pm Tue, 8am-1pm Fri) Branch post office that might be able to change travellers cheques. The main post office is in the new city at 49 Ben Ami. Tourist Office (x995 6707; www.akko.org.il; 1 Weizmann St; h8.30am-5.30pm Apr-Oct; 8.30-4.30 Nov-Mar) Located north of the Festival Garden, inside the Crusader citadel. Internet is available here for 8NIS per hour.
Dangers & Annoyances Akko shuts down after dark and while most people feel comfortable walking around, some women walking alone have been subject to unwanted attention and occasional sexual harassment. As Akko is an Arab-Muslim town, you could reduce such attention by dressing modestly.
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Sights
FESTIVAL GARDEN
WALLS & GATES
From the mosque, backtrack a few steps towards the city wall and turn left into the parking lot next to the police station. Walk through the lush Festival Garden and turn right into the tourist office. Here you can watch a short introductory film about Akko and look over a model of the city. The helpful staff will be able to provide advice on how to tackle the city. Outside the tourist office is a kiosk where you purchase mix and match combination tickets to the attractions in the city. The best ticket gets you into the Subterranean Crusader City, the Hammam al-Pasha (Turkish Bath) Exhibit, the Okashi Art Museum, the Templars Tunnel and Rosh HaNikra (p222) for 65/58NIS per adult/child. A separate kiosk passes out audio headsets (free with admission) that lead you through the subterranean city. The exhibits are open 9am to 5.15pm Saturday to Thursday and 9am to 2.15pm Friday. From November to March the sites close one hour early.
As you approach Old Akko on Weizmann St, you first come to the wall and moat built by Al-Jazzar in 1799 after Napoleon’s retreat. Today they serve as a very physical division between the predominantly Arab Old Akko and the sprawl of the modern Jewish town to the north. Heading west along Al-Jazzar’s wall brings you to Burj al-Kuraijim (Vineyard Tower), also known as the British Fortress. From here, the 12th-century sea wall (refaced in the 18th century by Al-Jazzar with stones scavenged from the Crusader castle at Atlit) runs due south before looping around to the harbour. In the shadow of the sea wall is HaHaganah St, which terminates in a car park beside the lighthouse at the southernmost tip of Old Akko. Back at the point where Weizmann St breaches Al-Jazzar’s wall, some stairs to the east ascend to the Land Wall Promenade and the Burj al-Kommander, the squat bastion that anchors the northeastern corner of Old Akko. From the platform atop the tower there are great views across the bay to Haifa and over the exotic skyline of Akko before you. The promenade terminates 200m south at the 12th-century Land Gate, once the city’s only land entrance – the only other way in was via the Sea Gate in the harbour, now occupied by the Abu Christo restaurant. AL-JAZZAR MOSQUE
Perhaps a little bit patchy up close, from a distance the large green dome and slender pencil minaret of Al-Jazzar Mosque (admission 6NIS; h8am-5pm Sat-Thu, 8-11am & 1-5pm Fri) form a beautiful ensemble. The mosque was built in 1781 in typical Ottoman Turkish style with a little local improvisation in parts; the columns in the courtyard, for example, were looted from Roman Caesarea. Around by the base of the minaret, the small twindomed building contains the sarcophagi of Al-Jazzar and his adopted son and successor, Süleyman. The mosque stands on the site of a former Crusader cathedral, the cellars of which were put into use by the Turks as cisterns. Renovated some years ago, the vaulted water-filled chambers are open to the public – bear over to the left as you enter the courtyard.
MUSEUM OF UNDERGROUND PRISONERS
Before exploring the Knights’ Halls climb up the stairs behind the ticket kiosk to the top of the Akko Citadel, a rambling structure built by the Turks in the late 18th century on 13thcentury Crusader foundations. At the top of the stairs, turn left to reach the Museum of Underground Prisoners (x991 1375; admission 10NIS; h8.30am-4.30pm Sun-Thu, 8.30am-1.30pm Fri), which is dedicated to the Jewish resistance during the British Mandate. The citadel served for a while as a prison whose inmates included Ze’ev Jabotinsky, a leader of the Jewish underground, in the 1920s. Exhibits include memorials to nine Jewish resistance fighters who were executed here (the gallows room is open to the public) and a model illustrating the successful mass breakout of 1947 – that scene in the movie Exodus was filmed here. For the Baha’i the room upstairs is a holy place. Baha’ullah, founder of the Baha’i faith, was imprisoned here in the late 19th century. Later, his third son Mírzá Mihda fell through a skylight in the roof whilst meditating. He died 22 hours later. SUBTERRANEAN CRUSADER CITY
Buy tickets for the Subterranean Crusader City from the kiosk outside the tourist office. Head across the lawn to the entry to the
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Knights’ Halls (adult/child 25/22NIS), a haunting series of vaulted halls that lie 8m below the street level. At one time, the halls served as the headquarters of the crusading Knights Hospitallers but, like the rest of Acre, it was laid to waste and buried under rubble when the Mamluks breached the walls in 1291. When the city came to be reconstructed some 450 years later it was simpler to start all over again and build on top of the ruins. Within the Knights’ Halls, you can see where part of the ceiling is covered by a cement patch – this plugs a tunnel dug in 1947 by Jewish prisoners held in the British prison above. Not knowing what lay beneath in the dark halls, they returned to their cells to plot a more successful mass escape. Today the halls are occasionally used for concerts, and the annual Akko Fringe Theatre Festival is, aptly enough, staged here. Ongoing reconstruction work may impede your path in places, but most of the area remains open. The Knights’ Halls lead out to an open courtyard. Enter one of the doors to the left to enter the Refectorium (Dining Hall). As a visitor to Acre, it’s likely that Marco Polo would have dined in this room. Opposite the entrance you can see a fleur-de-lys, an emblem of the kings of France. Next to the entrance to the dining hall is a stairwell that leads to a long and claustrophobic underground sewer. (The medieval waste seems to have been thoroughly disinfected, thank you very much). It’s likely that the sewer doubled as an escape route, through which knights could abandon the halls and escape to the harbour. The tunnel continues to a crypt that contains, among other things, the tombstone of the last bishop of Nazareth. Past the crypt is the Crusaders’ Domus Infirmorum, or hospital. The Turks used the area as a post office, so it’s also known as Al-Bosta. The way out of the subterranean depths is through a conspicuously placed souvenir shop that leads into a Turkish Bazaar. HAMMAM AL-PASHA
From the end of the Turkish Bazaar, turn right and look out for the Hammam al-Pasha (Turkish Bath), housed in the 1780 bathhouse built by Al-Jazzar, which remained in use until the 1940s. The Hammam now contains a worthwhile 30-minute multimedia
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show (adult/child 25/21NIS) called ‘The Story of the Last Bath Attendant’. The creatively designed exhibit leads you from the dressing room through the steamy rooms, all brilliantly lit with coloured glass. OKASHI ART MUSEUM
Around the corner from the Hamman alPasha (back towards the Crusader City) is the Okashi Art Museum (adult/child 10/7NIS), a gallery devoted to the works of Avshalom Okashi (1916–80), an influential Israeli painter and a resident of Akko for the last half of his life. SOUQ
From the Turkish Bathhouse, head away from the Crusader City and follow your nose to Akko’s small but bustling souq. Here fresh hummus is boiled in giant vats while fresh fish nearby flop off the tables. As carts trundle past, children shuck corn and vendors hawk fresh fruit, all to the soundtrack of tinny Arabic music playing from battered radios. As you browse the stalls, visit Kurdi & Berit (x991 6188), a tourist-friendly shop that ships herbs and spices worldwide. SOUTHERN ROAD
The 600m-long Southern Road was an important thoroughfare in Akko during Crusader times. It was here that pilgrims entering the Holy Land would be divided into groups before setting off towards Jerusalem. The road was recently found buried under the city and a 50m subterranean stretch has been excavated and prepared for tourism. The road is paved with stone tablets and its walls contain Crusader-era carvings of boats, crosses and shields. A row of shops and a gate was also identified. At the time of writing the site had not yet opened for tourism – ask the tourist office (x995 6707; www.akko.org.il; 1 Weizmann St; h8.30am-5.30pm Apr-Oct; 8.30-4.30 Nov-Mar) for details on how to visit the site.
Book l o n eaccommodation l y p l a n e t . c o monline at lonelyplanet.com
Caesarea. It’s a two-storey structure and the ground floor would have housed the animals, while their merchant owners would have slept upstairs. The courtyard now serves as Akko’s unofficial soccer stadium. The harbour’s marina is still very much in service and if you are around early enough, you can watch the fishing boats come in and unload the day’s catch. TEMPLARS TUNNEL
Near the lighthouse parking lot at the southern tip of Akko, look out for the amazing Templar Crusader Tunnel (adult/child 10/7NIS), an underground passageway that connected the Port to a Templar palace. The tunnel was found by accident in 1994 after a complaint made by a local woman about a blocked sewer led a plumber to the underground shaft. The tunnel was investigated and opened to tourists.
Activities From 10am to 6pm, Sea Service & Tours (x052 465 3189;
[email protected]) runs a boat trip from the end of the breakwater and makes a 20minute cruise around the walls. The boat leaves whenever a sufficient number of passengers is aboard, and the trip costs 20NIS per person. The best bathing spot is Purple Beach (Hof Argaman; admission 15NIS), so named because of the royally favoured dye obtained from the snails that frequented the area in ancient times. With wonderful views of Old Akko on the horizon, the beach is popular with Israelis. To reach Purple Beach, either get off the bus from Haifa when you see the Palm Beach Club Hotel, or walk east from Land Gate along Yonatan HaHoshmonai St – it’s about a 10-minute walk. Closer to the Land Gate is Walls Beach (Hof HaHomot), popular with windsurfers. There is a changing room near the entrance to the beach.
KHAN AL-UMDAN & THE HARBOUR
Old Akko has several large khans (an inn enclosing a courtyard, used by caravans for accommodation), which once served the camel caravans bringing in grain from the hinterland. The grandest is the Khan al-Umdan, down by the harbour. Its name means ‘Inn of the Pillars’, and it was built by Al-Jazzar in 1785. The pillars that give the khan its name were looted from
Sleeping Walied’s Akko Gate Hostel (x991 0410; fax 981 5530; Salah ad-Din St; dm 30NIS, s with/without bathroom 200/120NIS, d with/without bathroom 220/140NIS; i)
In this split-personality guesthouse, you’ve got a choice of fine-looking street-side rooms with attached bathrooms, or stuffy non-attached rooms that overlook a grubby yard filled with discarded metal bunk beds.
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Owner Walied can arrange trips to the Golan Heights (200NIS) and Rosh HaNikra (35NIS) when there is enough demand. Call for a free pick-up from the station. If you just turn up on the doorstep there might not be anyone around, but if you’re patient someone will turn up soon enough. Palm Beach Hotel (x987 7777; www.palmbeach .co.il; s/d US$120/160; si) Located 2km east of the old city, the Palm Beach offers four-star quality rooms with facilities befitting its family-style atmosphere, including a pool, sauna, health spa and water sports. Book through the internet for a 10% discount. It’s great if you like kids, but ‘peace and quiet’ is unknown terminology here. Ahuzat Gaya (x952 5656; www.ahuzatgaya.co.il; 1 Hof St; r, with breakfast US$275; si) Pampering you in every way possible, Ahuzat Gaya provides gourmet food, a massage service and elegant sleeping quarters in the most peaceful of coastside settings. The low-key Mediterranean ambience is popular with Israelis looking for a weekend escape (no children under 18 are allowed), but is also happy to host travellers looking for a little luxury. It’s 8km north of Akko on Moshav Shavei Zion.
Eating & Drinking For cheap eating there are several felafel places around the junction of Salah ad-Din and Al-Jazzar Sts. Self-catering supplies are available at Elias Dieb & Sons (Salah ad-Din St), a little cave-like supermarket opposite Souq al-Abiad; there’s no English sign. Hummus Said (h 6am-2pm) Deeply entrenched in the souq, this place has become something of an institution, doling up that much-loved Middle Eastern dip to throngs of visitors from around the country. For 15NIS, you’ll get salads, pickles, pita and a big glob of hummus with fuul (fava bean paste) or garlic. Abu Christo (x991 5653; Sea Promenade; dishes 6080NIS; h10am-midnight) One of the oldest restaurants in town, this institution has been serving kebabs and fish for six decades. The family that runs it still turns up each day to greet patrons and serve up any number of seafood dishes. The restaurant is located at one of the former city gates, built in the 18th century. Donianan (x991 0001; Pisan Harbour; meals 100NIS; hnoon-1am) Raising the bar for dining experiences in Akko, this upscale restaurant
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(x04-995 8052; www.gfh.org.il; adult/child 20/18NIS; h9am-4pm Sun-Thu), which commemorates the
ghetto uprisings, Jewish resistance and Allied assistance during the Nazi Holocaust. Despite the depressing theme, it presents a hopeful picture of this tragic period. Your ticket is also good for Yad Layeled (x04-995 8044; h9am-4pm Sun-Thu, 10am-5pm Sat), a moving museum dedicated to children of the Holocaust, located in an adjacent circular structure. This museum utilises powerful imagery to describe the fates of the 1.5 million children who died in the Holocaust. As you descend into the structure, the setting shifts through the ghetto while haunting voices tell the tales of the victims, and TV monitors play testimonies of the survivors. It culminates at a moving memorial in the bottom of the building. The kibbutz is on the road between Akko and Nahariya; just ask the bus driver to let you off.
NAHARIYA
The Bahje House and the Baha’i Gardens (admission free; h9am-4pm) is the holiest site for the Baha’is. This is where Baha’ullah, a follower of the Bab and the founder of the faith (see The Baha’i, p195), lived after his release from prison in Akko and where he died in 1892. His tomb is in lovely gardens, similar in style to those in Haifa. The shrine, known as Bahje House (admission free; h9amnoon Fri-Mon), contains a small museum.
x04 / pop 47,400
ﻧﻬﺮﻳﺎ
Weizmann St
Jabotinsky St
TRANSPORT Bus Station...................................7 C2 To Rosh HaNikra (10km)
3
4
Ben Zvi St To Byzantine-era Church (350m)
Supermarket
נהריה
As the main resort town in Israel’s north, Nahariya seems to lie in a perpetual state of Shabbat. Numerous hotels line its quiet streets, ice-cream vendors do brisk business on the promenade and families soak up the sun on its gorgeous beaches. In good times the town prospers from the tourist trade, but Nahariya is only about 10km – as the rocket flies – from the Lebanese
Remez St
border. Hezbollah set its sights on Nahariya in the summer of 2006, landing more than 800 Katyushas in and around the city. Things have since gotten back to normal as best as they can. In summer (June to August) folk dancing is held on the promenade at 9pm every Wednesday and Saturday. In autumn and spring (September to November and March to May) this is held on Saturday at 9pm. In winter (December to February) it is on Saturday morning.
Sleeping & Eating Hotel Rosenblatt (x992 3469;
[email protected]; 59 Weizmann St; s/d 170/200NIS; as) Budget travel-
lers will have to make do with this rather scruffy place, near the corner with HaGa’aton Blvd. Rooms are a little drab and the furniture old, but the staff are helpful enough. Park Plaza (x900 0248; www.parkplazanahariya.co .il; 17 Ha’aliya St; s/d US$135/150; ais) Combining a personal touch with high-quality facilities and sea views, this chain hotel is one of the most attractive options in Nahariya. Colours tend to clash a little in the rooms but they are thoroughly modern and come with a kitchenette, minibar and safe box. Bikes are available for hire and guests are allowed free access to the adjacent sports centre. Penguin (x992 0027; 31 HaGa’aton Blvd; dishes 2540NIS; h8am-1am) A mainstay of Nahariya, Penguin is older than Israel itself, dating back to 1940. Light meals such as pasta and salads are available here, plus burgers and Nahariya
7
6
1
Train Station
aut Rd
St
Ha'Atzm
Pinsker St
HaMayasdim St
HaGa'aton Blvd
Just north of the aqueduct is Kibbutz Lohamei HaGheta’ot, established in 1949 by former resistance fighters from the ghettos of Germany, Poland and Lithuania. On the property of the kibbutz is the Beit Lohamei HaGeta’ot Museum
Bahje House & the Baha’i Gardens
2
EATING Penguin........................................6 B2
2
To Liebeman House (1.2km); Akko (10km); Haifa (30km)
some tasty schnitzel. There is an easy-going atmosphere and an attached bookshop.
Getting There & Away
Bus Nos 270, 271 and 272 (express) run roughly every 25 minutes (until 10.30pm) to Akko (7.5NIS, 15 to 25 minutes), with bus Nos 271 and 272 services continuing to Haifa (10.50NIS, 45 to 70 minutes).
AROUND NAHARIYA Montfort
ﻣﻮﻧﻔﻮرط
מונפורט
Montfort is not the most impressive of Israel’s Crusader castles, but it is interesting and a visit here involves a pleasant hike. Originally built in 1226 by the French Courtenays, the castle’s name was changed from Montfort (Strong Mountain) to Starkenburg (Strong Castle) when they sold it to the Teutonic knights, the Templars and the Hospitallers. They modified the castle, which became their central treasury, archives and Holy Land headquarters, although it had no real strategic value. In 1271 the Muslims, led by the Mamluk sultan Beybars, took the castle after a previous attempt (five years earlier) had failed. The Crusaders retreated to Akko and the castle was razed. Little remains to be seen today. To the right of the entrance is the governor’s residence, with the tower straight ahead. The two vaulted chambers to the right are the basement of the knights’ hall; next to them is the chapel.
H A I FA & T H E N O R T H C O A S T
AROUND AKKO
Kibbutz Lohamei HaGheta’ot
Galei Galil Beach
SLEEPING Hotel Rosenblatt...........................4 B2 Park Plaza.....................................5 A1
St Wolffsohn
There’s no need for transport within Old Akko, but rather than walk there you could catch a bus from platform 16, which will drop you off on Weizmann St beside AlJazzar’s wall. From the train station, a taxi costs around 12NIS.
On your right as you go north on the Nahariya road is a long Roman-style aqueduct. Built by Al-Jazzar in about 1780, it supplied Akko with water from the Galilee uplands.
D
Ὀ Ὀ ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ Ὀ
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Turkish Aqueduct
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INFORMATION Municipality Building....................1 C2 Police Station...............................2 D2 Post Office...................................3 B2 Tourist Information Office.........(see 1)
St Steinmetz Max
Herzl St
Getting Around
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200 m 0.1 miles
Herzl St
Akko’s bus terminal and train station lie about a 20-minute walk from the main entrance to the Old City. From Haifa (11.70NIS, 30 to 50 minutes), bus Nos 252 and 272 depart frequently, as do the slower bus Nos 251 and 271. From Akko, bus Nos 270, 271 and 272 (express) run north to Nahariya (7.60NIS, 15 to 25 minutes). Sheruts wait outside the Akko bus station and depart when full, to Haifa (10NIS) and Nahariya (8NIS). The most pleasant way to travel between Akko and Haifa (12.50NIS, 30 minutes) or on to Nahariya (7.50NIS, 15 minutes), however, is by train along the beachfront railway. Trains pass in both directions three times an hour. An automatic ticket machine is inside the station.
0 0
NAHARIYA
liyah
Getting There & Away
The gardens are about a kilometre north of the town centre on the main Akko–Nahariya road. Take bus No 271 and get off at the stop after the main gate to the gardens, which you should see off to the right, 10 minutes out of the station. Unless you’re a Baha’i, you’ll have to use the entrance about 500m up the side road to the north of the main gate.
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l o n eaccommodation l y p l a n e t . c o monline at lonelyplanet.com Book
Ha'a
impresses with its beautifully presented appetisers and selection of fresh seafood meals. The grilled fish is the obvious choice but you could also try calamari, mussels or crab. Meat lovers may prefer the tender, marinated steak, complemented by a Golan wine. The restaurant enjoys spectacular views from its location atop the ramparts, next to Galileo restaurant. Leale al-Sultan (Khan as-Shawarda; h 9ammidnight) Traditional Middle Eastern coffeehouse sporting sequined cushions, colourful wall hangings and backgammon tables. A Turkish coffee costs 5NIS while a nargileh is 10NIS. Popular with locals.
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GETTING THERE & AWAY
The best way to reach Montfort is by car. From Rosh HaNikra take Hwy 899 to Goren Park (It is 7.8km from the Hanita Junction). Drive 2km to a parking lot where you can see Montfort in the distance. The area is poorly signposted so you may need to ask around. From the parking lot it will take around an hour to hike to Montfort. If you are coming from the south, there is road access from Mi’iliya on Hwy 89.
Akhziv
ﺷﺎﻃﺊ اﻟﺰﻳﺐ
אכזיב
AKHZIV NATIONAL PARK
About 4km north of Nahariya, Akhziv National Park (adult/child 25/15NIS; h8am-7pm Apr-Sep, 8am-4pm Oct-Mar) has a pleasant beach – with changing rooms, sunshades, showers and snack bar – and costs 11NIS to use. Just a little further north is an area of well-manicured parkland on the site of an ‘abandoned’ Arab village. You can see traces of a Phoenician port and use the beach. There are changing rooms and a snack bar. AKHZIVLAND
In 1952, Eli Avivi settled in an old Arab house by the beach just north of the national park and declared his land to be an independent state, which he called Akhzivland. Since then he has established a museum (x04-982 3250; adult/child 10/5NIS; h8am-5pm Apr-Sep, 8am-4pm OctMar) housing his varied collection of artefacts
found nearby. Some of them date from the Phoenician, Roman and Byzantine periods. Avivi also runs a basic hostel (x04-982 3250;
[email protected]; dm 100NIS; r per person 150NIS) and has campsites, (80NIS) which give you access to the facilities. Guests here undoubtedly gain an unassailable advantage in the oneupmanship stakes by getting an Akhzivland stamp in their passports.
Rosh HaNikra راس اﻟﻨﺎﻗﻮرة
ראש הנקרה
The tumultuous border between Israel and Lebanon comes to an appropriately rugged and foreboding head at Rosh HaNikra,
where jagged cliffs plunge into the sea and waves crash into a series of grottoes. The 10km road from Nahariya ends at the Rosh HaNikra Tourist Centre (x04-985 7109; www.rosh -hanikra.com) from where a cable car (adult/ child 40/32NIS; h8.30am-4pm Sep-Mar, 8.30am-6pm Apr-Jun, 8.30am-11pm Jul-Aug) descends steeply
to the caves. Alternatively, find the dim walking track that leaves the main highway about 300m south of the tourist centre; it leads through a former rail tunnel to the caves. The caves were enlarged by the British for a railway and by the Israelis to improve access for visitors. They are explored via a meandering path that leads you to various points where the sea caves can be seen in all their glory – or tempestuousness – if the sea is seething. At the northern end, the tunnel leads you into a small theatre, slap-bang on the Lebanese border where you can watch a 12-minute film on the history of this historic railway. Other than the caves, there is a reasonably priced self-service restaurant and the closed gate marking the border between Israel and Lebanon.
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© Lonely Planet Publications HA I FA & T H E N O R T H C OA S T • • A r o u n d N a h a r i y a 223
the most important book in Jewish mysticism. Outside the cave, a freshwater spring and a carob tree miraculously appeared. The two are said to have fed on the fruit from the tree, drunk from the spring and embedded themselves in the sand up to their necks while they spent all their time studying the Torah. The cave of Bar Yochai is now a holy site, and you can see the spring (trickling unattractively through a modern-day pipe into a pool), an ancient synagogue, the Jewish community’s old cemetery, and an old flour mill and oil presses. The village is a maze of twisting streets and it is hard to find these visually disappointing sites. Down by the
town square, locals that run the restaurants can point the way. Peqi’in’s other point of note is its speciality food, pitta-eem-leben. This is waferthin pita bread served with a soft, sour white cheese that is mixed with olive oil and marjoram. You can try this at Hummus Piqi’in (h9am-midnight Apr-Oct, 9am-7pm Nov-Mar), a friendly little café on the square overlooking the fountain. GETTING THERE & AWAY
Bus No 44 runs about every hour from Nahariya (13NIS, 45 minutes). Get off at the old village, Peqi’in Atika, not the modern settlement of Peqi’in Hadasha, one stop before.
H A I FA & T H E N O R T H C O A S T
H A I FA & T H E N O R T H C O A S T
The short stretch of coastline between Nahariya and Rosh HaNikra on the Lebanese border is known as Akhziv. Once one of the towns of the Asher tribe in ancient Israel, it was also a Phoenician port, and Bronze Age remains have been found here.
lonelyplanet.com
GETTING THERE & AWAY
From Nahariya, bus No 20 and 32 run four times daily to Rosh HaNikra (noon, 2.30pm, 5.30pm and 6pm, 6.5NIS, 15 minutes). Only one bus comes back to Nahariya, at 3pm. But if you’re stuck it shouldn’t be too hard to hitch or hop in a shared taxi.
Peqi’in
اﻟﺒﻘﻴﻌﺔ
פקיעין
Halfway between the Jordan River and the coast, and about a century behind the times, sits the stone-clad village of Peqi’in. It’s inhabited predominantly by Druze but Peqi’in has also been home to a centuriesold Jewish community, which, according to tradition, has never been exiled from the Holy Land. In 1936 though, the political situation forced the residents to leave the area and only a small number returned after Israel became independent. The village is believed to be where Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son, Eliezer, hid from the Romans in the 2nd century to escape a decree that made it illegal to study the Torah. The legend has it that they stayed in a cave here for 13 years, during which time the rabbi compiled the Zohar,
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T H E G A L I L E E • • N a z a re t h 225
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The Galilee
A
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Amuka
B Peqi'in Hadasha
1
90
'Am
65
13
2 To Haifa (16km)
Tzipori National Park
After following the history path, it’s easy to relax in a region so refreshingly green, marked by curvaceous mountains, thick forests, riotously fertile farmland and of course the shimmering Sea of Galilee. Hiking, water sports and horse riding are just a few of the activities on offer.
HIGHLIGHTS Working your way through a Middle Eastern feast at one of Nazareth’s excellent restaurants (p229) Setting up your tent on the beach before kicking back with a drink and a beautiful sunset over the Sea of Galilee (p258)
Mount of Beatitudes Tabgha
Taking a giant stride back to Jesus’ times and exploring Tabgha (p254), Capernaum (p256) and the Mount of Beatitudes (p254) Getting lost among the flowers on Mt Gilboa (p234); from December to March the rocky slopes are carpeted with gorgeous daffodils, bright red buttercups and the rare Gilboa iris Escaping the summer heat with a refreshing dip at Gan HaShlosha (Sachne) Reserve (p233) or discovering your own pool-side paradise by stopping at one of the natural springs
Capernaum Sea of Galilee
Nazareth Mt Gilboa Gan HaShlosha (Sachne) Reserve
Sea of Galilee 16
Kursi National Park
8 14
11 767
Mt Tabor (562m)
Nazareth
3 Yardenit Tzemah Junction
Kvar Tavor
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Belvoir
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Beit She'an
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Gan HaShlosha (Sachne) Reserve
اﻟﻨﺎﺻﺮة
Jordan River Border Crossing To Jerusalem (128km)
נצרת
A cacophony of market vendors, blaring car horns and church bells, modern Nazareth will come as quite a shock if you’re imagining the bucolic Christmas-card images of the Annunciation and Jesus’ childhood home. The largest Arab city in Israel, Nazareth is swallowing up the surrounding olive groves, farms and pine forests at an ever-increasing pace; where there’s a view, there’s a house on the hillside and where there’s a one-way street, there’s sure to be a kilometre-long traffic jam heading the other way. But the disappointment does not last long. Nazareth is a vibrant city, with the feel of a small village, and offers much more than its Christian pilgrim history. While the myriad of churches are certainly worth a visit, come to explore the cobbled streets of the Old City with its crumbling mansions, authentic souq and excellent restaurants specialising in local dishes. While the controversial Nazareth 2000 project (a joint project of the Israeli government and the local municipality; approximately US$80 was to be invested The Galilee
19
Beit Alpha Synagogue..............2 B3 Beit Gordon.............................3 C2 Capernaum National Park........4 C1 Church of the Beatitudes..........5 C1 Church of the Multiplication of Loaves & Fishes................6 C1 Church of the Primacy of 98 St Peter..............................(see 6) Hamat Gader...........................7 C2 Kibbutz Ein Gev.......................8 C2 Kibbutz Ginosar........................9 B1 Kibbutz Ha'on Ostrich Farm...10 C2 Kibbutz Kinneret....................11 C2 Luna Gal Water Park..............12 C1 Yigal Allon Centre..................(see 9) SLEEPING Arbel Guesthouse...................13 B2 Ein Gev Resort.......................14 C2 Frenkels Bed and Breakfast.....15 C1 Gofra Beach...........................16 C2 Hamat Gader Spa Village.......(see 7) HI – Karei Deshe-Yoram Youth Hostel......................17 B1 Hokuk Camping...................(see 17) Hotel Nof Ginnosar................(see 9) Vered HaGalil Guest Farm......18 B1 Ze'elon Beach........................19 C1 EATING Ein Gev Fish Restaurant.........(see 8) Vered HaGalil Restaurant.....(see 18)
in extensive renovation and restoration of the Old City to celebrate the Millennium in the Holy Land) – unfortunately much of the money was squandered or spent on Upper Nazareth, the Jewish section of the city) has stalled since the start of the second intifada, tourists can take advantage of the early success: the winding alleyways of the Old City beautifully lit at night, preservation of some of the historical homes, and investment into a range of interesting new accommodation options. With its proximity to nearby Christian sites such as Mt Tabor, Nazareth makes an ideal base for a few days’ touring the lower Galilee, especially on Shabbat when everything is open for business, unlike the rest of the country.
History The words of Nathanel of Cana, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ (John 1:47) characterise the town’s insignificance in its early years around the time of Jesus. It’s thought that Nazareth was home to a Christian community until the 3rd century, when interest in the town dwindled.
THE GALILEE
THE GALILEE
Camping enthusiasts can get excited about the range of excellent – albeit pricey – sites right on the shores of the lake. For something more comfortable, head to a kibbutz, one of the last places in Israel where they are still going strong.
12
Kafr Kana Nasrat Illit
To Megiddo (6km); Hadera (39km); Tel Aviv (85km)
4
Hamat Tiberias National Park
Afula
There is also an endless array of archaeological sites from the Roman, Islamic, Crusader and Ottoman periods, with the highlights being the extraordinary ruins of Tzipori National Park and the excavations at Beit She’an. Colourful Nazareth is no longer just a Christian pit stop. Its rambling old city, bustling market and sophisticated eating scene make it a great base for touring the major sites of the Galilee.
6
Tiberias
77
Tzipori Junction
Bethsaida SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Valley
Capernaum
9
Minya Migdal
79
Nature Reserve
Arik Bridge
ud
With its rich combination of the spiritual, historical and downright beautiful, the Galilee is probably the most popular area of the country, both with holidaying Israelis and foreign visitors.
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INFORMATION 8277 Jordan Valley Information HaYarden Park Centre.................................1 C2
5 Tabgha 17
14 km 8 miles
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GALILEE
For history and religion buffs, the Galilee offers an unparalleled chance to step back in time and follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who is said to have lived, preached and performed some of his more famous miracles in these valleys and hills. But you don’t have to be a pilgrim to soak up the serenity of the Mount of Beatitudes, explore the ruins of Capernaum or take in the breathtaking views from Mt Tabor. The ancient synagogues, beautifully preserved mosaics and stately churches should be on every visitor’s itinerary.
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It was rekindled late in the 6th century, due to reports that the town had been the site of a number of miracles, and that a local synagogue had kept the book in which Jesus learnt to write, and the bench he sat on. It can’t have done Nazareth’s reputation any harm, either, that it was rumoured to have the region’s most beautiful women, a result, it was said, of them all being related to the Holy Virgin Mary. Despite being predominantly Jewish at the time, the town experienced a boom in church construction. The Crusaders, who’d made Nazareth their Galilean capital, dedicated a church to the Annunciation, and another to the Angel Gabriel. After the Christian knights’ defeat at the Horns of Hittin in 1187, pilgrims were still able to visit Nazareth owing to a series of truces, but by the 13th century the danger from Muslim attack was too great. In the 17th century the Franciscans were able to buy back the ruins of the Church of the Annunciation and a Christian presence was re-established, albeit under difficult and often hostile conditions. In 1730 they built a new church, which was demolished in 1955 0 0
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To St Gabriel Hotel (200m)
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Most sites of pilgrim interest are concentrated in the centre of the old city. The main street is Paul VI St, which runs from the junction with the Haifa–Afula Hwy to the south, up through the town centre and to Mary’s Well, where it becomes Namsawi Rd. The other important street is El-Bishara St (also known as Annunciation or Casa Nova St), which intersects with Paul VI St INFORMATION Main Post Office.....................................................1 B1 Police Station...........................................................2 B1 Tourist Office......................................................... 3 A2 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Al-Abiad Mosque................................................... 4 A2 Alsebat Association for Heritage Preservation.........5 B2 Ancient Bathhouse...............................................(see 9) Basilica of the Annunciation....................................6 A2 Diwan El Lajun Theatre...........................................7 B2 Greek Catholic Synagogue-Church......................... 8 A2 Herodian Tomb..................................................(see 15) Mary’s Well.............................................................9 B1 Mensa Christi Church........................................... 10 A2 Nazareth Village...................................................11 A2 St Gabriel’s Church................................................12 B1 St Joseph’s Church............................................... 13 A2 Salesian Church of Jesus the Adolescent...............14 A1 Sisters of Nazareth Convent................................. 15 A2 Souq..................................................................... 16 A2 SLEEPING Casa Nova Hospice............................................... 17 A2 Fauzi Azar Inn.......................................................18 A2 Rimonim Hotel......................................................19 B1 Sisters of Nazareth Convent...............................(see 15) EATING Diana....................................................................20 A3 El-Reda.................................................................21 A2 Garden.................................................................(see 9) Mahroum’s Sweets............................................... 22 A2 Tishreen................................................................23 B1
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Orientation
SHOPPING Elbabour...............................................................24 B2 To Afula; Haifa To Chapel of Fright (100m)
Nazareth
TRANSPORT Nazareth Bus Station.............................................25 B2
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and runs up to the market in front of the basilica.
including an ancient Jewish mikveh (ritual immersion bath).
Information
ST JOSEPH’S CHURCH
Money (h8.30am-12.30pm Mon-Tue, 8.30am-12.30pm
Just north of the basilica is St Joseph’s Church (El-Bishara St;h9-11.45am & 2-5.30pm), built in 1914 and occupying the site considered to be that of Joseph’s carpentry shop. This belief probably originated in the 17th century; today’s church was built over the remains of a Crusader church with Romanesque influences. Down in the crypt you can see an underground cave used for grain storage in preByzantine times.
& 4-6.30pm Wed, Fri & Sat, 8.30am-12.30pm & 4-6pm Sun) Change money at any number of banks along Paul VI St. Police station (x657 4444, emergencies 100) The main police station is housed in an old Russian hospice one block west of Mary’s Well, next to the main post office. Post (x655 4019; h8.30am-2pm Mon & Wed, 8am12.30pm & 3.30-6pm Tue, Thu & Fri, 8am-1pm Sat) The main post office is one block west of Mary’s Well next to the police station. Tourist office (x602 8219; www.nazarethboard.org; 1601 El Bishara St; h8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-2pm Sat) Has lots of maps and local information.
Sights & Activities BASILICA OF THE ANNUNCIATION
Dominating the Nazareth skyline is the Roman Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation (El-Bishara St; admission free; h 8.30-11.45am & 25.50pm Mon-Sat, 2-5.30pm Sun, 9-11.45am & 2-4.30pm Mon-Sat, 2-4.30pm Sun winter), the largest church
in the Middle East and one of the Christian world’s most holy shrines. The church is believed to stand on the site of Mary’s home, where the Angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that she was pregnant with the Son of God (Luke 1:26-38). Commissioned by the Franciscan church and consecrated in 1969, architect Giovanni Muzio was told to create something ‘modern, multinational and mysterious’. With its imposing dome, the church (the fifth to have stood on this spot) certainly has a modern feel. The rather weird mix of artwork, mother-and-child-themed gifts donated by Catholic communities from around the world, would be the multinational factor, but where the sense of mystery lies is beyond us. Perhaps it is to be found in the dimly lit ‘lower church’ downstairs, where there is a sunken enclosure focused on the apse of a 5th-century Byzantine church – itself built around the Grotto of the Annunciation, the traditional site of Mary’s house. Lining the north wall behind it are the remains of a 12th-century Crusader church and some restored Byzantine mosaics. Leave the upper level via the northern door to exit into a courtyard, under which lie more excavations of ancient Nazareth
SISTERS OF NAZARETH CONVENT
Up the side street across from the basilica (the side street with the Casa Nova Hospice on the corner), this convent operates a school for deaf and blind Arab children. It also provides accommodation for travellers in its hospice and hostel. The convent boasts one of the best examples of an ancient Herodian tomb (x655 4304; admission by appointment) sealed by a rolling stone. It lies under the present courtyard and can only be viewed by appointment. GREEK CATHOLIC SYNAGOGUE-CHURCH
Located in the souq, this unassuming Greek Catholic Synagogue-Church (h9am-12.30pm & 2.306pm Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri, 9am-12.30pm Wed & Sat) dates to Crusader times. It’s built on the site of a synagogue said to be where the young Jesus regularly prayed and later preached (Luke 4:15-30). In 1887 the adjacent and rather less modest Greek Catholic Church, with its magnificent dome and two bell towers, was added on to the old Crusader structure. MENSA CHRISTI CHURCH
Built in 1860, this small Franciscan church contains a large slab of rock known in Latin as Mensa Christi (Table of Christ). The rock is believed to be the dining table used by Jesus and his disciples after the Resurrection. Note the graffiti from numerous pilgrims from over the centuries. It is north of the Sisters of St Charles Borramaeus Convent, near the Maronite Church and Ecumenical Christian Child Care Centre. ST GABRIEL’S CHURCH
According to Greek Orthodox beliefs, the Angel Gabriel appeared before Mary
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to be replaced by the modern basilica that you see today. During the British Mandate, Nazareth was the administration’s headquarters in the Galilee. When the British pulled out in 1948, Israeli forces seized the town. Modern-day Nazareth (known to Arabs as An-Nasra) has a population that’s part Christian, part Muslim. Since the 1950s it has also grown to include Jewish Nasrat Illit, or Upper Nazareth, a new industrial town.
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while she was fetching water, not while she was home in what is now the grotto in the Roman Catholic basilica. St Gabriel’s (h7am-noon & 1-6pm) was built in the late 17th century on the site of earlier churches and the beautifully restored crypt at the far end contains the source of the spring supplying the nearby well. Before entering the attractive interior take a look at the ancient graffiti carved around the doorway. The church is about 10 minutes’ walk north of the Basilica of the Annunciation, one block north of where Paul VI St ends. MARY’S WELL & ANCIENT BATHHOUSE
Also known as the Virgin’s Fountain, Mary’s Well (Paul VI St) stands in a handsome-looking plaza in front of St Gabriel’s Church. Some believe that the Angel Gabriel appeared here, and the water is said to have powers of healing. Beside it at the Cactus Gift Shop (x657 8539; h9am-7pm Mon-Sat), owner Elias Shama has excavated an almost perfectly preserved 2000-year-old Roman bathhouse, which utilised water from Mary’s Well. The shop runs tours for 120NIS for up to four people including coffee.
Built between 1906 and 1923 in the Gothic style, this is probably the most beautiful of Nazareth’s many churches. Salesian Church Of Jesus the Adolescent belongs to the French Salesian Order and its attractive architecture, both inside and out, and the great views of the town below, justify the 20-minute climb to get up there. If you don’t want to face the 250 steps, take bus No 13. CHAPEL OF FRIGHT
Luke 4:29-30 tells of the occasion when the people of Nazareth tried to throw Jesus off the top of a hill. In the southern part of the town, the Franciscan Chapel of Fright (Notre Dame de l’Effroi) is built on the supposed site from where Mary witnessed this event. The nearby hill is known as the ‘precipice’, or the Leap of the Lord. Look for the signposted gate in the wall on Paul VI St, opposite the Hotel Galilee, south of the town centre. The chapel is behind the wall, beyond St Claire’s Convent.
SOUQ
Starting at the top of El-Bishara St and occupying a maze of steep, narrow, winding alleys, the souq (h9am-5pm Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri, 9am-2pm Wed & Sat) is a lively place to haggle over a dayglo Jesus for the car dashboard. In the lower part of the town, local authorities have taken steps to clean up the white-stone streets of the souq but it still retains a somewhat authentic Arabian air, particularly on Fridays. OLD CITY MANSIONS
Towards the end of the Ottoman era when local leaders such as Governor Daher elOmar ruled the Galilee, Nazareth was in its heyday. Beautiful mansions flowered around the city, many of which are still standing (some just barely!) today. Recognisable by their red roof tiles, three arched windows and balcony, they also have richly decorated interiors, all Italian marble and colourful fresco ceilings. The house of El-Rais (6089 St) has 13 rooms with painted ceilings – one featuring the owner holidaying in Egypt with his wife. Contact the tourist office x602 8219; www.nazarethboard.org; 1601 El Bishara St; h8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-2pm Sat) to organise a visit. NAZARETH VILLAGE
If you’re having trouble imagining Jesus doing anything miraculous amid the bustle of modern Nazareth, then step back 2000 years at Nazareth Village (x645 6042; www.naza
rethvillage.com; 5079 St; adult/child/student 50/22/34NIS; h9am-5pm Mon-Sat). Everyday life and com-
merce in a traditional Galilean village has been duly reconstructed with actors in period clothing leading tours of the working farm. Leave any nightmares of tacky oldworld historical theme parks at the door – it’s well done and worth a stop. It’s a 15minute walk due west from the basilica, just beyond Al-Wadi al-Jawani St. DIWAN EL LAJUN THEATRE
If you are interested in seeing co-existence in action, stop by this multicultural arts centre (x646 9413;
[email protected]) in the Old City run by Gassan Abbass, a well-known actor and director. There are regular music and theatre performances as well as storytelling workshops for both adults and children from mixed backgrounds. The theatre is always buzzing, thanks to a women’s
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l o n eaccommodation l y p l a n e t . c o monline at lonelyplanet.com Book
training program teaching puppet making and traditional Palestinian embroidery. There’s also a small café where performer Hanita-Carolin Hendelman will happily discuss upcoming events. Across the road, the Alsebat Association for Heritage Preservation (x602 0935; h9am-4pm Mon-Sat) is a quirky Palestinian folklore museum with various agricultural and costume pieces on display. Unfortunately there are very few labels.
Tours Fauzi Azar Inn (x602 0469; www.fauziazarinn.com) Of-
fers a flexible daily tour to Mt Tabor, Megido, Acre and the Sea of Galilee for US$30 per person (minimum of two people). Sharif Sharif-Safadi (x601 3717, 050 722 9691;
[email protected]) Nazareth expert with a strong interest in the preservation of historic monuments. He offers excellent tours of the ‘hidden city’ including inside Old City mansions (US$100 for up to 10 people).
Sleeping Fauzi Azar Inn (x602 0469; www.fauziazarinn.com; dm 50NIS, d with/without shower 350/300NIS; i) When young Maoz Inon decided he wanted to open a guesthouse in Israel he walked the entire country from north to south to find the best spot. He and his wife settled on Nazareth, restoring a beautiful Arab house in the heart of the Old City. For independent travellers, their creation is one of the highlights of a stay in the Galilee. A lightfilled lounge room with arched windows, marble floors and frescoed ceiling looks out over the city, while in the traditional downstairs courtyard a cosy cushion area is a great place to swap tales with some fresh mint tea from the balcony herb garden. Maoz is a keen hiker who will happily set you up with maps of the area; his website and blog are a must if you are attempting the Israel Trail. Sisters of Nazareth Convent (x655 4304; fax 646 0741; dm US$8, s/d, incl breakfast US$19/38; a) Weary pilgrims (and exhausted backpackers) can relax in the tastefully furnished loungedining room or lovely enclosed courtyard at this popular place. You can also make use of a decently equipped kitchen. On Christian religious holidays the convent is busy with groups from Europe so make a reservation if possible. To get there, go up El-Bishara St, turn left opposite the basilica and then it’s up the street on the right. Look for the small sign in French that reads ‘Religieuses
de Nazareth’ and ring the bell. Reception opens at 4pm and closes at 9.30pm. Casa Nova Hospice (x645 6660; fax 657 9630; s/d, with breakfast & dinner US$30/60) Across from the basilica on El-Bishara St, this Italian Franciscan hospice is particularly popular with Italian and Spanish pilgrim groups. It’s a serene place with simple (bordering on austere) rooms with large green shuttered windows, some with views. Traditional Italian dishes are served in the rustic dining room; not a bad spot to stop for a mid-morning espresso. Doors close at 10pm. St Gabriel Hotel (x657 2133; fax 655 4071; 2 Salesian St; s/d US$55/75; i) Hands down the best views in town, this white-walled, red-roofed former Catholic convent is perched on the edge of a ridge overlooking the city. Either the nuns lived in the lap of luxury or else the hotel has done a pretty good conversion job. with comfortable rooms and landscaped gardens. While popular with groups it can seem overwhelmingly empty at times, particularly midweek. Rimonim Hotel (x650 0000; www.rimonim.com; St Paul VI St; s/d US$113/134; ai) Part of the Rimonim Israeli chain, this is every inch the businessperson’s hotel with well-equipped rooms (modem connection and satellite TV) swathed in dull browns and creams. On the upside, it’s well located in the centre of town and the underground parking is a plus for those with cars – trust us, this not a fun city to try and find a park!
Eating The city’s growing reputation for delicious local food is another reason to stay the night in Nazareth. Tishreen (x608 4666; 56 El-Bishara St; mains 35-
75NIS; hnoon-midnight Mon-Sat, 5pm-midnight Sun)
Named after the month it was opened in 2004 (tishreen is Arabic for October), this sophisticated restaurant has an autumnal atmosphere with its straw-encrusted walls lined with antiques and wine bottles. Locals enjoying long lunches and late dinners order Mediterranean-inspired dishes from the mosaic-tiled wood oven, which turns out ‘aborigine (aubergine) stuffed with pesto and cheese’ as well as excellent muhammar, an Arabic pizza topped with chicken and onion slices. It’s located 200m west of Mary’s Well. El-Reda (x608 4404; Albesharah St; mains 35-50NIS; h1pm-2am Mon-Sat, 7pm-2am Sun) The weekend
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papers love to rave about this restaurant in a restored 120-year-old Arab mansion, and for once it’s justified. The views of the basilica (stunning from the rooftop terrace), the food (friendly owner Daher Zeidani makes only what he likes, and that’s traditional Nazareth dishes with a Mediterranean twist) and the atmosphere (occasional live music and poetry) make this one of the better restaurants in the north of Israel. Garden (x645 3756; Mary’s Well, Paul VI St; mains 40-50NIS; hlunch & dinner) If the Garden had as good a PR machine as Diana, it too would be knocking back customers. The rocket and tabbouleh salads are so fresh they look like they could wander off the plate, while the labneh (thick yogurt flavoured with garlic) is delicately spiced and competes for attention with deliciously fragrant meats grilled on cinnamon sticks, and it’s all washed down with fresh lemonade. The food here is second to none, but unfortunately the huge space is not easy to fill and the restaurant appears to suffer from the killer ‘if it’s not full, it’s obviously not good’ syndrome. Diana (x657 2919 51; Paul VI St; mains 50-75NIS; hnoon-midnight) Mention to anyone that you are heading to Nazareth, and they will invariably know little about the town, except that you must eat at Diana. Behind a rather unassuming façade, Arab chef Dokhol Safadi presents an incredible range of more than a dozen mezze dishes. Try and save room for the house speciality, – spicy handmade kebabs with pine nuts – one dish will definitely suffice for a couple. Hugely popular with visiting Israelis, it’s best to book ahead, especially on weekends. Mahroum’s Sweets (x656 4470; Paul VI & ElBishara Sts) Locals say this is the best place in town for baklava and all other honeysoaked delicacies; others raise their eyebrows at the sacrilege of making sugar-free halvah. Several places have the same name, but the original is the one on the corner of Paul IV and El-Bishara Sts nearest to the basilica.
Shopping Elbabour (x645 5596; www.elbabour.com; hMonSat) If you’re a sucker for spices, don’t leave town without getting a whiff of the beautiful old Galilee Mill, which has more than 1000 different products on offer, from exotic herbs to aromatic oils.
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Getting There & Away From Nazareth Bus Station (x656 9956; Paul IV St) there are hourly buses to Tiberias (No 431, 21.50NIS, 45 minutes), Haifa (No 331, 17NIS, 45 minutes) and Akko (No 343, 25NIS, one hour). To go direct to Tel Aviv (No 823, 36NIS, two hours), take the bus from the junction outside Nazareth or No 824 via Afula (15NIS, 2½ hours) from the bus station. There are no direct buses to Jerusalem so you must go from Afula (Nos 355/356, 7NIS, 20 minutes). Sheruts to Tiberias leave regularly from in front of Hamishbir department store (on Paul VI St near El-Bishara St). For Haifa and Tel Aviv, they leave from the Paz petrol station (on Paul VI St).
AROUND NAZARETH Kafr Kana
ﻛﻔﺮ ﻛﻨﺎ
כפר כנא
x04
Historically known as Cana, this Arab town 7km northeast of Nazareth, on the road to Tiberias, is the purported site of Jesus’ first miracle (John 2:1-11), where he changed water into wine at a wedding reception. Regrettably there is little evidence of either; instead, a Franciscan church built in 1881 now stands on the site. It contains an old jar of the type that contained the water. Under the church floor you can see a fragment of a mosaic pavement that bears an ancient Jewish Aramaic inscription. Not to be outdone, Kafr Kana’s Greek church contains some ancient stone vats that the Orthodox claim were the actual ones involved in the miracle. This was also the home town of Jesus’ disciple Nathanael (John 21:2) and the Franciscans administer a chapel built over the traditional site of his house.
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of all Galilee’, the impressive archaeological site Tzipori (Sepphoris); (x656 8262; admission 23NIS; h 8am-5pm summer, 8am-4pm winter) was first settled by the Hasmoneans in the 2nd century BC, but in 63 BC it was conquered by the Roman general Pompeii and served as the Roman capital of Galilee through the reign of Herod. Tzipori is also famous for being the birthplace of the Mishnah, which was developed during the late 2nd century AD by Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi. The Mishnah is the oldest codification of the oral law of the Jewish people and the foundation for the Talmud, the primary set of instructions the Orthodox live by today. Each year archaeological excavations continue to turn out more ruins of the area’s subsequent Byzantine, Arab and Crusader history. Allow about three hours to wander through the highlights, which include original colonnaded roadways, an amphitheatre and a Crusader citadel with a collection of some smaller finds. Exhibited in a purpose-built Roman villa are some fantastic Byzantine mosaics. One of these, a portrait of a contemplative young woman nicknamed the ‘Mona Lisa of the Galilee’, is alone worth making the visit for. Other mosaics depict the Greek god of wine, Dionysus, and an Egyptian Nilometer, a column once used to measure the flood level of the Nile for the purpose of working out that year’s collectible tax. All are labelled with explanatory text in English. Visitors can also explore the ancient city’s water cisterns. Hewn out of rock, they’re 15m deep and 260m long and form part of a continuous system that brought water from a spring near Nazareth (over 13km away). GETTING THERE & AWAY
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Arab buses for Kafr Kana depart about every 45 minutes from near Mary’s Well in Nazareth. Alternatively, bus No 431, which operates between Tiberias and Nazareth, passes through the village – ask the driver to let you off there. The Greek church is the nearest to the main road, the Franciscan church and chapel are situated in the town centre.
Tzipori x04
ﺻﻔﻮرﻳﺔ
ציפורי
Grandly described by the 1st-century historian Josephus Flavius as ‘the ornament
Buses between Nazareth and Akko stop at Tzipori Junction, about 4km from archaeological the site. From there you’ll have to walk – there’s no public transport.
Mt Tabor
ﺟﺒﻞ ﻃﺎﺑﻮر
הר תבור
You don’t have to be a Christian pilgrim to enjoy the beauty of Mt Tabor. It’s a teeth-clenching ride (16 hairpin turns) up to the curvaceous summit, which sits high above the Jezreel Valley’s multicoloured patchwork of fields. Mt Tabor is the site of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8 and Luke 9:28-36). This was
the occasion when it is believed Jesus was seen by some of the disciples to be talking with the prophets Moses and Elijah when a voice from heaven proclaimed Jesus as ‘my Son that I have chosen’ (Luke 9:35). Two large churches on the mountain summit, Franciscan and Greek, commemorate the event. A Byzantine church probably already existed here when Benedictine monks were installed on the mount in 1099 by the Crusaders. They were massacred in a Turkish attack in 1113 that also saw their buildings destroyed. The monks later returned to build a new church and monastery, which survived an attack by Saladin (Salah ad-Din) in 1183 but not the defeat of the Crusaders at the Horns of Hittin in 1187. The Muslims then built their own fortress on the mount and, as it was on the believed site of the Transfiguration, this inspired the fifth Crusade. Although a Crusader siege in 1217 failed, the Muslims dismantled the fortress because they realised that it would continue to be a major provocation. Later in the 13th century a series of truces made it possible for Christians to return to the mount until, in 1263, they were expelled by Sultan Beybars. BASILICA OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
The entrance to the Franciscan complex (admission free) is through the main gate of the Muslim’s 13th-century fortress, restored in 1897. Its defensive wall, including 12 towers, goes all the way around the summit. About 150m inside the gate to the right is a small chapel. Built on Byzantine foundations, it commemorates the conversation between Jesus and his disciples after the Transfiguration (Mark 9:9-13). The cemetery to the north is medieval, the one to the south is from the 1st century. At the end of the drive is the basilica (h 8am-noon & 2-5pm Sun-Fri), built in 1924, and definitely one of the Holy Land’s most beautiful churches, both inside and out. A particular highlight is the lovely mosaic of the Nativity. On the right of the piazza, in front of the basilica, stands the Franciscan monastery and hospice, while on the left are the remains of the Byzantine monastery. No visitors are allowed inside the basilica during services.
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GETTING THERE & AWAY
Mt Tabor is visited most easily by bus from Tiberias – all Tel Aviv buses stop at the turn-off for the mount. Coming from Nazareth (50 minutes), you need to change buses at Afula, where you can also connect with buses to most of the major destinations in Israel. However, Mt Tabor buses from Afula are infrequent, so check the schedule to avoid a long delay, especially for the return bus. All buses drop you off at the bottom of the steep and winding road that leads to the summit; the climb takes about 30 minutes on foot. At the top, the turning to the left leads to the Greek church; go straight ahead to reach the Franciscan basilica.
Eating & Sleeping
0444; 9am-5pm Sun-Thu) goes well with the great views from the outside deck at this cosy country restaurant. Locals recommend the chicken dishes but the regional produce is really best shown off in the variety of fresh salads. Kfar Tavor is the small village at the foot of Mt Tabor. The winery is in the Kfar Tavor visitors centre. Sahara (x04-642 5959; Rte 65, Nein village; meals 50-80NIS; hlunch & dinner) Behind a petrol station at the entrance to Nein village, on the Afula–Tiberias road, this Disney-esque castle stands out a mile with its sandstone walls, turret and moat filled with goldfish. But inside, the food is no laughing matter with wonderful meats roasted in the clay oven, fresh mezze dishes (the baba ghanooj is worth the stop alone) and muhmar, an interesting Arab dish of grilled Cornish hen with yogurt and potatoes. Zipori Village Country Cottages (x 04-646 2643; www.zipori.com; d with breakfast 350NIS) Suzy and Mitch run this laid-back B&B on a hill side overlooking the national park. The cottages are very unpretentious with comfortable cane furniture, cheerful decoration, and a Jacuzzi. Every morning a selection of local produce, including organic bread, goat’s cheese and yogurt, is delivered to your door to prepare in the well-equipped kitchen. Guests also receive a 25% discount on entry to the national park.
HooHaa Cyclists House (x77 708 0542; www.hoo ha.co.il; Kfar Tavor; dm/d/ste 150/400/650NIS; is)
The perfect place to crash after a day exploring the Galilee, this ultramodern guesthouse at the foot of Mt Tabor is run for cyclists by cyclists – people who understand that sore bums and tired muscles demand a good pool, comfortable leather couches and a library filled with cycling maps to plan the next day’s ride. For those without a set of wheels, HooHaa rents out bikes from 50 to 70NIS for two hours and from 90 to 120NIS for one day.
BEIT SHE’AN
ﺑﻴﺖ ﺷﺎن
בית שאן
x04 / pop 16,000
The attraction of this tidy little town, and there is only one attraction, is one of the country’s most extensive archaeological sites – including its best-preserved Roman amphitheatre. Depending on the security situation it makes a great stop along the scenic Jordan River Hwy route between Jerusalem and Tiberias. Located on a busy trade route, 5000 years of continuous occupation is testimony to the ancient importance of Beit She’an. Archaeologists believe that the first real town was established here around 3000 BC and its name is mentioned in 19th-centuryBC Egyptian texts as one of the strongholds from which the region was ruled by the Pharaohs. In the 13th century BC, the Israelite tribe of Manasseh inherited the area (Judges 1:27), losing it 200 years later to the Philistines, who hung the body of King Saul on the city walls (I Samuel 31). The action didn’t stop there – excavations have revealed no less than 18 cities superimposed on top of one another. Jewish sages were moved to write of one incarnation, ‘If the Garden of Eden is in Israel, then its gate is at Beit She’an’.
Roman Amphitheatre & Byzantine Street Not to be confused with the main site, these ruins are just a short walk from the bus station. The amphitheatre was used for gladiatorial contests and had 12 rows of seats for 6000 spectators. Only three rows can be seen today. The Byzantine street dates from the 5th century AD and connected this area with the main town. A Greek inscription notes that the drainage system dates from AD 522.
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Beit She’an National Park Excavations and restoration work are ongoing but included among the structures so far revealed at Beit She’an National Park (x658
7189; adult/child 23/12NIS; h8am-4pm winter, 8am-5pm summer) are a temple, a basilica, a nymphaeum
and a wide colonnaded Roman street leading down to the great theatre (another 6000 seater). North of the herringbone-patterned street are the extensive Byzantine baths covering over half a hectare, with a courtyard and surrounding porticoes paved with marble and mosaics. One of the mosaics, dating from the 6th century, depicted Tyche, the goddess of prosperity and good fortune – the latter of which aided the thief who made off with it in 1989. For a good overview of the site, climb the hill on the northern side, beyond the baths. There’s a free map of the excavations along with English-language information available at the ticket kiosk.
Getting There & Away Beit She’an is a stopover for the Tiberias– Jerusalem bus and there are also regular services between here and Afula, making it accessible from Nazareth. Travellers headed for Jordan can make use of the Jordan River Crossing, 6km east of Beit She’an, and easily reached by taxi. See p405 for details.
AROUND BEIT SHE’AN
Beit Alpha Synagogue בית הכנסת (ﺑﻴﺖ اﻟﻔﺎ )ﻛﻨﻴﺲ העתיק בית אלפא No-one was more surprised than the Hefzibah kibbutzniks when they went out to dig an irrigation channel in 1928 and uncovered an almost entirely preserved 1500-year-old mosaic floor. The remains were part of a synagogue (adult/child 18/8NIS; h8am-5pm Sat-Thu, 8am-4pm Fri) that an Aramaic inscription dates to the 6th-century-AD Byzantine era. While the synagogue is small and simply built, the colourful mosaic floor, which consists of three distinct panels, is striking. The upper panel shows the Torah ark and traditional religious emblems, including menorahs (candelabras), the lulav (bundle of branches), shofar (ram’s horn) and etrog (citrus fruit). A zodiac circle with the seasons symbolised in each corner makes up the central panel. These astrological signs, though condemned by the prophets, were widely used as decorative elements in churches and
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synagogues of the Byzantine period. Abraham’s sacrifice (Genesis 22) is depicted in the lower panel with the Hebrew words reading ‘lay not your hand (upon the lad)’. A 30minute film (offered in four languages) is an easy-to-watch introduction to the site. Members of the Makoya, a Japanese Christian sect, study Hebrew on the kibbutz. Their lovely little Japanese garden can be seen up the hill from the synagogue, beyond the swimming pool. The kibbutz fish restaurant and pub (hlunch & dinner Mon-Sat) close to the synagogue is a pretty place to while away a summer afternoon under the shade of the palms and bougainvillea. The Beit Alpha synagogue is on the grounds of the Hefzibah Kibbutz, which is between Beit She’an and Hashita Junction on Rte 669. Travellers should ask for the synagogue – the restaurant is right next to the synagogue. To get there take bus No 412 or 411 from Afula.
Gan HaShlosha (Sachne) Reserve ﺳﺨﻨﺔ (שמורת גן השלושה )סח'נה Escape the sweaty Galilee heat by stopping for a dip at the attractive Gan HaShlosha Reserve (x04-658 6219; adult/child 33/20NIS) with its clear natural pools connected to one another by gentle waterfalls and stone bridges. The water, with a year-round temperature of 28°C (sachne is Arabic for warm), comes from a spring. The landscaped lawns make it a very popular place for a barbecue and picnic, but avoid Fridays and Saturdays when you can’t see the forest for all the inflatable fluoro pool toys. There is a snack bar, cafés and a changing room within the park. The entrance fee to the park also covers admission to the Nir David Museum of Regional & Mediterranean Archaeology (x04-658 6352; h9am-2pm Sun-Thu, 10am-2pm Sat), which houses a reconstruction of a small Bronze Age Canaanite temple as well as an interactive display of rare Etruscan artefacts. The museum is a 10-minute walk up the road behind the park. Gan HaShlosha is about 1km southeast of Beit Alpha and is reached by a signposted side road (Rte 669) off Rte 71 – bus Nos 412 and 411 run down this route. You just have to tell the driver where you want to get off at the reserve or the synagogue.
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Bordeaux (x04-676 7673; Kfar Tavor; meals 40-70NIS; hlunch & dinner) A bottle of boutique wine from next door’s Tabor Winery (x04-676
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Tiberias is a town that seems to face in two directions at once. It’s one of the four holy cities of Judaism, home to the tombs of venerated sages and ancient ritual baths, and is a popular holiday spot for the ultraorthodox, who combine treatment of the body with purification of the soul. But it’s also one of the tackiest resorts in Israel, with a lake-side strip crammed with high-
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The Kokhav HaYarden Reserve is 30km south of the Tzemah junction at the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee. Buses running between Tiberias and Beit She’an will drop you off at the signposted intersection of the road that leads up to the castle. From here it is a steep 6km walk or hitch. In the hot summer months it is best to make an early start. Make sure to cover your head and bring plenty of water.
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Certainly no Crak des Chevalier, but as the only completely excavated Crusader fortress in Israel, Belvoir (x04-658 1766; adult/child 18/8NIS; h8am-5pm Apr-Sep, 8am-4pm Oct-Mar) is worth exploring if you happen to be passing by. Part of the Kokhav HaYarden Reserve, the ruins are quite impressive but it’s the setting that is the main attraction. There’s a great view over the Jezreel Valley, Jordan’s Gilead Mountains and, on a clear day, even the Sea of Galilee. The castle was built by the French Knights Hospitallers in 1168 and was held through two attacks by Saladin in 1182–83. However, after being under siege from July
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Right outside the entrance to Gan HaShlosha is a touch of Australiana in the Galilee. The 4-acre Gan-Garoo (x04-648 8060; admission 35NIS; h9am-4pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat) is an Australian animal park popular with kids, who get to run riot through the kangaroo enclosures. The koalas and Australian birds, such as the dinosaur-like cassowary and the flying fruit bat, hide behind the native plants to escape the hordes. Some youngsters are catching on; we heard a small boy ask his mother whether koalas look this sad in Australia – well, it might have had something to do with the felafel he threw at the animal’s head! The large maze is another attraction of the park. There are combination tickets available for visiting both Gan-Garoo and the Gan HaShlosha Reserve.
1187 to January 1191, the defenders at Belvoir were forced to surrender. They were permitted to retreat to Tyre unharmed, in acknowledgment of their courage. Saladin also left the castle intact but it was systematically destroyed in the early 13th century by the Sultan of Damascus, who was afraid that the Crusaders would return. They did, in 1241, but they weren’t around long enough to do any rebuilding. At the entrance to the fortress, and in stark contrast to the ruins, stands a sculpture garden by the Israeli artist Igael Tumarkin.
The town owes its origins to a series of hot springs that lured pleasure-seekers of Roman times and attracted the attention of Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas was almost as egotistical as his father, Herod the Great, founder of Caesarea: the son’s town included a grand cardo, a stadium, a gold-roofed palace and a great synagogue. The population was mixed, but following the Bar Kochba Revolt (AD 132–35) and the resulting exile of the Jews from Jerusalem, Tiberias became the centre of
HaShiloah
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Gan-Garoo Australia Israel Park גורו פארק אוסטרלי-גן
History
Jewish life in Israel. The work of the great sages was continued beside the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and academies of rabbinical study were founded. A Tiberian system of punctuation and grammar was applied to the Torah, thus becoming the standard for all Hebrew, and the Mishnah was completed here around the year AD 200 – achievements that elevated Tiberias to the status of one of the country’s most holy Jewish cities. The population at this time is estimated to have been around 40,000, making the city larger than the Tiberias of today. The Crusaders took Tiberias in 1099, built a fortress slightly to the north and generally shifted the focus of the town away from its original Roman-Byzantine centre. However, the new fortifications proved inadequate and failed to keep out Saladin when he arrived at the head of an army in 1187. The loss of Tiberias to the Muslims sparked the battle at the Horns of Hittin, which proved to be another inglorious defeat for the Crusaders, heralding the demise of the Latin kingdom. Tiberias went into
Gd ud
If you’ve had your fill of historic sites and tour buses, get off the beaten track and take the ‘scenic route’ – Rte 999 (signposted off Rte 669), which, once it climbs Mt Gilboa, turns into Rte 667) – for a relaxing drive across the rugged Mt Gilboa ridge, which was where King Saul and his son Jonathan were slain in battle with the Philistines. It is now more famous for its gorgeous flowers that come out with the winter rains, especially the rare purple Gilboa iris, which carpets the rocky slopes from February to April. Stop in for an organic meal at the Herb Farm on Mt Gilboa (x04-653 1093; Rte 667, Mt Gilboa; meals 40-70NIS; hlunch & dinner Mon-Sat) where the Mass family have left the herb export business to concentrate on creating dishes from the best of the Jezreel Valley produce. Herbs still feature (they have over 20 varieties growing in the garden) in dishes such as the farm salad with raspberry vinaigrette and in the wonderful mix of home-made breads. Sit on the deck and try a glass of their house Cabernet Sauvignon, made in the vineyards that run down to the battlefield where in 1260 the Egyptian Mamluks became the first to defeat the Mongols. The restaurant staff can advise on short hikes on the mountain.
rise hotels that have hardly seen an update since Ben-Gurion last visited, and a dearth of decent bars or restaurants. What with the traffic, and the full-on heat in the summer months, it’s not surprising that many travellers head straight to the other side of the lake (the Sea of Galilee). But if you arrive late in the day, Tiberias has some good-value accommodation, and it’s the easiest place to rent a bike in the area.
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GETTING OFF THE GALILEE TRACK – MT GILBOA
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decline, particularly after being seriously damaged by the many battles fought there and severely rattled by occasional earthquakes. Early in the 16th century, the Ottoman Turks gained possession of the Holy Land and in 1562 Süleyman the Magnificent granted the rights to farm the taxes of Tiberias to a Jew, Don Joseph Nussi. Aided by his mother-in-law, Donna Grazie, he attempted with some degree of success to revive the town as a Jewish enclave. The next player was an Arab sheikh named Daher al-Omar who, in the 18th century, established an independent fiefdom in the Galilee, with Tiberias as its capital. He was assassinated in 1775. The town fared little better, with a great part of it demolished by an earthquake in 1837. Many Jews of the First Aliyah (late 19th century) chose to settle in Tiberias and more followed with the expansion of the Zionist movement. By 1947 the population of Tiberias was again predominantly Jewish. The following year the Arabs and Jews went to war over the town. The defeated Arabs fled and Tiberias was left wholly Jewish. Most visitors arrive at the bus station on the eastern end of HaYarden St. Between the station and the lake, intersecting with HaYarden and running parallel to the shore, are the two main streets of HaGalil and HaBanim. On or around these two are the shops, banks, post office and tourist office, as well as many of the town’s hostels and hotels. Restaurants, cafés and the town’s nightlife are centred on the midrahov (pedestrian mall), one block south of HaYarden, which leads to the lake-shore promenade and its string of eateries.
Information EMERGENCY
Magen David Adom (x679 0111; cnr HaBanim &
HaKishon Sts) This clinic is across from the Jordan River Hotel. Police (x679 2444) INTERNET ACCESS
Solnan Communication (x672 6470; 3 Midrahov;
per hr 20NIS; h8am-11pm) Internet café and international phone office.
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adult/child 12/6NIS; h8am-5pm Sun-Thu & 8am-4pm Fri), which features a small museum in what
4% commission.
ST PETER’S CHURCH
Exchange Office (HaBanim St; h10am-7pm) No-
Hidden along the northern promenade, it is worth looking out for the lovely St Peter’s (hmass 6pm Mon-Sat, 8.30pm Sun) Franciscan church built by 12th-century Crusaders. The Muslims converted it into a mosque, and you can make out an area of uneven stone on the southern wall filling in the hole where a mihrab (prayer niche indicating the direction of Mecca) was carved. Later, the Turks used the building as a caravanserai before it was rebuilt as a church in 1870. Its two features are the boat-shaped nave, a nod to St Peter’s piscatorial profession, and the courtyard built by the Polish soldiers stationed here during WWII.
was originally part of a Turkish bathhouse. The main highlight is a synagogue dating from the 3rd to 5th centuries AD, which has a beautiful zodiac mosaic floor. Much has been made of the mosaic’s curious mix of Jewish and pagan symbols, but somehow this seems quite apt in Tiberias, a town that, historically, seems to have been able to reconcile the spiritual with the more earthly. Hammat Tiberias is 2km north of town. It’s a 25-minute walk or you can try waiting for the infrequent bus No 2 or 5.
MONEY
Bank Leumi (cnr HaBanim and HaYarden Sts) Charges commission moneychanger. Mizrahi Bank (cnr HaBanim St and the Midrahov) Charges 4% commission. The post office changes travellers cheques. POST
Post Office (cnr HaYarden & HaBanim Sts; h7am-6pm Sun-Thu, 7am-noon Fri)
TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourist office (x672 5666; 9 HaBanim St; h9am4.30pm Sun-Thu, 9am-1pm Fri) Located in the ‘archaeological park’, this office has free maps of Tiberias, Nazareth & the Galilee area. A free city walking tour departs from the Sheraton Tiberias Hotel on Saturdays at 10.30am.
Sights & Activities AL-AMARI & JAMA AL-BAHR MOSQUES
As out of place as a pin-stripe-suited gent at a teenage rave, the dignified little Al-Amari Mosque on HaBanim St looks threatened and lost squeezed between some gaudy shops and a brusque concrete supermarket. Built by Daher al-Omar in the mid-18th century, the mosque is one of the very few buildings in Tiberias that predates 1948. It is generally held that its construction was partly paid for by the town’s Jewish community, presumably grateful to the sheikh for being permitted to return. On the waterfront, Jama al-Bahr (1880) was built with a special entrance for those arriving by boat. Both stand forlornly abandoned, and no-one appears to have any plans to utilise their potential. GALILEE EXPERIENCE
Jesus, Napoleon and the Israeli General Moshe Dayan are all stars of the Galilee Experience (x672 3620; fax 672 3195; adult/child US$6/5; h8am-10pm Sun-Thu, 9am-4pm Fri), an hourly film in twelve languages that recounts the historical, political and geographical story of the Galilee. The ‘state-of-the-art slide show’ is more high-school projector job than Hollywood cineplex but it gets a constant stream of visitors to the marina complex, which also includes an internet café (10NIS for 30 minutes) and a souvenir shop. (Continued on page 249)
TIBERIAS HOT SPRINGS
The old traditions of relaxation and rejuvenation at Hammat Tiberias are maintained across the road by Tiberias Hot Springs (x672
CHURCH & MONASTERY OF THE APOSTLES
8500; Elizer Kaplan Blvd; admission 60NIS; h8am-8pm Sun, Mon & Wed, 8am-11pm Tue & Thu, 8.30am-8pm Sat).
By the water’s edge, south of the Radisson Moriah Plaza Hotel, this Greek Orthodox complex is on the site of a Byzantine monastery that was destroyed by the Persians in the 7th century. Since then the complex has been rebuilt and destroyed numerous times; the buildings standing today date from the late 19th century but have been restored as recently as 1975. Three monks live here and they’ll usually admit visitors who ring the bell. There are four chapels beyond the pleasant, walled courtyard. One chapel is dedicated to St Peter, one to the disciples, and one to Mary Magdalene; the one in the ancient round tower is dedicated to St Nicholas.
It has both a health centre for people with serious skin conditions and a modern resort centre on the shore of the lake, which is great for enjoying a good soak in one of the mineral baths. Treatments such as Swedish massage and mud wraps are also available.
HAMMAT TIBERIAS
Israel’s spa craze actually has a 2000-yearold history, which started at the hot springs of Hammat Tiberias when, during Roman times, they were the focus, if not the raison d’être, of a community of 40,000 fervent bathers. The fame of Hammat Tiberias was such that in AD 110 the Emperor Trajan had a coin struck dedicated to the springs – with the image of Hygeia, the goddess of health, shown sitting on a rock, enjoying the water. The springs were also mentioned by Al-Idris, an Arab writer who lived during the Crusades, and were recommended by the Jewish sage Rambam to his patients. Check out the history of the site at the Hammat Tiberias National Park (x 672 5287;
TOMBS
As the home of the Sanhedrin (Jewish supreme court) during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, Tiberias is one of the most important cities in Judaism. The town is often filled with religious Jews paying respect to the number of great tzadiks (influential scholars) buried in the area, particularly on the anniversary of their deaths. The evocative atmosphere of dripping candles and tears could be compared to the veneration of saints within Judaism. To reach the tombs, walk two blocks west along HaYarden St before turning right into Ben Zakkai. Look for the red steel monument. Tomb of Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon The tomb of Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon (Ben Zakkai St) is the final resting place of the Spanish
physician, also known as Maimonides or Rambam, who worked in the court of the Muslim ruler Saladin. This revered rabbi, who died in 1204, was one of 12th-century Egypt’s most highly regarded sages. Legend has it that before his death in Cairo, he instructed followers to load his remains onto a camel and bury him wherever the camel
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expired. The camel was apparently drawn to Tiberias. Next to Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon’s tomb lies Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakkai, the Holy Land’s most eminent sage at the time of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. Ben Zakkai is said to have faked his own death, escaping the city in a coffin and jumping out of the casket in front of the Roman general Vespasian, who he prophesied would become the new Caesar. When the prophecy came true, Ben Zakkai was granted one wish by the new leader; a Jewish learning centre for him and for students. Rabbi Eliezer the Great, a prominent 2nd-century scholar;, Rav Ammi and Rav Assii, who lived in the 3rd century, and Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, who died around 1630, are also buried in the complex.
Most of the beaches immediately around Tiberias are owned by hotels, which do at least provide facilities such as changing rooms and showers. For a real splash, spend the day at the Gai Beach Water Park (x670 0713; admission 60NIS; h9.30am-5pm April-Oct), which has giant water slides, including the terrifying kamikaze slide (on a 70° angle), and wavemachine-rippled pools. The water park is 1km south of the town centre. Walk or take bus No 5-Aleph (A) from the bus station. If you don’t like the idea of paying for access to the lake, either head for the harbour wall to the south of the Radisson Moriah Plaza Hotel, or leave Tiberias altogether and walk or take a bus further south, beyond the hot springs, and stop when you see an appealing site. Bus No 5-Aleph (A) heads south.
Tomb of Rabbi Meir Ba’al Hanes
Tours
Up the hill from the Hammat Tiberias is one of Judaism’s holiest sites, the tomb of Meir Ba’al Hanes (h7am-8pm Sun-Thu, 7am-3pm Fri), the 2nd-century rabbi who helped to compile the Mishnah. The tomb is marked by two synagogues: Sephardic, the one on the left with the white dome; and Ashkenazi, with the blue dome. In the courtyard of the Sephardic synagogue is a pillar topped by a large bowl, and four days before the Lag B’Omer holiday a bonfire is lit here on the Pesah Sheni (second Passover). Crowds of religious Jews visit throughout the year to pray and it is a belief that God will answer the prayers of pilgrims with personal problems.
Tiberias Excavations (x02 582 5548; www.tiberias excavation.com) is a week-long program run by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem assisting archaeologists on digs just south of Tiberias. Volunteers pay US$350/450 per single/double for room and board or US$100 to camp, which includes lectures and field trips.
Tomb of Rabbi Akiva
A white dome covers the cave-tomb of Rabbi Akiva. Born in AD 50, he was one of the great Jewish scholars, and was killed by the Romans for his role in the Bar Kochba Revolt (AD 132–35). Take bus No 4 from Ben Zakkai St to get to the tomb.
Festivals & Events Jacob’s Ladder Festival (www.jfestival.com; adult/ child 215/150NIS) is held over two days in May (Spring Festival) and two days in December (Winter Weekend). The festival has been running for over 30 years and features everything from bluegrass to Irish jigs, blues and country rock. It’s an intimate affair currently held at Kibbutz Ginosour, about 10km north of Tiberias.
Sleeping Be aware that prices are subject to dramatic changes during the summer high season and Jewish holidays. BUDGET
BEACHES
Water pollution, lack of water…there’s a never-ending list of problems facing the Sea of Galilee, but what really seems to aggravate both locals and travellers the most is the illegal privatisation of the beaches. Some stretches of shoreline are now completely fenced off, with owners charging up to 120NIS for a bit of fun in the sun.
There is a lot of budget accommodation in Tiberias but sadly the hostels are all on the tired side, with many looking like they haven’t seen a backpack since the late ’90s. Most of the cheap hotels are clustered around the southern end of town but are within walking distance of the bus station. Aviv Hotel & Hostel (x672 3510; www.aviv-hotel.co
.il in Hebrew; 66 HaGalil St; dm/s/d 50/120/170NIS; ai)
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Bikes for hire, DVDs to watch, cable TV, well-equipped kitchen, organised tours – you say the word and the owner will throw in his first-born if he thinks you might be interested in a room at this well-located hostel. It’s amazing how many bunks they manage to squeeze into the tiny dorm rooms, which all have private bathroom and balcony. The double rooms vary a lot but many have had a new lick of paint and are excellent value. The Aviv holiday flats in the adjacent building (to the west) feature kitchenettes and some have Jacuzzi tubs. Maman Hostel (x679 2986; fax 672 6616; Ha’Atzmaut St; dm/s/d 50/140/200NIS; as) When it’s sweat city in Tiberias, the Maman Hostel pool is a great place to cool off. The communal areas – such as the garden and terrace around the back – are the highlights of this quiet little place, which is well maintained despite the drop in tourist numbers over the years. Dorms are airy and the rooms uninspiring but clean. There is no curfew as guests are given keys. HI – Meyouhas Youth Hostel (x672 1775; fax 672 0372; 2 HaYarden St; dm/s/d 75/160/250NIS) Once the prestigious Hotel Tiberias (built 1862), this landmark building made of local black basalt has been converted into an efficiently run and ever so slightly atmospheric youth hostel. The rooms are lacklustre, but very clean and have small touches such as reading lamps. For an uninterrupted night’s sleep avoid the rooms at the back, which get a lot of traffic noise. The huge communal balconies have views of the lake, only slightly diminished by the prison-like bars. YMCA Peniel-by-Galilee (x672 0685; www.ymca -galilee.co.il; s/d 200/290NIS; as) Using the word paradise to describe a YMCA might be overdoing it, but this hostel really is a hidden treasure. About 5km north of Tiberias, it was built as a holiday home for Dr Archibald Hart, who founded the Jerusalem YMCA in the 1920s. Today it’s still the best piece of real estate in town, sitting on a secluded section of shoreline with a clean pebbly beach, and with a natural pool fed by a warm spring. It’s impossible to hide from the great views that can be found in the attractive upper dining room or, even more inviting, in the spacious lower deck or landscaped gardens. The 12 rooms are forgivably simple, but some have kitchenettes, making this a perfect place to stop for a couple of days.
MIDRANGE
Tiberias has a tonne of hotels in the budget and top-end categories but almost nothing to recommend in between. Most of the double rooms in the budget listing are much better value than anything ‘midrange’ in town. Arbel Guesthouse (x679 4919; www.4shavit.com; Arbel Village; s/d US$47/62; ai) A lovely alternative to the brick monstrosities in town, this B&B has a tranquil garden setting in the small village of Arbel, north of Tiberias. It’s only ten minutes’ drive but the hustle of central Tiberias feels miles away when you are relaxing in the lush garden or chilling out with a book on the deck. These five units run by the Shavit family are eclectically decorated and all have kitchenettes and cable TV. One unit is wheelchair friendly. Breakfast is US$8 and the dining room turns into a popular local restaurant at night. Call from town for a free pick-up. TOP END
Gai Beach (x670 0700; www.gaibeachhotel.com; Rte 90; s/d with breakfast US$90/180; asi) If you’ve
got children in tow, Gai Beach is undoubtedly the most family-friendly choice in Tiberias. The Club Med–style atmosphere is replete with kids clubs, free entertainment and overloaded buffet meals. Guests don’t pay to enter the attached Gai Beach Water Park, and parents looking for a bit of quiet can retreat to the Romanesque spa. With so many rooms – all of them on the rather small side – on each floor of the hotel expect slamming doors and noisy corridors. The hotel is about 1km south of town. Scots Hotel (x671 0710; www.scotshotels.co.il; 1 Gdud Barak St; s/d/tr with breakfast US$135/170/240; asi)
The stand-out chic of the beautifully restored Scots Hotel leaves most other offerings for dead. After stomping around the sites, escape to the landscaped gardens, breezy courtyards and dazzling pool with lake views. The interior is lovely, and in addition to the wellappointed hotel rooms there are 19 ‘antique’ rooms in the original 1890s former hospital complex. With exposed basalt stone walls, high ceilings and sumptuous decoration; they are an effortless mix of antique furnishings and modern luxuries such as plasma TVs and wi-fi. Service is smart and considerate, with a lot of local historical knowledge. Rimonim Galei Kinnereth (x672 8888; www.ri
monim.com; 1 Eliezer Kaplan St; half-board s/d US$306/366;
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as) Mentioned in books by Leon Uris,
James D McDonald and Taylor Caldwell, the doyenne of the Tiberias hotel scene has recently been revamped. The internal renovations are sympathetic to the hotel’s unique history and charm – Ben-Gurion was a favourite guest during the 1950s – but some things, such as the rather standard room décor, have been lost to the national Rimonim chain. On the upside, not only does the hotel sit in a great spot on the lake but it has opened a fabulous spa with a gazebo-enclosed thermal mineral water pool and a range of treatments available.
Yemenite Restaurant (Midrahov; mains 25NIS; hlunch Mon-Fri, dinner Sat-Thu) This lively latenight fast-food joint is the place to pull up a plastic chair for your weekly quota of grease. For around 20NIS you can order a malawach, a large flaky-pastry pancake filled with either meat, mushrooms, egg or honey – one makes a substantial meal. Guy (x672 3036; 63 HaGalil St; mains 50-80NIS; hdinner Sun-Thu, lunch Sun-Fri) There’s no view but at least it’s an escape from the groups of package tourists that tend to take over the waterfront restaurants. Family-run Guy is popular with locals who dig into a menu that is supposedly Morrocan-inspired, but actually runs the gamut from chopped liver to Iraqi kibbeh (burghul – cracked wheat). It’s obvious a lot of love goes into the house speciality, a delicious array of stuffed vegetables. Torrance Restaurant (x671 0710; Scots Hotel, 1 Gdud Barak St; 3 courses 150NIS; hdinner) If you’re not staying at the Scots Hotel then a meal at the Torrance Restaurant – preferably on the veranda to take in the spectacular views – should be on the list. The menu changes daily and the dishes are filled with fresh Galilee produce such as the ubiquitous St Peter’s fish, herbs from the kitchen garden and local cheeses. The impressive cellar has a selection of boutique Galilee wines. The food is pretty good, but it’s the setting, in the original Scots Hospital building, and the chance to have a sticky beak around the rest of the property that is the real attraction. Pagoda (x672 5513; Gdud Barak; mains 60-90NIS; hlunch & dinner Sun-Thu) Taking the road north out of town it’s hard to miss the Pagoda restaurant, so incongruous is the faux-Chinese temple and its glitzy red-and-gold interior,
located right on the Sea of Galilee. If you keep kosher, the Chinese-Thai dishes are a step above what usually passes for Asian food elsewhere in the country. If you don’t, be prepared for a very Israelised version of things with an unadventurous menu featuring sweet and sour chicken, Pad Thai and sushi. Definitely reserve a table in advance. House (x672 5515; Gdud Barak; mains 60-90NIS; hdinner Fri, lunch Sat) Author John Le Carré broke the Sabbath by dining across the road from the Pagoda at the House. The two restaurants are essentially the same but the House is open on Friday nights and Saturday lunch – sans shellfish and pork of course. Decks (x672 1538; Lido Kinneret Beach; mains 80-150NIS; h lunch Sun-Fri, dinner Sat-Thu) We recommend a 24-hour crash diet before surrendering to the charcoal grill at this legendary steakhouse, where it really is possible to have five different animals on the table at one time. House favourites are the tender pieces of baby lamb, goose liver and filet mignon, slowly roasted on the hickory grill and served with locally grown vegetables. Desserts such as the crepe flambé with apple and cinnamon are truly gluttonous but worth saving room for. The predictable promenade restaurants such as Galei Gil (x672 0699; mains 70NIS; hlunch Sun-Fri, dinner Sat-Thu) and Karamba’s Fish Restaurant (x 672 4505; mains 70NIS; h lunch Sun-Fri, dinner Sat-Thu) make an absolute killing with their overpriced fish and meat grills, but there’s nothing unpleasant about a table by the water and a taste of the Sea of Galilee speciality – St Peter’s fish. It’s a bony little fish but has mild white flesh that even fishhaters seem to like, and is served grilled or fried with a pile of chips and salad. The small market (hSun-Fri), off HaYarkon St south of Gan Shimon Park, sells a range of fruits and vegetables. There’s also the convenient Hyper Neto supermarket behind Al-Amari Mosque. A lengthy parade of felafel stalls (HaYarden St; h9am-7pm Sun-Thu, 9am-2pm Fri) runs towards the bus station. The cheapest sit-down dining options are cafés at the top end of the midrahov, which do standards like kebab or schnitzel with salad and chips.
Drinking & Entertainment Big Ben (Midrahov; hnoon-late) Whatever the season this old-timer continues to attract
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tourists and locals with its easy-going sports-bar feel. A mix of young and old enjoy cold beers and greasy bar snacks, international football highlights on the big screen and late-night action under the trees. Papaya (x054 124 1200; Promenade; h5pm-late) More Thai Island than Tiberias, this slick little beach bar reckons it has the best cocktails in town. Weekly theme nights such as karaoke and salsa get the tiny dance floor shaking, but the best time of day is dusk when you can actually catch not only the bartender’s attention, but the great sunset views over the lake. From the Lido Kinneret Beach, disco cruises (x672 1538; 25NIS), hugely popular with Israeli teens, depart according to demand throughout the year.
Getting There & Away BUS
Egged buses (x672 9222) depart for Tel Aviv (42NIS, 2½ hours, hourly) and Jerusalem (42NIS, three hours, every two hours) from the central bus station. There are also hourly (except Saturday) services to Haifa (28NIS, 1½ hours), Tsfat (20NIS, one hour), Kiryat Shmona (25NIS, 1½ hours), Beit She’an (21.50NIS, 40 minutes), and Afula (21.50NIS, 40 minutes) from where you can connect to Nazareth. CAR
Avis (x672 2766; HaYarden St) Eldan (x679 1822; HaBanim St) SHERUT (SERVICE TAXI)
Outside the bus station and across the street, sheruts leave throughout the day, mostly to Tel Aviv (35NIS, two hours) and occasionally Haifa (20NIS, one hour). Sheruts also line up outside the Mizrahi Bank on HaBanim St.
Getting Around
BOAT
Tiberias Water Sports (x052 269 2664) at the bottom of the midrahov rents out boats for 100NIS for 30 minutes.
SEA OF GALILEE (ﺑﺤﺮة ﻃﺒﺮﻳﺎ )ﻛﻴﻨﺮت
כנרת
‘The blue eye of this corner of our country…Lake Kinneret is no ordinary landscape or even a corner of nature. It is the site of a people’s destiny. Here, our past winks its thousand eyes and rocks us in its thousand lips.’ (Rahel, On the Shores of Lake Kinneret) If you really want to explore the natural beauty and incredible history of this region, leave the lights of Tiberias behind and take to the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret in Hebrew). Around 21km long and 55km in circumference, the Kinneret is fed by the Jordan River and is the main source of Israel’s water supply. For Christian visitors, it is better known for its biblical significance – some of the most important stories in Christianity took place in the hills of the northern coast. As the heart of kibbutz country the shore is dotted with great places to relax – beaches, camping grounds, walking tracks and water sports. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) is currently developing a hiking trail along the Kinneret’s shores but so far only a small portion is open to the public. Aside from walking on water, the best way around is by hired bike (the best place to hire bikes is in Tiberias – such as at the Aviv Hostel).
Information Jordan Valley Information Centre (Map p225; x04-675 2727; h8.30am-4pm Mon-Thu, 8.30am-2pm Fri & Sat) is at the shopping centre in Tzemah
BICYCLE
As long as you can deal with the heat, getting around Tiberias and the lake by bicycle is ideal. The road by the lake shore is relatively hillfree and many of the sites are close together. Aviv Hotel & Hostel (x672 3510) rents top-quality bikes from 40NIS per day. Most cyclists do the lake circuit, which can be done in four or five steady hours. Start early (around 7am) to beat the heat and take plenty of water because there is little shade along the road.
WALKING ON WATER Michael Kohn A recent news report…Jesus may not have walked on water as the Bible claims but rather skated on ice formed through a freak cold spell, a scientific study has suggested. Rare atmospheric and water conditions could have caused ice to form on the freshwater Sea of Galilee.
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Junction, and provides free maps and regional information.
Tours ATV Trips (x052 306 0912; www.24x4.com in Hebrew) Runs professional quad-biking trips through the Galilee. It’s based close to Kfar Tavor. Call for prices. Vered Hagalil Guest Farm (Map p225; x04-693 5785; www.veredhagalil.com; Rte 90) Offers leisurely horse-riding tours along the shore of the Kinneret and into the Galilee hills, from one hour (100NIS) to three days. We recommend the full-moon rides, which include complimentary wine (300NIS). Book ahead.
Northwestern Shore Migdal, 6km north of Tiberias, was the birthplace of Mary Magdalene. This is commemorated with a tiny white-domed shrine, overgrown with vegetation, near Restal Beach. Following the road by the lake, 1km north, a side road leads eastwards to Minya, the most ancient Muslim prayer site in Israel. Here you’ll find the ruins of a 7th-century palace with the remnants of a mosaic floor and, on the southeastern side, a mosque with its tell tale mihrab oriented towards Mecca. On Kibbutz Ginosar is the Yigal Allon Centre (Map p225; x04-672 7700; www.jesusboat.com; ‘Man in the Galilee’. Its most celebrated exhibit is the skeletal remains of an 8.2m fishing vessel dating back to the time of Christ’s ministry. Discovered by local fishermen in 1986, thanks to a severe drop in the lake’s water level, the hard-packed mud of the lake bed had almost perfectly preserved the boat by denying oxygen to the otherwise wood-devouring bacteria. It then spent nine and a half years soaking in a tub of preservative solution before being revealed to the world by shrewd touristoperators as ‘the Jesus boat’.
Tabgha
ﻃﺒﺨﺔ
טבח'ה
Tabgha is generally considered to be the most beautiful and serene of the Christian holy places, making a visit special even if you don’t have any personal religious interest. Tabgha (an Arabic translation of the Greek hepta pega, meaning ‘seven springs’) is associated with three salient episodes from the New Testament. Modest dress (no
MOUNT OF BEATITUDES
Standing in the gardens of the Church of the Beatitudes (Map p225; admission per car 5NIS; h8am-11.40am & 2.30-4.40pm) it’s hard to imagine whether the disciples of Jesus were more inspired by his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) or the beauty of this tranquil spot. Recorded in the New Testament, the most well-known portion of the Sermon on the Mount is the Beatitudes, the opening ‘Blessed are…’ verses. The Sermon also contains the Lord’s Prayer and oft-quoted lines such as ‘salt of the earth’, ‘light of the world’, and ‘judge not, lest ye be judged’. The eight Beatitudes of Jesus (Matthew 5:3-10) are commemorated in stained glass around the dome of this octagonal-shaped Roman Catholic church, which dates from 1937 but was built on the site of earlier churches. Inside the church – which is owned by the Franciscans – the seven virtues (justice, charity, prudence, faith, fortitude, hope and temperance) are also represented by symbols around the altar. From the gallery you have some of the best views of the lake, particularly towards Tiberias to the south, and towards Capernaum to the east, with the red domes of the Greek Orthodox monastery beyond. CHURCH OF THE MULTIPLICATION OF THE LOAVES & FISHES
The altar of the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves & Fishes (Map p225;h8am-5pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun), also called the Heptapagon, is thought to include the rock where Jesus laid the five loaves and two fishes that multiplied to feed 5000 faithful listeners (Mark 6:30-44). The church is constructed on the site of a 5th-century Byzantine church and in 1932 excavations uncovered some beautiful mosaic floors. They are incredibly well preserved and include depictions of a variety of flora and fauna, as well as the ‘loaves and fishes’ mosaic. This complex belongs to the German Benedictine Order and includes an adjacent monastery and pilgrims hospice.
CHURCH OF THE PRIMACY OF ST PETER
A fragrant garden leads the way down to the water’s edge and the wonderfully serene Church of the Primacy of St Peter (Map p225;h8am4.50pm). Built by Franciscans in 1933, the simple church, with its lovely stained glass, was constructed here to commemorate the spot where the resurrected Jesus conferred the church leadership on Peter. The church covers a flat rock (which can be seen in front of the altar) known to Byzantine pilgrims as Mensa Christi (Christ’s Table), off which it is believed Jesus and his disciples breakfasted on fish. Outside the church, by the water, are a few steps cut out of the rock. Some say that this was where Jesus stood when the disciples saw him; however, it’s possible they were cut in the 2nd or 3rd century, when this area was quarried for limestone. GETTING THERE & AWAY
Bus Nos 459, 841 and 963 leave from Tiberias bus station and go northwards, past Migdal, Minya and the Tabgha turn-off. Just before the bus stop at the Tabgha turn-off, as you climb a steep slope, the road passes an electric power plant on the right. When you see this, remind the driver that you want to get off at the Tabgha turn-off.
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From the bus stop at the turn-off, follow the side road as it bends to the left; the Church of the Multiplication is a few minutes’ walk. Continuing along the road, above the reststop is a rough path that leads up the slope to the Church of the Beatitudes. Or, you can stay on the bus until the stop after the Tabgha turn-off; the road veers away from the lake and zigzags up the hill, and the next stop is beside a turn-off marked by an orange sign reading ‘Hospice of the Beatitudes’. Follow this side road to reach the church. From here you can walk down the slope to reach the Church of the Primacy.
Korazim
ﻛﻮرزﻳﻢ
כורזים
Situated high above a basalt plain, overlooking the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River are the ruins of ancient Korazim (x04-
693 4982; adult/child 18/8NIS; h8am-5pm summer, 8am4pm winter). There was a Jewish town here in
the 1st century and, along with Capernaum and Bethsaida, it is believed its people were condemned by Jesus for their lack of faith (Matthew 11:20 24). There has been some restoration, and the remains give an idea of the layout of a small town of that time. The feature of the ruins is a black basalt synagogue of the 3rd to 4th century, similar in style to the limestone one
APOSTLE LAND Despite a tough few years for tourism in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Christian pilgrims with a dream of walking in the footsteps of Jesus continue to arrive by the busload in the Galilee. Ever since Israel’s former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu cultivated ties with US Evangelicals in the late ‘90s, the American Christian right – famous for its outspoken broadcasters such as Pat Robertson – have been among the strongest supporters of Israel. Now the Israeli government wants to build a US$48 million Holy Land Christian theme park on the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee, a hop and a skip from Capernaum and the Mount of Beatitudes. The sprawling Holy Land Centre, to be built on about 50 hectares that the Israeli government is reportedly offering cost-free, will feature an outdoor amphitheatre overlooking the Jordan River, a Holy Land exhibition and a multimedia area with online broadcasting to link pilgrims with the rest of their congregations back home. This is all to be set amid a nature park filled with the plants and trees mentioned in the New Testament. While locals are welcoming the amount of new jobs the projected 1 million extra tourists a year will bring, some people fear Evangelical Christians are more interested in converting Jewish Israelis than supporting Israel. Knesset member Yossi Sarid told the Guardian newspaper, ‘There is something sinister about their embrace’. But it’s not all plain sailing on that lake. When, the day after former prime minister Ariel Sharon’s stroke, Pat Robertson made the flippant remark that Sharon was being punished for ‘dividing God’s land’, a reference to the 2005 pullout from the Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements, the Israeli government pulled straight out of the Holy Land Centre deal. Israel tourism officials confirm the theme park is still a probability, going ahead once they secure a ‘real friend of Israel’.
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adult/child 20/15NIS; h8.30am-5pm Sat-Thu, 8.30am1pm Fri), a museum devoted to the theme
shorts or sleeveless tops) is required when visiting the following sites. An attractive walkway has been built along the road between Tabgha and Capernaum.
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at Capernaum. The synagogue is adorned with ornate carvings of plants, people crushing grapes with their feet, and animals: lions, an eagle, and a bird pecking at a bunch of grapes. Look out for the basalt ‘armchair’ used during the reading of the Torah. Beyond Korazim to the east, the ground is covered with large basalt rocks. Many of these are dolmens – large blocks of broad and flat stone placed on other stones and used as burial chambers between 6000 and 4000 BC. You can either backtrack from here to Tabgha or continue east along the minor road (No 8277) for a further couple of kilometres to a junction, the southern fork of which leads back to the road encircling the lake.
ﻛﻔﺎر ﻧﺎﺣﻮم
כפר נחום
According to Christian belief, the village of Capernaum (Kfar Nahum; admission 3NIS; h8am4.40pm) was the home base of Jesus during the most influential period of his Galilean ministry (Matthew 4:12-17, 9:1; Mark 2:1); and is where he preached at the synagogue (Mark 1:21), healed the sick, including Peter’s stepmother (Mark 1:29-31), the leper (Luke 5:12-16) and the centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1-10); and recruited his first disciples – Peter, Andrew, James and John, who were local fishermen, and Matthew the tax collector. According to both rabbinical texts and archaeological discoveries, there seems to have been a strong Christian presence here in the 2nd century. By the 4th century the town had expanded to cover the surrounding hills. However, after the Arab conquest sometime around AD 700, the town was destroyed and never again inhabited. In 1894, the Franciscans purchased the site and set about restoring the ancient synagogue and church, which are now the major attractions of a well-labelled museum. SYNAGOGUE
Although the specific date of construction is unknown, it’s agreed by archaeologists that this particular house of worship was built at least a century after the Crucifixion took place. The reconstructed building consists of an annexe and a main prayer hall with an impressive Roman façade and a column with a Greek inscription. The entrance to the
annexe, standing to the east of the hall, has a nicely carved lintel, with an eagle and palm tree design. Other carvings adorning various parts of the synagogue include the Star of David, a palm (once the symbol of Israel), a menorah, a wagon that may represent the ancient Holy Ark that carried the Torah, an urn, and a half-horse, half-fish figure. Note that this is not the synagogue Christians believe was frequented by Jesus. ST PETER’S HOUSE
The ruins of a church mark what is believed to have been St Peter’s home where Jesus stayed. A mosaic floor decorates the room believed to have been host to Christ. The beginnings of the church, built around the mosaic room, have been traced to the 4th century. GETTING THERE & AWAY
From the Church of the Beatitudes you have a pleasant walk across the fields and along a newly constructed lake-side promenade to Capernaum. Just follow the various tracks down the hill and aim for the red domes of the nearby Greek Orthodox monastery. To reach the museum, you should walk down the signposted side road; it’s at the end.
Northeastern Shore As you cross the Arik Bridge and continue towards the eastern shore, the main road verges away from the Kinneret and runs around the edge of the Bethsaida Valley. There are several hiking paths here; find entrances between the Bethsaida and Ma’ale Gamla Junctions. Great on a hot day is the threehour ‘Zaki’ hike – a circuit from the main road through the lagoons down to the water and back. Make sure you wear sandals. Kursi National Park (x04-673 1983; adult/child 12/6NIS; h8am-5pm), designated by the Jewish Talmud as a site for idol worship, was also the place where it is believed Jesus cast a contingent of demon spirits into a herd of swine (Mark 5:1-13). The beautiful, recently excavated ruins feature an impressive 5th-century Byzantine-era monastery. There are plenty of scenic swimming spots along the eastern shore, but if you are after something more action-packed then visit the popular Luna Gal Waterpark (Map p225;x04-667 8000; www.luna-gal.co.il in Hebrew; adult/child 100/80NIS; h10am-5pm April-Oct), allegedly the best in the
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country, with zillions of slides and great fun for splashing kids (big and small). About 8km south is Kibbutz Ein Gev (Map p225; www.eingev.com), established in 1937 by German and Czech pioneers as the first permanent Jewish settlement on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Prior to 1967 this outpost could only be safely visited by boat as the surrounding area was Syrian. As a frontier post (the kibbutz was stockaded like a fortress), security concerns ruled out agriculture as a means of existence so the kibbutz developed a fishing industry. One of Ein Gev’s major attractions today is its restaurant (see Eating, p259), well supplied by the kibbutz fish farm. There is a regular train tour (16NIS; h12.30 & 2.30pm Sun-Thu, noon-5pm on the hr Fri, noon-7pm on the hr Sat) showing the working kibbutz, including vineyards, banana and date plantations and the fish farm. More agricultural action can be found at Kibbutz Ha’on (Map p225;x04-665 6557; www.haon .co.il), which has an ostrich farm (adult/child 18/ 9NIS; h9am-3pm) with activities for kids, and an area for paintball.
Hamat Gader
ﺣﺎﻣﺔ
חמת גדר
One of the highlights for many visitors to the Galilee, and a regular attraction for locals, Hamat Gader (Map p225;x04-665 9999; www
.hamat-gader.com; admission 69NIS Sun-Thu, 79NIS Fri & Sat; h7am-4pm Sun-Tue, 7am-10pm Wed-Fri, 7am-9pm Sat),
is a hot springs resort and animal park occupying the bottom of a deep valley split by the Jordanian border. Retirees in beach gear and stressed-out parents relax in the hot pools with massage jets and waterfalls, while the kid-friendly cold ‘splash’ pool features slides and fountains. Peace and quiet is on offer for a price – entrance to the spa village, which has a beautiful private pool, saunas and a variety of treatments, costs 190NIS. Mineral saturation complete, try one of several ethnic restaurants, or check out the largest crocodile farm in the Middle East. The park started off with reptiles imported from Florida but the reptiles are now born and raised for export in the hothouse by the entrance to the pools. Performing parrots are another attraction, but this is no ‘Polly want a cracker’ moment – these birds actually ride bikes! If that’s not enough to keep you amused, the partially reconstructed Roman ruins are quite impressive and include various bath-
ing areas, such as a smaller pool reserved for lepers and the hottest spring (51°C), which in Hebrew is called Ma’ayan HaGehinom (Hell’s Pool) and in Arabic Ain Makleh (Frying Pool). There is also a ruined 5th- or 6th-century synagogue just west of the Roman baths and past the picnic area. Unfortunately they were temporarily closed at the time of research, but the hill behind the site gives a fine view of the ruins, as well as the valley crossed by the bridge that used to carry the Haifa–Damascus railway. The site is 8km southeast of the Sea of Galilee (21km from Tiberias). From Tiberias, bus No 24 departs Sunday to Thursday at 8.45am and 10.30am, and Friday at 8.30am and 9.30am. Returning, buses leave Hamat Gader Sunday to Thursday at noon and 3pm, and Friday at noon and 1pm.
Eastern Shore Also known by the Saddam-esque title of Em Hakevutsot, or ‘Mother of all Cooperative Villages’, Kibbutz Degania Aleph (not to be confused with Degania Bet next door), established in 1910, was the world’s first kibbutz. Beit Gordon (x04-675 0040; admission 12NIS; h3-7pm Sun-Thu, 9am-noon Fri) is an archaeological and natural history museum dedicated to the memory of the father of the kibbutz movement, AD Gordon. Nearby, the Kibbutz Kinneret cemetery is a peaceful place to wander. Among those buried here are the Hebrew poets Rahel and Elisheva, and Berl Katsenelson, a leader of the Jewish labour movement. Rahel’s grave beneath a palm tree on the shore of the lake has become something of a pilgrimage site for lovers of her poems and songs. Immigrating from Russia in 1909, Rahel lived on Kibbutz Degania ‘playing the shovel, and painting the earth’. Most of her poems were written in the last six years before she died a lonely death from tuberculosis in Tel Aviv. The simple beauty of her prose captures her nostalgia for the Galilee and love for ‘Eretz Yisrael’ (the land of Israel), easily translating into lyrics for modern Israeli folk songs. Today Rahel’s life has taken on mythic proportions in Israel, and 65 years after her death a volume of her collected verse remains one of the country’s top sellers. Just south of the bridge crossing the Jordan River where it leaves the Sea of Galilee is the Yardenit (x04-675 9111; www.yardenit.com), a
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flash-looking baptism site where white-garbed devotees – praying and singing – line up to be dipped in the river. The river here is quite beautiful, overhung with eucalyptus trees and swarming with fish and is, not surprisingly, very popular all year round. There’s a restaurant and change-room facilities at the site. Note this is not where Jesus is said to have been baptised, which is at Al-Maghtes, near Jericho – out of bounds to pilgrims because of its proximity to the Jordanian– West Bank border.
Gofra Beach (Map p225;x04-673 1942; www.gofra beach.com in Hebrew; per car for 24hr 85NIS; hyearround) Several kilometres south, Gofra Beach
Sleeping
rene spot at Korazim (p255). There are three suites to choose from (one is wheelchair friendly) and all are decked out in a cosy, rustic style with rugs and individual furnishings. The American Frenkels – who can generally be found tending their gorgeous garden – are very easy-going and know a lot about the local area, from the nearby Christian sites to Tsfat and the Golan Heights. Hotel Nof Ginnosar (Map p225;x04-670 0320; www
BUDGET
Hostels
HI – Karei Deshe-Yoram Youth Hostel (Map p225;x04-672 0601; dm/s/d with breakfast 91.50/171/ 240NIS; a) Both locals and travellers rave
about this good-looking youth hostel, a sparkling white facility with a mix of double and dorm rooms, set in attractive grounds with date palms, eucalyptus trees, a rocky beach and a few peacocks. Located at Tabgha, this is the perfect base for a few days of New Testament site-hopping and relaxing on the lake. Meals are available for 42NIS. To get here, take bus No 459 or 841 from Tiberias. The hostel is a 1.5km walk from the bus stop. Camping
Camping is often expensive as most sites are run by kibbutzim or private resorts – but your money buys security, a decent shower block and toilet facilities. Several places charge per car for 24 hours; camping is otherwise ‘free’ – great for those on bikes. Ze’elon Beach (Map p225; per car for 24hr 50NIS; hyear-round) Summer weekends have a festival atmosphere here with a young, slightly alternative crowd gathering to camp on grass pitches under the trees and barbecue on the beach. Swimming is officially prohibited but in true Israeli style everyone does it anyway. Great facilities including a simple café-bar (open late) make this one of the best accommodation bargains in the region. Hokuk Camping (Map p225;x04-671 5440, 057
740 0242; per car 85NIS, camp sites 50NIS; hApr-Oct)
Around the bend from the HI – Karei Deshe-Yoram Youth Hostel, this is a small but attractive camp site with grassy pitches under the trees. Regulars set up hammocks between the palms, giving it a tropical feel. There is also a mini-market on site.
is a very well-developed camping ground with a small supermarket, café and even nargilehs and fridges for hire. The palmfringed beach bar is a great place to hang out and watch the sun set over the lake. MIDRANGE
Frenkels Bed and Breakfast (Map p225;x04-680
1686; www.thefrenkels.com; Rte 8277; Kfar Korazim; s/d/tr 350/450/550NIS) This sweet B&B occupies a se-
.ginosar.co.il; s/d with breakfast US$100/120; as)
Redolent with ’70s charm, this old-timer kibbutz has huge leafy grounds and an attractive private beach. It’s popular with groups of seniors who book out the very uninspiring motel-like rooms most weekends and holidays, and then careen around the buffet tables in the dining room like over-excited campers. Extra perks include bike rental, exercise classes and massage (per hour US$30). The extensive buffet dinner is US$15 and gets good reports. Ein Gev Resort (Map p225;x04-665 9800; www.ein gev.com; d with breakfast 535NIS; as) A long-time favourite with the international kibbutz crowd, Ein Gev is a working agricultural and dairy farm that also has a range of accommodation options, from motel-style rooms to beach-front family units with kitchenettes and cable TV. Unfortunately the ‘deluxe’ rooms back right on to the main road, so the sunny lake-side apartments with their great views and spacious living area are the best bet. The resort is about 1.5km south of the kibbutz entrance. TOP END
Vered HaGalil Guest Farm (Map p225;x04-693 5785;
www.veredhagalil.com; cabin/studio/cottage US$129/151/ 162; ais) Whether or not you are tak-
ing advantage of the excellent horse-riding facilities (see Tours, p254), Vered HaGalil
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offers lovely accommodation in rustic wood and stone cottages amid the farms’ garden up in the Galilee Hills. The unique cottages and cabins with their wood-panelling, wood-burning stoves and great views are inviting in an American-ranch sort of way. Guests can make use of the billiard table and library. As well as horse riding, the farm is getting a name for its impressive spa, which offers aromatherapy massage treatments from 220NIS. To get there, get off the bus from Tiberias at the signposted Korazim junction (it’s at the junction of Rtes 90 and 8277). Hamat Gader Spa Village (Map p225;x04-655
555; www.hamat-gader.com; Hamat Gader; d with breakfast & 2 massages 2380NIS; ais) For sheer
indulgence nothing in the area beats this newly designed spa village, which exudes Palm Springs–esque luxury and cool. Attached to Hamat Gader recreational park, there are no screaming kids to be found here, just attractive wooden cabins where you can enjoy the hot spring water in your private Jacuzzi and dry off with fluffy white robes and a complimentary bottle of wine. Aside from free entry to Hamat Gader, guests also have use of wet and dry saunas, a small gym and a private outdoor hot spring pool with hanging lanterns for late-night
bathing. Sheltered in a canyon under the Jordanian mountains, this is the ultimate place to bliss out.
Eating Vered HaGalil Restaurant (Map p225;x04-693 5785; mains 60-100NIS; h8am-10pm Sun-Wed, 8am-11pm ThuSat) Refreshingly hummus-free, this rustic wood and stone restaurant in the Galilee Hills is the place to come for an eclectic menu that jumps from American favourites like southern-fried chicken and homemade apple pie to fresh smoked trout and entrecôte steak served on the wisteriacovered terrace or in the cosy pine dining room. Friday nights are all about musicmaking and wine drinking. Ein Gev Fish Restaurant (Map p225;x04-665 8136; mains 70-90NIS; hlunch & dinner) Despite the fanaticism with which some people talk about this restaurant, one can’t help but wonder how much of that is the result of excellent marketing. Innumerable plates of St Peter’s fish – fresh from the Ein Gev ponds (p257) – are sent out of the kitchen every meal time but, grilled or fried, filleted or whole (served with chips and salads), it’s neither terribly exciting, nor reasonably priced. That said, the great views from the lake-side terrace aren’t cause for any complaint.
THE GALILEE
THE GALILEE
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The Upper Galilee & the Golan הגליל העליון
Information (x04-690 3737; Makhanayim Junction; h8am-4pm Sun-Sat) is 3km north of Rosh Pina.
Accommodation
Kiryat Shmona
Tel Dan Nature Reserve
SYRIA
Nimrod
Castle Banias National Neve Ativ Nature Park Reserve 989
Kibbutz Dan
99
Kibbutz Banias Snir Waterfall
98
Majdal Shams
Nimrod
Nimrod Castle
Birket Ram Mas'ada
Hurshat Tal National Park
DISENGAGEMENT ZONE
Buq'ata 978
90 918
Kibbutz Kfar Blum 886
Odem Mountain Winery
977
yon Nahal L
UPPER GALILEE
Hula Lake Hula Nature Reserve
90
Bar'am
Nimrod 886
Yesud HaMa'ala Junction
Jish
959
Merom Golan
Hula Valley HaHula
899
To Damascus (60km)
Mt Bental (1165m) Quneitra
Reflooding Site
Mitzpe Quneitra 978
THE GOLAN HEIGHTS
98
918
Gilabon Nature Reserve
Yesud HaMa'ala
ita n
91
Rosh Pina
Tsfat
866
Ramot Pelter Winery
Makhanayim Junction
Amirim
Korazim Nature Reserve 87
mud l 'A
ha
Korazim
To Tiberias (5km); Haifa (62km)
Za v
See Yehudiya Nature Reserve Map (p268)
Had Nes
Vered HaGalil
85
Golan Heights l Winery aha N 9088 87
888
Rosh Pina Junction
To Khanania Junction (1.5km); Akko (63km); Haifa (78km)
Jordan River
89
Katzrin
HaYarden Park Nature Reserve Bethsaida 92 Valley
Yehudiya Nature Reserve
808
Gamla Nature Reserve
Capernaum Tabgha
The Upper Galilee & the Golan
Sea of Galilee
Maor Winery
Ramot Pelter Winery
To Moshav Eliad (8km)
THE UPPER GALILEE & THE GOLAN
Yehudiya Nature Reserve
Rosh Pina Pioneer Settlement Rosh Pina
Na
THE UPPER GALILEE & THE GOLAN
Nahal Dan
ir l S n Kibbutz Kfar Gil’adi Tel Hai
Hiking the trails, canyons and waterfalls of the Yehudiya Nature Reserve (p267)
Staying at a luxury guesthouse (p263), complete with spa treatments, log fire and gourmet cuisine
Metula Nahal Iyon Nature Reserve Kibbutz Ma’ayan Baruch Trumpeldor’s Tomb
LEBANON
HIGHLIGHTS
Horse riding (p266) high up into them thar hills with a genuine Israeli cowboy
10 km 6 miles
Mt Hermon Ski Centre
To Beirut (90km)
Although the border region is usually quiet and calm, tensions remain and a sudden outbreak of violence in July 2006, following the Hezbollah kidnap of two Israeli soldiers, stirred up turmoil again. Missiles rained down across the region and residents retreated to bomb shelters, unused in over a decade, as towns like Kiryat Shmona suffered widespread damage. The impact on tourism was immediate and devastating, though few believe it will have a lasting effect on what has become the country’s prime, sensational weekend destination.
Sipping wine at the Pelter Winery (p274) in Ramot
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THE UPPER GALILEE & THE GOLAN
e Lin ian Syr 1974
Nowadays the area is largely one of peaceful pastoral scenes and rolling vineyards, but Israel’s fiercest battles took place in its silent, windswept highland fields. During the Six Day War of 1967, Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria, and 90% of its inhabitants fled or were expelled. Then, in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Syrian forces briefly invaded, before being pushed back to the current borders. Throughout northern Golan, you’ll see evidence of these conflicts in the abandoned Syrian bunkers and tank remnants that coexist with the browsing cattle. Running between the Israeli and Syrian borders, and viewable from the Quneitra viewpoint, is a sliver of land known as the UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force), or disengagement, zone. This neutral, unoccupied area is overseen by roughly 1000 UN troops. Whilst Syria maintains that peace won’t happen before the area is returned to its control, the latter seems unlikely, partly because of the security implications for Israel, but not least because holidaying Israelis would be left with nowhere to escape the heat.
ha
The greenest, lushest region of an otherwise rather dry rock, Upper Galilee and the mountainous Golan Heights are a hiker’s dream, especially between February and May when its more than 30 national parks, filled with pools, rivers and waterfalls, are at their most dazzlingly emerald.
In the last few years, accommodation in the Upper Galilee and Golan region has become notoriously expensive, in line with its popularity as a weekend destination for well-heeled Israelis, and there are consequently few decent midrange places in existence. Many very simple outfits charge more than a good hotel in Tel Aviv, and prices skyrocket breathtakingly at weekends (Fridays and Saturdays) and during the summer, when a minimum
Na
והגולן اﻟﺠﻠﻴﻞ اﻻﻋﻠﻰ واﻟﺠﻮﻻن
Dining high up in the Golan at the fantastic, oddly named Witch’s Cauldron & the Milkman (p271) in Nimrod
two-night stay may be insisted upon. All prices listed in this chapter refer to weekend rates (Friday and Saturday stays) in the high season, probably the steepest you’ll encounter; off-season (between midNovember and March) you’ve got some scope for bargaining, especially for longer and midweek stays. Since places reinvent themselves fairly rapidly, go to www.week end.co.il or www.zimmer.co.il to check out the latest available options. Because even youth hostels charge pretty steep prices in this region, it’s best to consider camping if you’re on a tight budget. The most appealing, and best-value, camping sites are situated on the eastern rim of the Sea of Galilee (p258).
The Upper Galilee Tourist Information Centre
Israeli Lin e 1974
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262 T H E U P P E R G A L I L E E & T H E G O L A N • • R o s h Pi n a
Parks & Reserves The highlight of a trip to the Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights is a hike or two through one of its stunning national parks. Nearly all are maintained by the Israel Nature & Parks Authority (INPA; x06-680 0086/2006; www .parks.org.il) and have standard opening hours of 8am to 5pm April to September and 8am to 4pm October to March. Most also have standard entrance fees of 18NIS to 23NIS per adult, though some charge a few shekels extra for entry to visitors centres. There are a couple of economical options if you’re planning on visiting a few parks during your trip. A one-week card, which allows entry to six parks, costs 80NIS per person; a two-week card offering unlimited access to all parks is 120NIS. If you’re planning a longer trip, or are part of a family travelling together, it makes more sense to opt for the year-long card, at 225NIS per person, 250NIS for a couple, or 335NIS for a family with children up to 18 years old. Cards can be purchased at any of the parks. Generally, the parks suffer from a dearth of English-language literature covering in detail the numerous walks and hikes – from gentle forest strolls to abseiling down gorges – that can be undertaken. Basic maps, with a brief guide, are available at the entrance, but most books on walking in Israel are currently out of print. Perhaps the best thing to do is seek the advice of the park wardens who staff the ticket offices and information booths: they’ll be able to tell you
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exactly where to go and what to see, especially taking into account massive variations in terrain between wet and dry seasons.
Getting There & Around While Egged buses (x03-694 8888; www.egged.co .il/eng) ply the routes between the main Galilean and Golani settlements, principally Katzrin, Rosh Pina and Kiryat Shmona, services are pretty thin on the ground, particularly at weekends. Call, or visit Egged’s website to find out exactly when and where services run. There’s also the option of taking an internal flight to Rosh Pina from Tel Aviv’s Sde Dov airport; Arkia Israeli Airlines (x800 444 888; www.arkia.com) plies the 30-minute route three times per day. The single best option to explore the region, though, remains to rent a car in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem or Tiberias. Distances are relatively short, and the flexibility driving gives is unparalleled. Although not recommended, the local alternative is to hitchhike. Many Israelis, particularly teenagers, thumb their way around the region, and friendly locals are happy to oblige with rides.
ROSH PINA
روش ﺑﻴﻨﺎ
ראש פינה
x04 / pop 2594
Rosh Pina’s rustic charms have in recent years been discovered by the holidaying Israeli masses, turning it into possibly the most expensive and well-developed luxury base for exploring the Upper Galilee and the Golan. Consequently, there is a whole
It might come as a surprise to find that the most common form of accommodation throughout the Upper Galilee and the Golan is known as the zimmer. No-one really knows how it was that this particular German word came to symbolise, for Israelis, all that’s idyllic about a cabin in the country, though some suggest it was originally an attempt to copy the ‘Zimmer Frei’ signs of Alpine guesthouses. But whatever the reason, cabin fever has taken Israel by storm, and this type of accommodation is by far the easiest to find. Zimmers adhere to their own set of very specific criteria, most commonly consisting of a glorified wooden cabin with rustic varnished pine décor, satellite TV and a kitchen corner complete with tabletop stove and small fridge. Little treats usually await guests: a fruit bowl, home-made cookies, fresh flowers and sometimes a bottle of local wine, alongside teabags, coffee and a carton of milk. The cabins can be solo or form part of a massive, tightly packed complex; they may be set high on a hill side with a great view from the porch, or isolated in the middle of the woods. But their most oft-touted and highly prized feature of all is the Jacuzzi. Most have one; most Israelis won’t book a zimmer without one. And whether or not you’re a fan of this most ’70s of luxuries, chances are you’ll find yourself soaking in one with a sigh of ‘Well, we did pay for it,’ on almost any trip to the area.
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UNEXPLODED MINES & LIVE ROCKETS Many areas of the Golan Heights, particularly the further north you go, are still quite literally minefields. These Syrian landmines date back from the ’60s and ’70s and have never been cleared, perhaps because Israel feels that in the event of another war they might actually work to its advantage. Every year, a few unwitting hikers wander off national park trails only to find themselves confronted by a ‘Danger: Landmines’ warning sign – on the opposite side of the fence. Although stranded hikers are usually airlifted to safety by army helicopters, it’s best to stick closely to marked trails and keep a lookout for the characteristic barbed-wire fences surrounding potentially mined areas. A second possible hazard to visitors stems from live Katyusha rockets, fired across the border from Lebanon by Hezbollah guerillas. You’ll notice bomb shelters in towns like Metula and Kiryat Shmona, and along country roads the further north you go. Though missile fire has been quite rare over the last few years, the summer of 2006 saw a fierce return to violence, with rockets causing destruction to northern towns, and dozens of Israeli deaths. As with most things in this region, the situation can change daily, so keep abreast of current developments and be aware that, in case of missile fire, many northern roads may be closed, services closed, and bus and train lines suspended.
host of top-end accommodation and dining options that are worth every shekel. At the Galilee Mall, at the entrance to the town, there’s a branch of the bookstore Steimatzky, a Bank Hapoalim ATM, the Rosh Pina Tourism Association (x1 800 323 223, 04-680 1465; www.zhr.org .il in Hebrew; h8am-4pm Sun-Thu), and the usual assortment of generic shopping centre stores.
Sights Here’s where the first Romanian inhabitants of Rosh Pina settled in 1882, building homes on either side of Rishonim St and together forming the very first Jewish settlement in the Galilee. The Rosh Pina Pioneers Restoration Site (x693 6603/6913; audiovisual display 15NIS; h8.30am-5pm Sun-Thu, 8.30am-1pm Fri & Sat) is situated right at the top of town; to get there by car, drive up along the narrow HaHalutzim main street, then turn left on the steep cobbled road to the car park at the top. There’s nothing specific to do at the site except wander past the pretty, restored stone houses, visit the old synagogue built by Baron Edmond Rothschild, and check out the Shop Around the Corner (x693 0340; h10.30am-6pm Tue-Sat, 10.30am-3pm Sun-Mon), a craft shop that stocks a selection of killer home-made cinnamon and limoncello liqueurs. There’s also a small audiovisual display next door to the Old Rosh Pina Post Office, illustrating the foundation of the settlement.
Sleeping Villa Tehila (x693 5336; www.villa-tehila.co.il; 10 HaHalutzim St; d 650NIS; as) You’re likely to
spot a few well-known Israeli faces dallying in the courtyard of this fabulous B&B in the centre of Rosh Pina. Its passageways brim with a gorgeous combination of bubbling fountains, glittering fairy lights, and cages filled with parrots and baby bunnies; its 11 rooms are all decked out exquisitely with antiques and plush fabrics, and it even has a small swimming pool. There’s a twonight minimum stay at weekends. Book well ahead, as it’s nearly always full. Auberge Shulamit (x693 1485/1494; www.shula mit.co.il; David Ashub St; d/ste with breakfast 680/800NIS; a) A pretty place with just three guest
rooms and one suite with outdoor Jacuzzi; guests benefit from a 10% discount on meals in Shulamit’s fantastic, elegant restaurant. The breakfast is lavish. There’s a two-night minimum stay on weekends. Hotel Mizpe Hayamim (x699 4555, 1 800 555
666; www.mizpe-hayamim.com; s/d/ste 298/351/466NIS, with half-board; as) The place to be pam-
pered, this plush spa hotel is set in 38 acres of verdant gardens and offers dozens of massages, facials and an intriguingly titled ‘Love Therapy’ treatment, as well as shiatsu, Reiki healing and reflexology. Its acclaimed Muscat Restaurant uses mostly organic, locally sourced ingredients, with scrumptious results – just as well, since rooms are only available on a half- or full-board basis. The minimum stay is two nights at weekends.
Eating For cheap eats, visit the Galilee Mall at the entrance to the town, where there are a couple of shwarma and felafel stands.
THE UPPER GALILEE & THE GOLAN
THE UPPER GALILEE & THE GOLAN
THE UBIQUITOUS ZIMMER
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264 T H E U P P E R G A L I L E E & T H E G O L A N • • H u l a Va l l e y & N a t u re R e s e r ve
Chocolata (x686 0219; Rosh Pina Pioneers Restoration Site; mains 25-60NIS;hlunch & dinner) Tucked
away beside the synagogue, Chocolata is a cute place for a light lunch of pasta, salads or sandwiches, but the main reason to visit is to taste its house creations of chocolate soup and handmade pralines. Café Gitel (x693 0808; mains 35-55NIS; h8amlate) One of Rosh Pina’s landmarks, on the main lower road next to the police station, Gitel was established in 1929 by Gitel Kleinstein, a Polish immigrant who ran the café every day until she died in 1983, at the age of 93. Now situated slap-bang next to a Paz petrol station and within sight of the motorway, it’s nevertheless a nice place to stop for lunch. Historically, it was the highlight for travellers passing the region, though Gitel listened in on the conversations of lunching British Mandate soldiers, then relayed their plans to the Palmach, the predecessors of today’s IDF. Mains are simple fare of toasts, sandwiches, salads and pizzas, but the cakes and coffees are delicious. Babayit shel Rafa (Rafa’s House; x693 6192; Beit
takes roughly three hours, since buses stop at numerous small stops en route.
HULA VALLEY & NATURE RESERVE שמורת עמק החולה وادي اﻟﺤﻮﻟﻪ Just 60 years ago, the Hula Valley was a vast, malarial swampland, stretching some 15,000 acres between the Golan and Lebanese mountains, and was a vital stopping-off point for tens of thousands of migratory birds on the wing between Africa and Europe. But soon after the declaration of the State of Israel in 1948, the government decided to drain the marshes and ponds to make way for agricultural land, a task that began in earnest in 1951. It wasn’t long until nature lovers and scientists across Israel engaged in a battle to conserve a portion of the original landscape, and in 1953 they formed the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), which eventually won over 800 acres of the wetlands. This, the Hula Nature Reserve (x04-693 7069; reserve admission 18NIS, visitors centre additional 15NIS; h9am-4pm), off Rte 90, became Israel’s first
Getting There & Away
Kiryat Shmona
stone house is the setting for imaginative takes on traditional Argentinean dishes. Try the sumptuous chorizo asado (grilled chorizo sausage) or the tasty empanadas (savoury stuffed pastries), washed down by local red wines.
Drinking Blues Brothers Pub (x 693 7788, 050 651 6357; h 9pm-late Fri & Sat & summer months) Owned
Bus Nos 841, 842 and 845 make the journey between Tel Aviv and Rosh Pina, approximately two departing each way per hour (44NIS, 2¾ hours). From Tiberias, a number of buses, including Nos 835, 840 and 836, depart in either direction about every half an hour (14.80NIS). The journey
ﻗﺮﻳﺎت ﺷﻤﻮﻧﻪ
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קריית שמונה
One of the largest towns in the Upper Galilee region, Kiryat Shmona is also one of the least visited by tourists, since there’s little to detain a nonlocal. The town’s name derives from the Hebrew phrase ‘Town of the Eight’,
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referring to the eight Jewish settlers killed at nearby Tel Hai in 1920, including Zionist hero Josef Trumpeldor. Today, the town is probably best known within Israel for having frequently been a target of PLO and Hezbollah rocket strikes, which have killed a number of residents in recent years. Most recently, a renewed offensive between Israel and Hezbollah in July 2006 sent residents running into bomb shelters once more, as rockets rained down on the town’s streets. For queries, there’s the Kiryat Shmona Tourist Information Centre (x681 7152; 70 Tel Hai Blvd; h8am-5pm Sun-Thu, 8am-1pm Fri). One of the main reasons to warrant a stop-off in Kiryat Shmona, the Manara Cable Car (x690 4680; www.cliff.co.il in Hebrew; Kibbutz Manara; basic admission weekdays/weekends 49/59NIS, activities extra; h9.30am-5pm), 1km west of Kiryat Shmona on
Rte 886/90, takes visitors up a steep hill side to a panoramic lookout over the Hula Valley. Adventurous souls can try out the climbing wall, abseiling and aerial runway, and there’s an inflatable slide park at the top for kids, along with two gentle hiking options. There aren’t many worthwhile dining options in Kiryat Shmona, but the one exception is Nechalim Gan (x690 4875; HaTzafon Shopping Centre,
Cemetery where Trumpeldor’s Tomb lies, buried beneath a huge statue of the Lion of Judah, inscribed with his famous, and nowadays oft-repeated, words, ‘It is good to die for our country.’ Situated next to Tel Hai Industrial Park, 2km north of Kiryat Shmona, and clearly signposted off to the right on Rte 90 to Metula, HI – Tel Hai Youth Hostel (x04-694 0043; www.iyha .org.il; dm/s/d US$21.50/47.50/62; ai) is one of Israel’s best youth hostels, and a budget treat in a generally highly priced region. Set amongst green gardens, it’s clean, spacious and lovely, with an amazing view of the Hula Valley and Golan Heights beyond. The hostel’s facilities include a café, free internet in the lobby and a roofed sports hall and play yard for kids; there are six beds to a room in dorms. Booking is recommended in the summer and at weekends, since it’s often packed. GETTING THERE & AWAY
A great base if you have your own transport, bus Nos 20 and 23 also make the 10-minute trip from Kiryat Shmona, though it’s not too far to walk if there’s not one leaving for a while.
ﺣﺪ ﻧﺲ
נס-חד
Hurshat Tal Rd; mains 50-120NIS; hSun-Fri noon-5pm & 6-11pm, Sat noon-11pm). It serves great food in a
HAD NES
pleasant atmosphere. Sophisticated choices include great antipasti and succulent steaks. The out-of-town Alonim Mall opposite Kibbutz Ma’ayan Baruch, just off Rte 99, has a number of cheap, basic eateries. Kiryat Shmona is one of the north’s major bus junctions, and services run from here to a number of places in the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights.
Founded in 1986, this quiet, peaceful moshav welcomes visitors with a Yin and Yang sign and wind chimes at its entrance, a good indication of the slightly spiritual leanings of both its residents and paying guests. However, a barbed-wire fence running around the moshav’s perimeter does rather disconcertingly disrupt its otherwise great views down to the Sea of Galilee. While Had Nes doesn’t have the laidback charm of Ramot or the facilities of Rosh Pina, it’s a decent base if you have a car, without which it’s hard to get here. With most of its accommodation tightly packed along the lower road to the right as you enter the moshav, it’s as if the village got a bulk discount from a travelling wooden-hut salesman. By and large there’s little to choose from between the roughly 100 family-run zimmer operations with names like ‘Air and Atmosphere’, ‘Enchanting Paradise’ and ‘Spring at Heart’. And if you’ve never seen a wooden hut with a bay window and garden gnomes before, this is definitely the place to come.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
The main buses, Nos 541, 841, and 963, run between Kiryat Shmona and Tiberias, stopping at Rosh Pina and the Hula Valley (26NIS, 1½ hours). Not all services are frequent, though, so it pays to consult the Egged website before setting off.
Tel Hai Just to the north of Kiryat Shmona, off Rte 90, the Tel Hai Courtyard Museum (x04-695 1333;
admission 16NIS; h8am-4pm Sun-Thu, 10am-3pm Fri, 8am-5pm daily Jul & Aug) offers an audiovisual
display telling the story of Trumpeldor’s last stand. Just up the road is the Military
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THE UPPER GALILEE & THE GOLAN
by the same people as Villa Tehila, it’s an equally magical place to drink as the Villa is to stay, tucked away behind the B&B itself but linked by a stone passageway. With an enchanting garden, friendly staff and frequent live music, it’s perfect to drink the night away beneath the stars. If you’re peckish, try the onion soup, made to a 150year-old recipe.
reserve in 1964. Nevertheless, the damage had by then already been done, and several species of flora and fauna had disappeared. The birds continue to flock to the site though, and today over 200 species of small waterfowl mingle happily with cormorants, herons, pelicans, raptors, storks and cranes, whilst water buffalo roam certain areas of the reserve, their grazing patterns helping to preserve the open meadows. The reserve’s new visitors centre offers informative displays on the wildlife you might hope to spot during a visit, and the main 1.5km trail through its wetland habitat is wheelchair accessible and makes a nice gentle stroll. Bus Nos 841 and 842 (twice per hour) between Rosh Pina and Kiryat Shmona pass at the turn-off to the reserve on Rte 90, around 2.5km from the visitors centre; ask your driver to let you know when you’re there. From the turn-off it’s an easy walk – or you can try hitching a ride from other visitors.
Professor Mor, Rosh Pina Pioneers Restoration Site; mains 50-100NIS; h 12.30-11.30pm) A beautiful old
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Horse riding (x052 373 6735) is available on the road to the left of the moshav entrance (call Dudi for bookings); you won’t miss the corral filled with plump, healthy steeds. There are also a number of jeep-tour operators, 4WD hires and all-terrain vehicle hire outlets in the moshav; since they change quite frequently, ask your zimmer owner for the latest recommendations. One of the best accommodation options of the bunch, Woodstone (x052 420 0567; www .woodstone.co.il; ste 750NIS, with breakfast) has highend rooms, with Jacuzzi and all the usual trimmings, in a nice stone house with good views out over the Sea of Galiliee. Twonight minimum stay for weekends. Forego the two regular wooden cabins at Cabins in Had Nes (x692 3419, www.had-nes.co.il; cabins 700-800NIS, with breakfast; as) in favour of its two bizarre cave-like ones. Reminiscent of sleeping in a Flintstones film set, it has its own, specific novelty appeal, and certainly makes a change from varnished pine. There’s a tiny swimming pool out at the back, and all cabins have Jacuzzis. There’s a two-night minimus stay at weekends.
HAYARDEN PARK NATURE RESERVE ﻧﻬﺮ اﻷردن5ﻣﻨﺘﺰ פארק הירדן A verdant wooded area of greenery and water owned by the Forestry Commission rather than the INPA, HaYarden Park Nature Reserve (Jordan River Park; x04-692 3422; www.yarden
makes a nice place for a gentle afternoon walk. There are several hikes, to the site of an ancient flour mill – one of at least 12 ancient mills in the park – and to Bethsaida, where it is believed the three most important of Jesus’ apostles were born and where Jesus is said to have performed several miracles, including the feeding of the five thousand. American scholar Edward Robinson rediscovered the remains of Bethsaida in 1838, though his findings weren’t confirmed until over a century later in 1987. There’s also a decent camp site (per night per carload of people 65NIS). Situated inside the park itself, Abu Kayak (x04-692 2245/1078; h9am-5pm Mar-Nov) offers one-hour trips down the river in inflatable kayaks or inner tubes. This is a gentle way to spend an afternoon – great for older children – gliding past the wildlife to a stopoff point from which you’ll be bussed back to the park.
For more excitement, head further north instead to Jordan River Rafting (x04-693 4622;
www.rafting.co.il in Hebrew; aerial runway 35NIS, boat/ kayak 69NIS, whitewater rafting 320NIS). Situated in
a nice wooded park near Gadot Junction on Rte 918, this rafting outfit is one of the largest in the region and offers a variety of activity options including boating, kayaking, whitewater rafting and a whiz down its aerial runway. The minimum age for all its activities is five. Next door is Iscander (x04-693 5544; mains 70NIS; hlunch & dinner), a great place to fill up after a day messing about on the river. Specialities include Turkish-style lavash bread, with a huge array of dips and salads and trout ‘Mt Taurus’ style, filled with garlic and bay leaves and wrapped in vine leaves. Take a table on the relaxing terrace at the back.
RAMOT
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A laid-back, leafy moshav strung along one hill-side road high above the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Ramot is chock-full of accommodation options, and offers the usual gamut of outdoor activities for which the Golan is becoming well known, including probably the best place in the country to swap two legs for four. But whilst this all makes it a great base, it’s yet another destination, so common in the region, where prices are consistently high. Ramot also has a couple of good family-owned wineries, Pelter and Maor, both of which are happy to receive visitors (p274).
Activities There’s nothing much to do here except lounge in the hammock on your cabin porch or take an easy downhill stroll to the Sea of Galilee, though if you need to get your adrenalin pumping there are a number of scramble-bike, mountain-bike and 4WD-hire outlets dotted throughout the settlement. Most notably, however, the Ramot Rodeo Ranch (x057 736 4750/1/2; 1hr trail ride 110NIS; h10am-5pm, closes earlier in winter) offers an outstanding location for horse riding, perched right on the ridge of a steep hill with incredible, sweeping views out over the vast expanse of lake. Its friendly Israeli-British owners are happy to cater to almost every equestrian whim you can throw at them:
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in the past, they’ve arranged romantic candlelit dinners halfway along the riding trail, organised cowboy adventures for groups of 20, and sent riders packing on trips ranging from an hour to several weeks. You’re also welcome just to drop in to admire the stunning sunset, and say hello to the horses and dozens of cavorting kittens. If you’re without your own transport, call in advance to coordinate a lift up the hill, to avoid the gruelling hike.
Getting There & Away
Sleeping
One of the most popular reserves in the whole of northern Israel, Yehudiya offers a wide range of fantastic walks, catering to everyone from the casual stroller to the most experienced hiker. It’s particularly notable for its whole host of sparklingly clear natural pools, most of which are OK to swim in, at your own risk. The rangers at the information booth at Yehudiya car park are extremely knowledgeable and will be able to point you in the right direction, as well as register you, for your own safety, if you’re setting out on one of the more dangerous routes. Remember to check back in with them when you return. Two of the most popular trails are listed below, though there are many others, some even necessitating professional climbing equipment. The Parks Authority recommends taking the SNPI trail map Hermon, the Golan and the Galilee Panhandle along on longer walks, though it’s only available in Hebrew. Stick closely to marked trails, since there are a few military firing zones in the southern areas of the park, and also because people have fallen to their deaths whilst attempting to negotiate steep and treacherous makeshift trails. The reserve houses the pleasant, functional Yehudiya camp site (per person 14NIS). There are barbecue areas and showers, though they’re cold-water only and therefore pretty bracing. The camping area is open year round, is securely fenced and well lit at night, and there’s man-made shade to camp beneath during the hotter months. Overall it’s a great, well-organised camping option. For a quick bite, there’s also a café at the Yehudiya car park, which provides a surprisingly wide selection of hearty snacks, including shakshuka (fried eggs in spicy tomato sauce), shwarma and felafel, to hungry hikers.
Ramot Resort Hotel (x673 2636; www.ramot-nofesh
.co.il; r & bungalows 640-700NIS, wooden cabins 800880NIS, deluxe cabins 1500NIS; as) This large,
slightly ’70s place, just at the entrance to the moshav, offers none of the appealing intimacy of Ramot’s family-run options, but the benefit of a large outdoor swimming pool, kids’ pool and gym, as well as a range of accommodation options, comprising 80 hotel rooms and bungalows, 12 extremely swish deluxe chalets and 17 basic wooden cabins, suitable for families travelling with children. Briza Ba Kfar (x673 3204; www.briza10.com; cabin/ ste 650NIS/750NIS; a ) Twelve neat wooden cabins and four suites with spa facilities, tucked away on the right about halfway up the hill. The outfit boasts a bright and airy café, with a nice outdoor dining area, open daily for light meals from 8am to 6.30pm. A spa package, which includes a one-hour specialist treatment and the use of a sauna and Jacuzzi, is available for 220NIS. Oncen (x679 5522; www.oncen.com; d cabin 8001000NIS; a) Stay in superb Zen luxury at this unusual pair of Japanese-styled zimmers, where your Israeli breakfast is incongruously served on Japanese tableware and each cabin comes equipped with a creatively titled ‘Japanese Hot Springs’ – which looks suspiciously like a glorified Jacuzzi.
Eating Farm in the Village (x679 3275, 679 7097; dishes 60-80NIS; h6-11pm Mon-Fri, 1-10pm Sat) A fabulous
place for a hearty dinner, situated on the left side not far from the entrance to the moshav. Its skyscraping salads, vegetarian stews served in miniature cauldrons and unusual combos such as spare ribs with hibiscus sauce are complemented by great views down to the Sea of Galilee.
Egged bus No 15 from Tiberias to Katzrin stops at the junction below Ramot around twice per day in each direction (14.80NIS, 35 minutes); bus No 843 from Tel Aviv to Katzrin stops once per day in each direction (49NIS, three hours 20 minutes). Otherwise, without your own car, you’re pretty much stuck with hitchhiking.
YEHUDIYA NATURE RESERVE ﻳﻬﻮدﻳﺔ5ﻣﻨﺘﺰ שמורת יהודייה
THE UPPER GALILEE & THE GOLAN
THE UPPER GALILEE & THE GOLAN
.golan.org.il; admission 50NIS per car; h9am-5pm Sun-Fri)
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Upper Zavitan Canyon Trail This is a medium-level hike, which should take around three or four hours, depending on the weather and how often you stop to admire the views. Start from the Yehudiya car park, and walk north up the semi-paved road leading to a second car park, at the edge of the deserted Arab village of Sheikh Hussein. From here, follow the blue-marked trail, walking west past the remains of the village. After around 1km, turn north (right) onto an unpaved road marked as a black trail, which eventually crosses the Zavitan stream. Just after crossing the stream, turn left downstream, following the stream as it widens out into the Black Gorge, where
YEHUDIYA NATURE RESERVE 0 0
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Upper Zavitan
Hexagon Pools
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Sheik Hussein
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Sheik Hussein
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Upper Yehudiya Canyon Trail
Yehudiya Village (deserted)
Yehudiya
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Yehudiya
Yehudiya
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diy
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Ladder, Pool & Waterfalls
To Yehudiya Junction (5km); Sea of Galilee (5km)
Ye
THE UPPER GALILEE & THE GOLAN
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Yehudiya Forest
Yehudiya Waterfall
you’ll find the weirdly beautiful basalt hexagon pools, formed by the slow cooling of lava around three million years ago. Further on, you’ll reach the lookout point for the 27m-high Zavitan waterfall, spectacular after a rainy winter. You can then decide to lengthen your walk by turning right down the often slippery blue trail to the pool at the foot of the Zavitan waterfall, or turn left down the blue trail, which heads back towards the Sheikh Hussein car park, from which you can retrace your steps back to the Yehudiya car park.
Upper Yehudiya Canyon Trail This, the most popular walk in the park, is a more challenging trail designed for competent hikers and swimmers, and definitely not for those with vertigo. It should take about four hours, and don’t take anything nonwaterproof along since it’s bound to get wet. Starting at the Yehudiya car park, take the red-marked trail across the main road and left, past the deserted former Syrian village of Yehudiya, which itself was built on the remains of an ancient Jewish settlement. Continue along the red trail, looping round across the Yehudiya stream, where you’ll have an excellent view of the canyon bed below. Descend down a steep and precarious path to the base of the Yehudiya waterfall then continue downstream along the canyon base. Slightly further on, you’ll reach a 9m-high iron ladder set into the canyon wall, which you’ll have to descend, then swim about 30m across a deep pool. Further on, you’ll reach a split in the trail. You can either turn right on the greenmarked route to ascend back to the main road and car park, or, to make it a longer walk, continue, navigating a second ladder and pool, before turning right on the red trail, which eventually cuts through woodland and emerges onto the main road. It’s then a 1.6km walk north back to the Yehudiya car park.
Getting There & Away Egged bus No 15 passes the Yehudiya stop on its trip between Tiberias and Katzrin, twice per day in each direction; bus No 843 from Tel Aviv passes once a day (49NIS, three hours 20 minutes).
Yehudiya Nature Reserve
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METULA
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Metula, established by the Rothschild family at the end of the 19th century, is a cute, manicured small town, high up on the very edge of the Lebanese border and clinging to Israel by the skin of its teeth. It’s Israel’s northernmost settlement and has been a popular vacation spot, well away from the heat of the plains, since the early 20th century, when its snappy catchphrase was, ‘Come to Metula – Escape the Malaria and Revive Yourself’. The tourist pull seemed to work, and famous figures including Bialik and Sokolov once holidayed here, alongside British Mandate dignitaries. After WWI, Metula was situated in an area under French control, but under Zionist pressure the French ceded the settlement to the British. In 1926 the ‘Good Neighbour’ agreement was signed between France and Britain, allowing Metula’s farmers to cross the border with ‘transit documents’ to farm their fields that lay on the opposite side. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, however, the fields of Metula once again came under Lebanese control, where they remain, uncultivated, today. In the 1980s Metula was heaving with UN soldiers and journalists on their way through the Good Fence border crossing to Lebanon. Opened in 1976, the Good Fence also served legions of Lebanese hotel workers who worked in Metula, and southern Lebanese citizens seeking medical assistance in Israeli hospitals. Since 2000, when Israel withdrew its troops from southern Lebanon, the gate has been closed, and road signs to the site remain a sad reminder of how far things have come since the days of peace. Since then its character has totally changed. Nowadays, it’s a sleepy, high-end weekend destination for holidaying Israelis, and the prices of its accommodation and dining options reflect its popularity. Most hotels and restaurants crowd around the semirenovated main HaRishonim St, at the top of the town. Here, many of the stone buildings have a significant historical past, recorded on the informative English-language information boards mounted on a number of them.
Sights & Activities The Canada Centre (x695 0370/1; www.canada -centre.co.il; h10am-8pm Mon-Sat; hice skating 10am-
4pm, Sun by appointment only), a large sports com-
plex housing Israel’s largest ice rink and home to the Israeli national ice hockey team, is the main attraction for Israelis coming to Metula. There’s also a big indoor pool with water slides, a shooting range, squash courts, a 10-lane bowling alley, saunas and a fitness centre. On the main street in Metula, opposite the Beit Shalom guesthouse, you’ll find a weekend farmers’ market (x050 388 6603) selling locally made produce, ceramics and handicrafts in a relaxed garden.
Sleeping Beit Shalom (x694 0767; www.beitshalom.co.il; 28 HaRishonim St; standard/luxury ste 550/650NIS; ai)
Though the sign announces ‘Luxury Suits’, it’s the well-equipped and spacious suites at this central place that are worth trying for size. Built in two late-19th- century stone houses, the rooms are surrounded by cherry orchards in amongst which guests can dine. Breakfast is the highlight of the day here, with 10 kinds of cheese, bread and jam, all home-made, and eggs from its own chickens. There’s free internet in the lobby, a large outdoor Jacuzzi, and holistic massage available by appointment. Mool ha Beaufort (x054 541 1413; www.mula-bo -4.co.il; 22 Hanarkis St; r 800NIS, with breakfast; a) A pretty B&B with three serene two-room units and great views of Beaufort, a ruined crusader fort, across the border in Lebanon. The friendly owners can offer a wealth of knowledge on local hikes and attractions.
Eating Bat Ha’Eykar (Farmer’s Daughter; x699 7177; 21 HaRishonim St; mains 60NIS; h10am-midnight) Housed in an old stone building with a large terrace out front, this makes a great place for simple country-style dining; try the mushrooms in honey and soy sauce or the locally caught grilled trout. With live jazz on summer evenings, when it stays open until the last guests leave, it’s also good for a latenight drink or two.
Drinking Griffin Irish Pub (HaRishonim St; h10pm-late WedSat) Tucked away in an old building about halfway along HaRishonim St, on the left side as you come into town, this cozy pub
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offers the closest pint of real Guinness to the Lebanese border.
Getting There & Away To get easily to and from Metula, you’ll really need a car.
HURSHAT TAL NATIONAL PARK ﻏﺎﺑﺔ ﻃﻞ5פארק לאומי חורשת טל ﻣﻨﺘﺰ Northeast of Kiryat Shmona on Rte 99, Hurshat Tal (x04-694 2440/2360; admission 33NIS, free if staying at the camp site), meaning ‘forest of dew’, is especially popular because of its openair pools that fill naturally with chilly water from the Dan River; the pools are packed with swimmers at weekends. The park is also well known for its 240 massive, ancient Mt Tabor oak trees, which, legend has it, sprung up overnight after 10 of the Prophet Mohammed’s messengers rested here. Hurshat Tal has a vast, grassy camp site (x04-694 2360; camping 50NIS, bungalow 300NIS, wooden hut 700NIS), one of the nicest in the region.
As well as spacious pitches, picnic tables and hot-water showers for campers, it also has a variety of other accommodation options, including wooden huts sleeping seven, and 50 bungalow units (each for four people). Along with Tel Dan Nature Reserve, Banias Nature Reserve and Nimrod Castle, it’s not too easy or convenient to try to get to the site by public transport, particularly at weekends; if you’re determined, consult Egged for precise times and bus lines.
A small reserve covering only 120 acres, Tel Dan Nature Reserve (x04-695 1579; admission 23NIS; h8am-5pm Sat-Thu, 8am-4pm Fri), north of Rte 99, is a beautifully lush, forested area containing a number of small, bubbling springs that feed into the Dan River, which in turn flows into the Jordan. Within the park is a surprisingly varied selection of flora and fauna, including the Indian crested porcupine. There’s also the remains of a grand biblical-era city, in which was found a fragment of tablet from the 9th- century BC, illustrating the victory of Hazael, King of Damascus, over the king of Israel and the king of the House of David. This is a significant find, since it’s the first time a reference to the House of David has been found outside the Bible itself.
admission 18NIS; h8am-4.30pm Sun-Thu, 8am-3pm Fri, 9.30am-4.30pm Sat), an archaeological and na-
ture museum with interesting displays on the history of the Hula Valley.
BANIAS NATURE RESERVE ﺑﻨﻴﺎس5ﻣﻨﺘﺰ שמורת הבניאס Off Rte 99, this is without doubt one of the most beautiful – and popular – spots in the whole of Israel. The gushing springs, waterfalls and streams of Banias Nature Reserve (x04-695 0272; admission 23NIS, combined entry with Nimrod Castle 31NIS; h8am-5pm Sat-Thu, 8am-4pm Fri)
are worth visiting all year round, though they’re particularly beautiful in early spring, following snowmelt from Mt Hermon. There are two entrances on the road to the site, one marked ‘Banias Waterfall’ and the other 1km further east, on the opposite side of the road. The Banias Waterfall is 33m high, thundering down to a deep pool at the base; tempting as it may look, swimming is prohibited. From the second entrance, there are a number of trails leading to the gurgling Banias Spring and the impressive excavated site of a palace complex, built by Herod’s grandson, Agrippa II. The name Banias derives from Pan, god of the countryside, to whom the area was dedicated. Evidence of this can be seen in a cave inscription at the site. In summer, the car park of the Banias Waterfall and the road outside the second entrance are lined with Druze villagers hawking nectarines, cherries and apples straight off the tree, as well as honey and olive oil. In winter the menu changes to sahleb (a sweet milky drink), chestnuts, and Druze pita with labane (soft, sourish white cheese), good to fill up on after a long walk.
NIMROD CASTLE ﻗﻠﻌﺔ ﻧﻤﺮوت
מבצר נמרוד
Towering, fairy-tale-like, on a ridge high above Rte 989 as it winds its way slowly
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200 m 0.1 miles Reception Hall Front Courtyard
Beautiful Tower (Prison) To Rte 989
Donjon (Keep)
Western Gate Tower
Barbican Tower
Donjon Entrance Gate Front Courtyard
Guesthouse
Water Cistern Water Cistern Banias Gate Tower
Round Tower
Water Cistern
Damascus Gate Tower
Western Fortress Tower
upwards towards Mt Hermon, the origins of Nimrod Castle (x04-694 9277; admission 18NIS; hSat-Thu 8am-5pm, Fri 8am-4pm), are somewhat in dispute. Some believe the fortress was built in 1129 by Reiner Brus to guard the city of Banias from attack from Damascus. Others say it had its origins later, in around 1218, when Al-Malik al-Aziz Othman decided to build a fortress to protect the crucial route between Damascus and the Mediterranean coast from the sixth Crusade. Repeatedly captured, abandoned and reinhabited throughout the centuries, frequently changing hands between Christian and Muslim forces, it was finally ruined by an earthquake in the 18th century. Its modern name derives from the biblical figure Nimrod, who was said to have once inhabited the summit of the ridge. Today, it’s a magical place to wander, commanding great views from its narrow windows. After touring the remains, make your way up to the tiny moshav of Nimrod, off Rte 98, for lunch or dinner at the fantastic Witch’s Cauldron & the Milkman (x04224 4667; mains 45-80NIS; h10am-late), one of the very best restaurants in the region. Sample the platter of gourmet goat’s cheeses, all of which are made on the premises, or the hearty wild-mushroom stew.
in Israel, Mt Hermon Ski Centre (xbookings 03-606 0640; www.skihermon.co.il; admission 38NIS, chair-lift 35NIS, day ski-pass 200NIS, equipment hire 135NIS; h8am-4pm), a
MT HERMON ﺧﺒﻞ ﺣﺮﻣﻮن
El Azar (x698 1530; d 420NIS; a) On the corner of the main road through the moshav, look for the sign topped with a bright metal rooster, and dozens of flowery window boxes. Comprising eight simply furnished but homely
הר חרמון
Mt Hermon, reaching 2224m above sea level, is Israel’s highest mountain, though the snow-capped peak is actually in Syria. Its lower slopes encompass the only ski resort
tiny area but nonetheless fun to spend a day hitting the pistes during the winter months. The ski season usually lasts from around January to late March (call x04-698 1333 for the automated snow report service, or check the resort website); opening hours vary according to season and weather conditions. The slopes aren’t really all that exciting and, all-up, a day’s skiing is quite pricey if you have to rent equipment, but for Israelis it’s the only ski slope for several thousand miles and thus is usually extremely busy on winter weekends. The chair-lift to the top of the resort is open year round, worthwhile on a clear summer’s day for the views, cool air and riot of wild flowers.
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A breezy Alpine-styled mountain-side moshav set up high on the road between Nimrod settlement and Nimrod Castle, there’s not much to do in this small place itself, but it’s a good base for hiking in summer and skiing in winter.
Sleeping
THE UPPER GALILEE & THE GOLAN
THE UPPER GALILEE & THE GOLAN
TEL DAN NATURE RESERVE ﺗﻞ دن5ﻣﻨﺘﺰ דן-שמורת תל
The reserve has four easy marked trails, one of which is partially wheelchair accessible. All of them pass by the shallow natural wading pool, good for cooling off amongst the greenery on a hot day. It is, however, a tricky place to reach without a car, unless you’re hitchhiking. Note that last entry into the reserve is one hour before closing. Close to the entrance of the Tel Dan reserve, you’ll find Beit Ussishkin (x04-694 1704;
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rooms, all with drinks-making facilities and satellite TV, it’s a decent enough place to stay. The price includes use of the community swimming pool in the summer. Chez Stephanie (x698 1520; chalets & cabins 300-480NIS; a) Run by jovial French-Israeli couple Irene and Maurice, this is a cute place tucked away at the back of Neve Ativ. To get there, drive north into Neve Ativ on Rte 989 then turn right where you see El Azar on the corner. Chez Stephanie is at the end, on the left. The hosts are extremely anxious to please, and the log cabins and smaller chalets are sweet, well equipped and particularly cosy during the snowy winter season. In the evenings, Maurice tends a well-stocked bar upstairs. Prices are negotiable off-season, midweek and for longer stays.
Getting There & Away Egged bus No 055 (55 minutes, 32NIS) runs to and from Katzrin, once per day in each direction.
MAS’ADA
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MAJDAL SHAMS ﻣﺠﺪل ﺷﻤﺲ x04 / pop 8989
מג'דל שמס
This larger, friendly Druze town has little in the way of accommodation options, so visitors only use it as a passing-through point for the Mt Hermon ski resort above. One place of note, though, is the Shouting Hill: it’s the last, dead-end street on the east
of town, where Druze Israelis go on Fridays to shout news, often using megaphones, to friends and relatives on the opposite side of the Syrian border. Despite their strong ties with Syria, it’s not easy for the Golan’s Druze to get any closer than this to their Syrian friends and family; a good movie dealing with this theme of family separation is 2004’s The Syrian Bride. In the centre of Majdal Shams you’ll see a large statue of Sultan El-Atrash, the Druze hero who led the 1925 revolt against the French who then ruled Syria, of which Majdal Shams was a part until 1967. You may also see, if a ceremony of any sort is in progress, swarms of men in traditional Druze attire, with white fezzes, elaborate curling moustaches and black jalabiyya (robes). The Al Marsad Centre for Human Rights in the Golan Heights (x687 0644; www.golan-marsad.org), with its offices located in Majdal Shams, is a voluntary organisation monitoring the situation of the Golan’s Arab population; it offers an unpaid internship program for periods of three to six months.
MEROM GOLAN מרום גולן ﻣﺮوم ﺟﻮﻻن x04
This kibbutz was established in 1967, the first Jewish settlement in the Golan Heights after the 1967 war. The main reason to come here is for trail riding from its Cowboy Ranch (x057 851 4497), which offers treks, breakfast, sunset and night rides, lessons, and overnighters with real-live cowboys. The restaurant attached, Village Ranch (x696 0206; mains 90NIS; hnoon-11pm), was created by those same hardworking cowboys in 1992, and is a decent place for replenishment following a long day in the saddle, specialising, unsurprisingly, in steaks, ribs, fillets and chops.
MT BENTAL
ﺟﺒﻞ ﺑﻨﺘﻞ
הר בנטל
Towering (by Israeli standards) 1165m above sea level, this inactive volcano sports fantastic views from the top where, from an old Syrian bunker, you can see Syria, Lebanon, the Hula Valley, Mt Hermon and Mt Har Avital; allegedly a ‘spy mountain’ with a high-tech underground nerve centre of which Ian Fleming would be proud. Signposts on the top direct you to Damascus (60km), Amman (135km), Baghdad (800km) and Washington DC (11,800km).
Coffee Annan (Coffee in the Clouds;x04-682 0664; mains 30NIS; h9am-6pm) is a great place for a bite
and a caffeine boost. This amusingly named place has a mainly vegetarian menu, including baked potatoes, antipasti and a delicious sweet potato and coconut milk soup. It’s bright and cheerful, with lots of cakes, platefuls of cookies and a huge range of coffees.
MITZPE QUNEITRA (QUNEITRA VIEWPOINT ) ﻗﻮﻧﻴﺘﺮا תצפית קוניטרה From this viewpoint, about 15km south of Mas’ada, you can look across to the Syrian ghost town of Quneitra, destroyed by Israel in the 1967 war. Until then, Quneitra was Syria’s main Golan town, mostly inhabited by Circassians. For over three decades following the 1973 war, the Quneitra border crossing between Israel and Syria was only used by Syrian brides marrying into Druze families and vice versa, and by Druze students going to study in Damascus. Then in 2005, the first commercial crossing of Israeli produce into Syria was accomplished, when six trucks carried 10,000 tonnes of Druze-produced apples to merchants in Syria after receiving approval from Damascus. But the UNmonitored transaction, performed by Red Cross trucks, might have been a one-off, only granted because good weather had given the region’s Druze communities an exceptionally abundant apple crop. Officials in Damascus said they were doing it to help their Syrian brothers; Ismail Mer’I, a Syrian MP, demonstrated that the dispute over ownership of the Golan Heights was anything but forgotten when he said that the operation was ultimately humanitarian and had no political connotations, since the apples were planted by Syrians on Syrian land.
KATZRIN x04 / pop 6650
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קצרין
Although ambitiously planned in the shape of a butterfly, its body being the commercial centre and wings the residential neighbourhoods, this is a beauty you can really only appreciate from the air. Planned and built in the 1970s as the new centre of the Golan region, the town has the unmistakable feel of a place that never quite bridged the gap between planning board and reality.
Katzrin is now desperately trying to reinvent itself as a cultural centre within the region, but loses out on almost all counts to the infinitely more charming moshavim throughout the Golan area. There’s little reason to visit here but for one of its wellpackaged attractions or to stock up on provisions before a hike, and it’s best to avoid its limited accommodation options. There is a Bank Leumi ATM in the central commercial centre, as well as Superstory supermarket.
Sights & Activities GOLAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
This is a small but fairly interesting museum (x696 1350; Katzrin Commercial Centre; admission with entry to Ancient Katzrin Park 24NIS; h9am-4pm Sun-Thu, 9am-2pm Fri) with locally excavated exhibits
labelled in English, including lintels, pots, columns and ‘juggles’, which appear to be small jugs. There’s also a surprisingly good multimedia presentation, complete with moving parts and holograms, on Rogem Hiri, an ancient series of vast concentric circles in the central Golan. The highlight, however, might be the museum shop, where you can stock up on your boring-postcard collection, with a whole host of postcards depicting earthen mounds and piles of rocks, or rent an authentic biblical or Talmudic-era costume, great for those Jerusalem Syndrome moments. ANCIENT KATZRIN PARK
On the eastern route out of town, the park (x696 2412; combined admission with Golan Archaeological Museum 24NIS; h9am-4pm Sun-Thu, 9am-2pm Fri)
houses a partly restored 3rd-century Jewish village, including the House of Rabbi Abun, the House of Uzi and the Katzrin synagogue, which was partially destroyed, probably by an earthquake, in AD 749. There’s also an audiovisual presentation, which helps bring the whole thing to life. MAGIC OF THE GOLAN
Housed in the new mall complex at the eastern entrance to town, just next to the industrial zone and situated next door to Burger Ranch, Magic of Golan (x696 3625; http:// etour.golan.org.il; h9am-6pm Sun-Thu, Fri 9am-3pm) is a new addition to Katzrin’s tourism scene. Here you can take a 3D journey around the Golan and peruse a large-scale model of the region. Just behind the mall is the vast
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The smaller of the two main Druze towns in the region, Mas’ada is a place where everyone knows everyone, and few streets have names or house numbers. The inhabitants of these towns identify more strongly with Syria than with Israel – many even refusing Israeli identity papers – but that doesn’t mean that Israelis receive an unfriendly welcome. Indeed, at weekends, southerners holidaying in the Golan flock to Mas’ada for cheap eats at its numerous restaurants, with their standard fare of hummus, labane and roasted meats. Since neighbouring establishments tend to be owned by the same family, as with Abu Nedal & Sons (x687 0357; HaShalom St; hlunch & dinner) and the Nedal restaurant (x698 1066; hlunch & dinner), on the main Rte 98 through town, it doesn’t much matter which you pick.
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Golan Heights Winery (below), a waterbottling plant and olive-oil factory, all of which offer guided tours.
ties to hungry locals; the thick, filling soups and house specialities are aromatic and delicious.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Getting There & Away
One fun thing to do in town is take a ride in Roger’s Caleche (x682 0466, 052 328 4047), which offers horse-and-carriage tours up into the Golan region for parties of up to nine people.
Bus No 15 (one hour, 25NIS) and No 19 (1¾ hours, 25NIS) connect Katzrin with Tiberias three times per day.
Sleeping
An evocative scene, and story of epic struggle, straight off the pages of Lord of the Rings greets visitors to Gamla (x04-682 2282; admission 23NIS; h8am-4pm Sat-Thu, 8am-3pm Fri), off Rte 808, where, during a Roman siege in AD 67, several thousand Jews were slaughtered and several thousand more committed masssuicide at their city high on a rocky plateau. The 1st-century historian Flavius Josephus recorded the preceding seven-month siege and bloody battle; excerpts of his work appear on plaques at the main lookout point, which is wheelchair accessible. The remains of the city itself can be accessed by a steep hike, which takes you from the lookout down to the valley below, then up the ridge on the opposite side. Visitors arrive at Gamla not only because of its history, but also because of the dozens of Griffon vultures that nest on the cliffs. It’s
Golan SPNI Field School (x696 1234; Daliyat St; d 320NIS, f & q per person 95NIS; ai) A dour 1960s building at the end of a dead-end street, the Field School offers dorms for up to eight people, doubles, and 34 studio-style ‘family’ rooms for up to four. Not a bad option for groups of friends travelling together, it’s clean and simple with showers and air-con, but rather devoid of atmosphere or life.
Eating MeatShos (x696 5544; Katzrin Industrial Area; mains 50-90NIS; h noon-midnight) Offering up good steaks and lamb chops in a bright, friendly atmosphere, this is the second-best place to eat after the Yemenite-Eastern. Yemenite-Eastern (x 696 2412; Katzrin Commercial Centre; mains 25-50NIS; hlunch) This tiny place serves up fantastic Yemenite speciali-
GAMLA NATURE RESERVE ﺟﻤﻼ5ﻣﻨﺘﺰ שמורת גמלא
Unlikely as it may seem for such a small country, Israeli wines are gradually taking their place on the international scene, many of them harking from the Upper Galilee and the Golan region. Its well-drained volcanic basalt soil, cool breezes and elevated position appeal to the fickle grape, whilst its variety of microclimates mean that a large number of different kinds can be grown in quite a small area, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The result has been a whole host of vineyards, many family-run, popping up all over the place, most being happy to receive guests to sample of buy a few bottles of their much-cherished plonk. The largest, the Golan Heights Winery (x04-696 8409/8435; Katzrin Industrial Park; www.golanwines .co.il; hSun-Thu 8.30-5pm, Fri 8.30am-1.30pm), invites guests to sample its famous Yarden wines, along with a guided tour of the cellars and bottling plant; advance reservations are preferred. Others worth visiting are the Mountain Winery (x04-687 1122, 050 522 0248; hSun-Thu 10am4pm, Fri & Sat 10am-5pm) in Odem, which doesn’t require advance reservations, and two wonderful boutique wineries in Ramot: Pelter Winery (x052 866 6385/4; www.pelterwinery.co.il), from which brothers Nir and Tal Pelter supply some of Israel’s best restaurants, and Maor Winery (x052 851 5079; www.maorwinery.com), run by friendly winemaker Danny Maor. For both these wineries, call in advance to arrange a visit. To complete an afternoon’s tippling, there’s the fine and well-known Chateau Golan (x04660 0026; www.chateaugolan.com), at Moshav Eliad. Advance reservations are required, and it’s well worth booking a visit to sample its excellent, extensive wine list filled with Merlots, Syrahs (the local equivalent of Shiraz) and some very tasty blends.
a majestic sight to watch at close range as they soar over the valley below. The park also contains Israel’s highest perennial waterfall, which drops 50m to a pool and can be visited by a strenuous hiking route that passes a field full of dolmens (grave markers for the nomads who inhabited the Golan area around 4000 years ago). Midweek, it’s worth calling before visiting the park since it’s frequently closed for army manoeuvres. Note that last entry is one hour before the park closes.
TSFAT
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Huddled on top of Israel’s third-highest peak, Tsfat (Safed, Zefad, Tzfat or Sfat) is an evocative mountain town with a rich heritage of Jewish mysticism, a rambling artists’ quarter and magical views. The oblique labyrinth of cobbled streets is lined with medieval synagogues and crumbling stone houses punctuated by turquoise doorways and heavy hamsas (a hand-shaped amulet featuring the evil eye). It is an idyllic and devout place with a slightly bohemian atmosphere, where Hasidic Jews and New Age spiritualists blend Kabbalistic tradition and messianic enthusiasm. In an age where Kabbalah has been made popular by the rich and famous, religious tourists are now big business in Tsfat, coming from all over the world to learn the Torah, visit the graves of the great mystics such as Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Ari) who are buried in the town’s haunting cemetery, and indulge in an energising look into their own souls. For travellers, Tsfat provides an ethereal place to get lost for a day or two.
History Tsfat was founded sometime in the 2nd century BC as a masu’of (beacon) village – one of a chain of hill-top fire sites stretching to Jerusalem. The beacons were lit to mark the beginning of a new month or holy day. During the First Revolt (AD 66–73), Tsfat was fortified by Josephus, leader of the Jewish forces in the Galilee. The Crusaders, led by Fulke, King of Anjou, also chose to site a citadel here to control the highway to Damascus. Fulke’s fortification, known as Saphet, was destroyed by Saladin, rebuilt by the Knights
Templar and destroyed once again by the Sultan Beybars in 1266. During the 15th and 16th centuries the Jewish community of Safad, or Safat, as it was called, was enlarged by an influx of immigrants fleeing the Inquisition and persecution in Spain. Many of the new arrivals were Kabbalists, or mystical truth seekers (see also p32). The name comes from the Hebraic root kbl, meaning ‘to receive’, and the movement originated in the region of Tsfat around the time of the First Revolt, before being carried abroad with the Diaspora. It flourished particularly among the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula, and for a time Spain was a world centre of Jewish learning and culture. With the relocation of the Kabbalists that mantle passed to Tsfat. In the latter part of the 18th century Tsfat welcomed a further influx of Jewish Hasidim, this time from Russia. However, in 1837 an earthquake destroyed much of the town, killing up to 5000 people and levelling many of its 69 synagogues. As throughout all of Palestine, increased Jewish immigration was intensifying Arab hostility to the newcomers. Violence between the two had been sporadic but with the growth of nationalistic aspirations on both sides, clashes became increasingly frequent. During the 1920s and ’30s there was rioting in Tsfat with loss of life on both sides, culminating in a pitched battle for the town in 1948. Though outnumbered, the Jews prevailed and the Arabs were forced to flee. From 1951 the former Arab quarter became a flourishing artists’ colony with many of the Arab properties, including the main mosque, being turned into gallery spaces and studios. Over the last few years many of these galleries have become home to large Hasidic families who again started flocking here from Jerusalem and North America during the 1980s. Newly arrived immigrants mostly from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia live clustered in sterile apartment blocks outside the old city.
Orientation The highest town in the country, Tsfat sits 800m above sea level on a huddle of hill tops. Central Tsfat is on a single hill top and small enough to cover on foot. The bus station is on the east side and the old town centre directly opposite on the west side – the hill
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is scored by the restaurant- studded Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) St, which makes a complete loop between the two. The old quarters that make up the heart of central Tsfat tumble down from Yerushalayim St in a snakesand-ladders compendium of ankle-straining stairways and slithering alleys. They are divided uncompromisingly in two by Ma’alot Olei HaGardom, a broad, stiff stairway running down from Yerushalayim St; the area to the north of the stairway is known as the Synagogue Quarter, while south of the steps is Tsfat’s Artists’ Quarter.
Information EMERGENCY
In medical emergencies call x911. Magen David Adom (x692 0333) Next to the bus station.
Police (x693 0444) Rivka Ziv Hospital (x682 8811; HaRambam St) MONEY
All the bank branches are on Yerushalayim St, west of Citadel Park.
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SHOPPING Eliezer’s House of Books............33 D3 Safed Candles............................34 D2
ENTERTAINMENT Ascent Institute of Tsfat...........(see 18) Avraham Avinu’s Tent...............31 A3 Wolfson Community Centre...... 32 A4
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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Abuhav Synagogue......................3 Avraham Loewenthal...................4 Ba’na Synagogue.........................5 Caro Synagogue..........................6 City Hall.......................................7 David Friedman............................8 Davidka Memorial.......................9 Former British Police Station.......10 General Exhibition......................11 HaMeiri Museum.......................12 Ha’Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue.....13 Ha’Ari Sephardic Synagogue......14 Mikveh.......................................15 Museum of Hungarian Speaking Jewry..................................... 16 Tzfat Centre for Healthy Living..17
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POST
The main post and telephone office is on HaPalmach St (look for the radar dish next door, visible from the corner of Aliyah Bet St). A convenient branch post office is at 37 Yerushalayim St. TOURIST INFORMATION
Bar-El Hospitality (x692 3661; thebarels@yahoo
.com) Has a huge range of contacts in Tsfat and whatever you want to do – yoga, classes with a local artist, history tours, healing – they can set you up or at least point you in the right direction. Livnot u’Lehibanot (ToBbuild & to Be Built; x692 4427;
[email protected]; h8.30am-4pm Sun-Thu) Runs the official information centre, staffed by English-speaking Laurie, who gives out maps and brochures on the area as well as lists of local guides, hostels and guest rooms, and contact information for various organisations in Tsfat.
Sights GAN HAMETSUDA (CITADEL PARK)
Gan HaMetsuda is the pleasant breezecooled park and viewpoint at the summit of Mt Safed. Little evidence remains of the Crusader-era fortress that once stood up here despite the fact that it was at one time the largest in the Middle East, funded by the bishop of Marseilles who raised a princely
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sum (the equivalent of US$40 million today) for its construction. Its outer walls once followed the line now marked by Yerushalayim St but you can only see remains of one of the inner walls on Hativat Yiftah Rd. YERUSHALAYIM & MA’ALOT OLEI HAGARDOM STREETS
On Yerushalayim St, a few metres south of City Hall, the Davidka Memorial incorporates an example of the primitive and unreliable Davidka mortar made by the Jews and used to great effect in 1948. Somewhat dangerous to use, it did little physical damage but the story goes that it made such a loud noise that it scared the living daylights out of the Arabs. Across from the memorial is the former British police station, riddled with bullet holes – the result of Arab-Jewish skirmishing in May 1948. For many years subsequently the place served as an income tax office and obvious jokes are made about the ‘real’ reason for the bullets. Just south of the police station, and over the road, is Ma’alot Olei HaGardom St, the wide stairway that leads down from Yerushalayim St. It was built by the British after the riots of 1929 to divide the town and keep the Arab community (living mainly in what’s now the Artists’ Quarter) and Jewish community (inhabiting the Synagogue Quarter) apart. Tarpat St, which crosses Ma’alot Olei HaGardom St at its midpoint, is the main street where the rioting took place. Note the ruins of 16th-century Jewish houses that were built using stones removed from the Crusader wall up the hill. Look back from Ma’alot Olei HaGardom St, across Yerushalayim St, and you’ll notice on the roof of the building at the top the searchlight remaining from a one-time British gun position. SYNAGOGUE QUARTER
The Synagogue Quarter, the town’s old traditional Jewish neighbourhood, is centred on what’s now known as Kikar HaMaginim (Defenders’ Sq) – or just HaKikar (the Square) – reached by descending the steps just north of City Hall. The name refers to the fact that the building that now houses the Tiferet Gallery was, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the headquarters of the Haganah.
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Within a few minutes’ walk of the square are all of Tsfat’s major Kabbalist synagogues. They are usually open throughout the day to visitors, and admission is free although donations are requested. Suitable clothing must be worn – no shorts, no bare shoulders – and cardboard yarmulkes are provided. Photography is permitted in the Synagogue Quarter except on Shabbat. If you are a little short of time, then the two to visit are Ha’Ari Ashkenazi and Caro synagogues.
pers at the time but the congregation was bowed in prayer and the projectile flew over their heads – the hole is now stuffed with messages to God. At the rear of the synagogue, in a small room, is a chair carved at about the same time as the ark. Called Kise Eliyahu (Elijah’s Chair), it’s used during the circumcision ceremony and legend has it that any Jewish couple who sits here will have a son within a year.
Ha’Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue
Caro Synagogue
Just down from Kikar HaMaginim, on the right, this is one of two synagogues dedicated to ‘the Ari’, one of the major figures of Jewish mysticism (for more on mystic Judaism, see p32). While his real name was Yitzhak Luria, he was known as Ari (Lion in Hebrew), an acronym of the words Adoneinu Rabbeinu Yitzhak – ‘Our master our Rabbi Isaac’. Born in Jerusalem in 1534, Rabbi Yitzhak moved to Cairo, where he quickly mastered conventional Jewish teachings and began to immerse himself in the study of the Zohar (Book of Wonders; a major work of the Kabbalah that had recently been printed for the first time), and adopted the life of a recluse. He retreated to the banks of the Nile, and for seven years secluded himself in an isolated cottage, giving himself up entirely to meditation. In 1569, after some 12 years of study, he brought his family to Tsfat where, despite his youth, he had a tremendous impact on the community of his time, and a profound influence on Judaism to this day. Many customs still celebrated now, such as Kabbalat Shabbat and the festival of Tu b’Shvat (the trees’ new year) were introduced by the Ari. The Ari taught the secrets of the Torah to a select group of rabbis until his death in a sudden plague in 1572. Ha’Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue was built after his death on the edge of a forest (in those days it was outside the city) where the white-robed Kabbalists would gather, facing the setting sun on Friday afternoon, and welcome the Sabbath. The original building was destroyed in an 1852 earthquake. The olive-wood ark was carved in the 19th century and represents over 10 years’ work. The bimah (central platform) bears a shrapnel hole in the side facing the door from an Arab attack during the 1948 siege. The synagogue was packed with worship-
Rabbi Yosef Caro was another leading Kabbalist. He was born in Spain in 1488, and after the expulsion of the Jews in 1492 he moved to the Balkans, arriving in Tsfat in 1535. He later became the chief rabbi here, but he attained fame for his important written works that included Beit Yosef, which took 32 years to write and is a compilation of Jewish law and custom. A condensed version of the book, the Shulchan Aruch (The Set Table), is basically regarded as the extensive blueprint for living an Orthodox Jewish life today. So influential are Rabbi Caro’s teachings and their interpretations of Jewish law that modern-day rabbis still refer to him for guidance with contemporary issues. Destroyed in the 1837 earthquake and rebuilt around 1847, the synagogue stands above Rabbi Caro’s yeshiva (religious seminary). The ark contains three ancient Torah scrolls: the one on the right is from Persia and is about 200 years old; the centre one, from Iraq, is about 300 years old; and the scroll on the left, from Spain, is over 500 years old.
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The silver candelabrum hanging opposite the central ark is a memorial to the Holocaust victims. Ba’na Synagogue
Named after Rabbi Yossi Ba’na (the Builder) who is buried here, this synagogue is also known as the Shrine of the White Saint – in Hebrew it’s called HaTsadik HaLavan. This is based on a legend that tells of the time when a Turkish ruler of Tsfat forbade Jews from buying white chickens to slaughter for the kaparot ceremony (an ancient custom of sacrifice), which happens on the day before Yom Kippur. The distressed Jews prayed at Rabbi Ba’na’s tomb for a way out of the problem and the result was that all their dark chickens turned pure white. Unusually, Rabbi Ba’na is buried in the courtyard of the synagogue – to the right of the entrance. The synagogue is not normally open to visitors, except in the afternoons when children’s classes are held here. Ha’Ari Sephardic Synagogue
On the lower slopes of the Old City, just up from the cemeteries, this synagogue is built on the site where Ari prayed. The small room on the left in the back is said to be where he learned the mystical texts with the prophet Elijah. In the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the synagogue, which faced a then-Arab neighbourhood, was pressed into service as a military post and a machine gun was set up by the window above the ark.
Abuhav Synagogue
HaMeiri House
This synagogue is believed to have been built by followers of Rabbi Yitzhak Abuhav in the 1490s, using a design based on the Kabbalah. The four central pillars represent the four elements that, according to Kabbalists, make up all of creation. The dome has 10 windows to represent the Commandments, pictures of the 12 tribes of Israel that represent Jewish unity, illustrations of the musical instruments used in the Temple, pomegranate trees (the fruit of which traditionally has 613 seeds – the same number as the commandments in the Torah), and the Dome of the Rock, a reminder of the destruction of the Temple.
Established by Yehzkel HaMeiri, a fifthgeneration Tsfatian, this beautiful old building houses the interesting Hameiri Museum (x697 1307; admission 14NIS; h9am-2pm Sun-Thu & 9am-1pm Fri), which outlines the story of
Tsfat’s Jewish community over the last 200 years and its struggle to survive. Each floor is dedicated to a different aspect of the community’s life. The presentation includes collections of documents, papers, ancient books, utensils from homes and workplaces, clothes, furniture and holy objects. There are also photographs, recordings and video tapes of both sites and older residents.
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CEMETERIES
A wander through the ancient cemetery of Tsfat is an enchanting experience at any time, but it’s particularly mystical in the early evening when you can walk in the glow of the yahrzeit candles (lit on the anniversary of someone’s death), often to the haunting echoes of prayers and chanting psalms. Both the old and the new cemeteries lie below the Synagogue Quarter on the lower western slopes of Mt Safed. The small building to the left of the path that leads down from Ha’Ari Sephardic Synagogue is the Ari’s mikveh (ritual bath), which many Jews believe has exceptional powers of purification. Open 24 hours, you can often hear groups of shrieking young religious men taking a rather icy late-night dip. The ancient cemetery contains the graves of many of the famous Kabbalists who believed that Tsfat’s pure air would benefit the souls of those buried here and fly them immediately to the Garden of Eden. While many of the graves are pretty dilapidated, anyone who was remotely famous has had their stones painted white or bright blue. Next to the grave of the Ari is buried Rabbi Shlomo AlKabetz, another of Tsfat’s great mystics, a poet who is best known as the author of the hymn L’cha Dodi, which is sung every Shabbat. Rabbi Caro is buried just down the path from the Ari. The domed tomb was built by the Karaites of Damascus and is believed by them to contain the body of the biblical prophet, Hosea. Legend has it that also buried on this hill are Hannah and her seven sons, martyred by the Greeks on the eve of the Maccabaean Revolt. The feeling of fatigue experienced when you climb the hill is said to be due to walking over their graves. The more recent cemeteries contain victims of the 1948 siege and, at the bottom of the slope, seven of the eight members of the Irgun and Lehi who were hanged by the British in Akko Citadel Prison. The eighth is buried at Rosh Pina, where he lived. In a small grove at the bottom of the cemetery, 22 high-school students killed in a terrorist attack in 1974 at Ma’alot are buried in a small grove. They lie next to the 11 victims of Avivim, on the border with Lebanon, who were killed four years earlier when terrorists attacked their school bus.
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The part of the old town south of the Ma’alot Olei HaGardom stairway used to be the Arab quarter, but since the Arabs’ defeat and subsequent withdrawal in 1948 the area developed as an artists’ colony – a real boon at a time when there was no public-funded art galleries in Israel. For Tsfat the ’50s and ’60s were an exciting time as some of the country’s most celebrated painters, such as Yitzhak Frenkel and Moshe Castel, inspired by the stunning landscapes and mystical traditions, opened studios and held exhibitions in the town. Art lovers escaped the heat in Tel Aviv and spent their summers holidaying in the new hotels and guesthouses. Since the influx of Hasidim in the 1980s and the move towards a more religious atmosphere, the quarter is no longer flourishing. There are still a lot of artists around, but a great many, unfortunately, seem to belong to the ‘Sunday afternoon’ school of painting. Interesting ideas such as an artist-in-residence program have been floated, but there seems to be little interest from the city council at this time. The General Exhibition (x692 0087; h9am5pm Sun-Thu, 10am-2pm Fri & Sat), housed in a white-domed Ottoman-era mosque just a little to the southwest of Ma’alot Olei HaGardom St, features a representative selection of work. The more exciting pieces come from the new wave of Russian immigrant artists, whose work is also on display. If you see anything of interest you can ask for directions to the particular artist’s studio to see more. Most of the galleries and studios around the quarter are open to visitors, with many artists happy to talk about their work and even happier to make a sale. On a more positive note, Tsfat is now gaining a reputation for modern conceptual art inspired by the Kabbalah. Several artists have developed their own system of translating kabbalistic concepts into an array of incredibly detailed graphic shapes and colours. Definitely check out the fascinating works of Avraham Loewenthal (Tzfat Gallery of Mystical Art; x692 3051; www.kabbwalahart.com; 22 Tet Vav St) and David Friedman (x697 2702; www.kos mickabbalah.com; 38 Bar Yochai St), who both give
short introductions on Kabbalah to any interested passers-by.
Much of the charm of the Artists’ Quarter is still derived from its traditional Arab architecture and meandering streets. One of the few overt reminders of the area’s Islamic heritage is the 13th-century Red Mosque, built by Sultan Beybars after he drove the Crusaders out of Tsfat. The building is in quite a poor state but it has a typically splendid Mamluk entrance. MUSEUM OF HUNGARIAN SPEAKING JEWRY
This collection of folklore exhibits at the Museum of Hungarian Speaking Jewry (x692
3880; www.hungjewmus.org.il; Kikar Haazmaut; admission free; h 9am-1pm Sun-Fri) depicts the
vibrant history of the Jews living in Hungary, Transylvania, Slovakia, CarpathianRussia, Bachka, Banat and Burgenland before WWII. The museum’s founders Chava and Yosef Lustig, long time Tsfat residents and Holocaust survivors, are passionate about preserving this rich past, regularly returning to Eastern Europe to collect interesting new pieces for the museum, from children’s books to religious antiques, items of clothing, art and old diaries.
Activities The Tzfat Centre for Healthy Living (x692 3535; 78 Tet Vav St) offers interesting courses and one-off seminars on everything from basket weaving to Chinese medicine and permaculture from their rooftop garden. Miriam Friedman regularly runs both women-only and mixed yoga classes (x697 2702; per person 25NIS) at the centre, but is also available for private sessions.
Courses Short courses in Torah teachings, the Kabbalah and general Jewish mysticism are available at the well-known Ascent Institute of Tsfat (x692 1364; www.ascentofsafed.com); for an introduction to the concept, check out the websites www.kabalaonline.org and www .thirtysevenbooks.com. If you want to stay for longer, there are three English-language yeshivot that welcome students from virtually any Jewish background. Religion in Tsfat, whilst incorporating the joyousness of the Baal Shem Tov, is a serious business that will tolerate intelligent questioning but is uncomfortable with criticism. An ashram it is not.
Book l o n eaccommodation l y p l a n e t . c o monline at lonelyplanet.com
Tours For an excellent half-day walking tour of Tsfat get in touch with Aviva Minoff (x050 540 9187, 054 210 9187; www.zsat.co.il; 2 people 150NIS), who tailors the tours to individual interests like Judaism, archaeology and mysticism. Otherwise, pick up a copy of Yisrael Shalem’s Safed: Six Guided Tours in and Around the Mystical City (30NIS), available at Eliezer’s House of Books (x697 0329; 37 Yerushaliyim St).
Festivals & Events Every summer (July or August) Tsfat hosts the annual Klezmer Dance Festival (p391), where the squares and alleys of the old city come alive with the strains of this wonderful Eastern European Jewish soul music. The free music extravaganza starts around eight each night, and goes to the early hours. Accommodation is hard to find at this time so book ahead.
Sleeping BUDGET
Beit Binyamin HI Hostel (x697 3514; fax 692 1086; 1
Lohamei HaGeta’ot St; dm/s/d with breakfast 89/153/224NIS; a) Sitting at the edge of town, this hostel is
about 2km (and a stiff slog) from the town centre. While the rooms are cleaner than a hospital, this place is more than a little institutional and borders on totally depressing in winter. Unfortunately it remains the cheapest option in town. Take bus No 6 or 7 from the central bus station. Simcha Layah (x 692 5258;
[email protected]; d/tr with breakfast 250/300NIS; i) Swinging the one room at Simcha Layah’s old city home is a great introduction to the real Tsfat, so definitely try and book ahead. Situated off the pretty central courtyard, the room sleeps up to five people and was being renovated a touch at the time of research. The effervescent Simcha Laya is a caterer who can whip up an excellent breakfast of shakshuka (eggs cooked in tomato sauce with onion) and melawach (Yemenite bread) while discussing Kabbalah and where to find the most interesting art in town. Beit Shalom Guest House (Shalom Inn; x697 0445; 3 Korchak St; small s/d 125/250NIS, large s/d 150/ 300NIS; a) Staying at the friendly Beit Sha-
lom feels like spending the night at your grandparents’ house, with cosy rooms, starched sheets and endless cups of free tea. But whereever did they get that col-
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lection of mid-20th-century schmei drei (junk) from? Like at grandma’s, the kitchen is always stocked with the basics such as eggs, milk and bread, and inevitably you will have to fight with someone for the best room in the place – a light-filled escape at the top of the house with a private roof terrace. Ascent Institute of Tsfat (x692 1364; www.ascent
ofsafed.com; 2 Ha’Ari St; dm/d with breakfast in summer 60/180NIS, Friday dm/d with breakfast & dinner 120/240NIS) For Jews interested in learning
more about Jewish mysticism, law and philosophy, staying at Ascent with its calendar of regular classes (10NIS rebate on the room price per class attended) can be an inspiring experience and a way to meet new people. The lovely hostel complex has a library and a rooftop terrace for enjoying breathtaking sunsets. Arrangements are made for Shabbat meals and festivals with local families, hikes and city tours. Unfortunately, if you have no interest in learning it’s very difficult to avoid the enthusiastic staff, who have no qualms about guilt-tripping you into a course on ‘Kabbalah and Love’ – whether or not you are a Lonely Planet author. MIDRANGE
Carmel Hotel (x692 0053; 8 Ha’Ari St; d US$60) Kicking back on a worn old sofa on the balcony of the Carmel Hotel with a book and the wonderful view is a great way to end a day wandering around Tsfat. Owner Shlomo takes a hands-off approach, so the feeling is more like having the run of a big family house than a hotel. The rooms are super clean, and all have balcony access. Some of the original details of the 85-year-old house remain – such as the interesting mosaic floors. Beit Yeshurun (x697 3167; www.yeshurun.com; Abbo Sq; d 500NIS; i ) Boutique accommodation – Tsfat style – with two sparsely decorated units featuring stone walls, wood-panelled ceilings, arched windows and well-equipped kitchens in the heart of the Synagogue Quarter. Someone with an eye for detail (no doubt Roni Yeshurun, a graphic designer) has added the occasional rug, mood lighting and interesting object to good effect, though the star of the show is the vine-covered roof garden. The threeroom family unit (sleeps up to six) is par-
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ticularly good value for a longer visit. A minimum two-night booking is required. TOP END
Bar-El Hospitality (x692 3661; www.bar-el.com; 23 Yod Zayin St; d US$125; ai) Weaving through
the cobbled backstreets of the Artists’ Quarter, look out for the Bar-El’s purple door. Inside is a beautiful, vaulted 150-year-old Arab house, lovingly restored by animated ex–New Yorker Genine and her chefhusband Ronen. Their B&B sleeps up to five people in an attractive suite designed by a local artist and featuring revealed stone, stained glass and mosaics. Guests can relax under the trellis of the cushioned roof terrace, which has the ubiquitous Tsfat views. The Bar-El’s are real foodies, currently catering for groups with lavish vegetarian/fish buffets served in the courtyard. At the time of writing they were building a restaurant next door, which will be open on Shabbat. Ruth Rimonim (x692 0665; www.rimonim.com; Tet Zayin St; s/d 765/900NIS; ais) Housed in a converted Ottoman-era post house in the Artists’ Quarter, for a long time this was the most atmospheric place to stay in town. Unfortunately, while the cosy stone-walled common areas with their heavy furnishings and hanging plants retain their original charm, as does the pretty outdoor area and pool, the standard rooms feel dated (more dowdy ’70s than anything historic). The Rimonim chain has obviously spent money on the new spa, which has the full range of cosmetic and relaxation treatments. Asking a local where to find the best food in Tsfat is generally met with a long, embarrassed pause. Unfortunately, the stunning views from most of the restaurants are much more exciting than anything you will find on your plate. There’s a fruit-andvegetable market on Wednesday and a supermarket at the eastern end of Yerushalayim St near the Javits St steps. Note that all the restaurants listed are closed for Shabbat, as is the supermarket. California Felafel (x692 0678; Yerushalayim St; mains 15NIS; hSun-Thu 8am-11pm, Fri 8am-3pm) Next to the bridge, this is the long-running favourite for street food of shwarma and pita. Kappucino (x052 595 5909; 35 Yerushalayim St; mains 20NIS; hbreakfast & lunch; ai) Despite
being on Yerushalayim St there is no view to speak of, just a delicious all-day breakfast, free wif-fi, cheery service and great coffee beloved by all the Anglos in town. Canaan Gallery Cafe (x697 4449; 47 Beit Yosef St; mains 30NIS; h10am-6.30pm) Duck into this gallery café to escape the busloads of day trippers who squash into the narrow alleyways of the Artists’ Quarter, and you’ll never want to leave. An absolute haven with gorgeous views, soothing music and interesting art, it’s easy to see how the owners – artists Orna and Yair Moore – find their inspiration. Coffee and light meals such as quiches and sandwiches are served all day. Tree of Life Vegetarian Café (x056 839 110; mains 40NIS; hlunch & dinner Sun-Thu, lunch Sat) This hole-in-the-wall spot at HaMaginim Sq doesn’t look too promising at first – but if you can avoid the depressing inside tables and grab a seat in the sun, this is the place for cheap, hugely tasty dishes that scream healthy eating. Try the energiser salad with teriyaki tofu or if you draw the line at the soy bean, pizza, burgers and hearty soups are all on the menu. The service is delightful, the portions ‘American’ to say the least, and the people-watching some of the best in the country. Maximilian (x050 757 7 474; Artists’ Quarter; mains 44NIS; hbreakfast, lunch & dinner Sun-Thu, lunch & dinner Fri) Next to the General Exhibition,
this new café-restaurant is getting positive reviews for its attempts at culinary adventurism, such as with an interesting dish of fresh figs filled with local goat’s cheese in a berry sauce. There is also a range of good pastas, salads and freshly squeezed juices, which are served in the sunny courtyard outside. There was talk of putting in a sushi bar downstairs at the time of writing – but no-one’s holding their breath. Gan Eden (x697 2434; Mt Canaan; mains 70NIS; hnoon-midnight Sun-Thu, noon-5pm Fri) It’s worth the taxi ride (17NIS) to Mt Canaan to sample the Mediterranean flavours and inviting atmosphere of this picturesque stone restaurant with a lovely garden and views to Mt Meron. It’s a family affair, with chef Yael in the kitchen and husband Raffi working the floor. Yael recommends the selection of oven-baked fish (there is no meat or chicken served) but we say don’t miss the scrumptious antipasti selection or dare to go home without a peek at the dessert menu.
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Entertainment Unless there is a crazy Hasidic fabrangen (party) going down or a late-night Jewish learning fest, Tsfat is a town that goes to bed early. Avraham Avinu’s Tent (x692 5714; Tet Zayin St) When there is music to be heard, locals head to this makeshift bomb shelter-cumbohemian lounge, with Indian-style throws and bamboo furniture. Unfortunately it’s only open when there is something on so keep your ears open and check out any street posters. Wolfson Community Centre (x697 1222; cnr HaPalmach & Aliyah Bet Sts) Originally built as a Turkish caravanserai, this is the venue for occasional music concerts throughout the course of the year and a musical workshop in the summer. Ascent Institute of Tsfat (x 692 1364; www .ascentofsafed.com; 2 Ha’ari St; admission 10NIS) Talking about crazy Hasidic fabrangen, Ascent throws a party every Saturday night with live music, dancing and a whole lot of Torah thrown in.
Shopping Safed Candles (x692 3105; www.safedcandles.com; Najara St; h9am-7pm Sun-Thu, Fri 9am-12.30pm) You
can find them all over Israel these days, but there’s still something special about visiting the actual candle gallery with its vivid range of dripping beeswax sculptures and Havdalah, Channukah and Shabbat candles, all for sale. Next to Ha’Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue. Eliezer’s House of Books (x697 0329; 37 Yerushaliyim St) Eliezer sells a full line of Torah-based books in English, Hebrew, French, Russian and Spanish. If you can’t squeeze the whole Zohar in your backpack they also ship anywhere in the world.
Getting There & Away Buses run to Haifa (No 361, 34NIS, two hours) every hour until 9pm (5.45pm on Friday), hourly to Tiberias (20NIS, one hour) until 7pm (4pm on Friday), and twice daily to Tel Aviv (846, 51NIS) but only in the morning.
AROUND TSFAT Mt Meron
ﺟﺒﻞ ﻣﻴﺮون
הר מירון
On the eve of Lag B’Omer tens of thousands of Jewish pilgrims, from the ultraorthodox to young American students, make a trad-
itional procession carrying ancient Torah scrolls. It starts in Tsfat’s Synagogue Quarter and ends 9km northwest at Mt Meron, the site of the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, 2nd-century author of the Zohar, the Book of Wonders, the major work of Jewish mysticism. The intensity of this procession is something amazing to experience, with the whole night given over to frantic praying, singing, dancing around bonfires and celebrating the festive 33rd day of the seven weeks of mourning (which begin at Passover and end at Shavuot), as well as Rabbi Shimon, who died on this day. It is also customary for many three-year-old boys to receive their first haircut on Mt Meron, a cause for even more rejoicing. From the tomb of Rabbi Shimon a path leads down to the right to a cave where it’s believed that Hillel the Elder, a famous Jewish scholar who lived in Jerusalem in the 1st century BC, is buried with his 30 disciples. The cave is often mentioned by medieval pilgrims. Close by the tombs of Rabbi Shimon and his son Ele’azar lies a deep gorge. Beyond it, on top of the hill, is the tomb of Rabbi Shammai and the rock known as the Throne of the Messiah. According to tradition, when the Messiah comes he will sit on this rock and Elijah will blow a trumpet to announce the event. Bikta Be Kadita (Cabin in Kadita; x04-692 1963; cabins 550-1200NIS; a) is a fabulous, small place perched high up on a hill side 3.5km from Meron Junction. Because of its out-of-theway location, it’s hard to reach without a car and it’s best to call in advance for directions. Consisting of six eclectic cabins for two to four people – one made from an old railway carriage – it’s a peaceful, artsy place full of dogs, cats, chickens and highly vocal frogs, with lavish home-made breakfasts and incredibly friendly hosts. It’s highly recommended for a tranquil escape from the cares of the modern world, aided by plenty of wine from Kadita’s own small vineyard.
Moshav Amirim
اﻣﻴﺮﻳﻢ
אמירים
This peaceful vegetarian retreat in the forest on the lower ridge of Mt Meron is known for its excellent organic food, home-made wine and homy guesthouses. Amirim locals are passionate about vegetarianism and very interested in alternative health – check
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the board at the entrance to the village for the huge range of yoga teachers, shiatsu practitioners, naturopaths, tarot readers and Chinese herbalists working here. As it’s a popular holiday spot for young Israelis, definitely book ahead on the weekend, when a two-night minimum stay is normally required. British expat Phillip Campbell (alitamirim@hot mail.com) runs a clearing house system for sleeping options, which range from single rooms in family homes to sweet little rustic cottages such as Dalia’s Wooden Cabins (x04698 9054;
[email protected]; d 590NIS), which come with a free aromatic beauty treatment. Dalia, a former nutritionist, also has a very good restaurant, the oldest on the moshav, with a hearty set menu. It seems that every second family runs a café in their living room, all serving similar vegetarian/vegan plates, but Hase’uda Ha’aharona (The Last Supper; x04-698 9788; mains 100NIS; hlunch & dinner Thu-Sun) near the entrance to the moshav is a standout, known for its excellent use of herbs – there are over 40 types in the garden – and a dynamic mix of dishes. Reservations are required. To get to Amirim take bus No 361 or 501 from Haifa (26.50NIS, one hour) or Tsfat (13.50NIS, 20 minutes), which leave every hour and stop in Amirim. By car, take Rte 85 (Akko–Amiad) until Khanania Junction. Turn to road 886 to Tsfat. About 5km later take a right into Amirim.
اﻟﺠﺶ
ג'יש
This serene Christian Arab village 4km north of Meron is notable because most of its inhabitants are of the Maronite faith and originally came from Lebanon. This was an important town in ancient times, known as Gush HaLa’av (Abundance of Milk). Yohanan, a leader of the Jewish Revolt against the Romans in AD 66, came from here, and the town was renowned for its olive oil. On the outskirts of the village are the tombs of Shamai’a and Avtalion, two famous Jewish sages who taught in Jerusalem at the beginning of the 1st century. In a
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small valley 2km east of the village, hikers can explore the remains of an ancient synagogue (3rd or 4th century) amid gorgeous fig and olive groves. Jish also has a name for good hospitality. Definitely make a stop at Jascala (x04-698 7762; hlunch & dinner Mon-Sat, dinner Sun) restaurant, which serves superb Lebanese dishes. If you make it past the range of incredible salads – the fattoush (bread salad) is the best bet – mains include shishbarak (lamb and mushroom dumplings) and unbelievable fried-pastry dishes.
Bar’am
ﺑﺮﻋﻢ
ברעם
Almost the entire façade of the 3rd-century synagogue at Bar’am National Park (x04-698
9301; adult/child 12/6NIS; h8am-5pm Apr-Sep, 8am4pm Oct-Mar) has been preserved, making it,
like Capernaum, one of the best examples of its kind in Israel and the Palestinian Territory. The ancient synagogue was constructed from beautiful hewn stones, with exquisite stone engravings and an imposing central gate. The grand size of the building shows that a particularly prosperous Jewish community lived in this area during the 4th and 5th centuries. Little remains of Baram’s second, smaller synagogue apart from an inscribed lintel, which is now on display at the Louvre in Paris. Bar’am National Park also contains the ruins of the Maronite village of Biram and a church that is still used by the small Maronite community.
Bat Ya’ar
ﺑﺖ ﻳﻌﺮ
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בת יער
Beautifully located in the Birya forest, 5km from Tsfat, this is a popular ranch (x04-692 1788; www.batyaar.co.il) with a real Western atmosphere. Kids will have a field day deciding whether to try outdoor 10-pin bowling, the rope adventure park or pony rides. Jeep tours and trail rides in the forest can also be arranged. The steak restaurant gets excellent reviews from locals. You need a car to get here; from Tsfat take the road northeast to Amuka.
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West Bank اﻟﻀﻔﺔ اﻟﻐﺮﺑﻴﺔ
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הגדה המערבית
The major portion of the proposed Palestinian state, the West Bank has been Israeli-occupied since control was wrested from Jordan in the 1967 war. But the limestone cities and hamlets among the hills of this rustic 5800-sq-km area are distinctly Palestinian and can offer a traveller memories that linger like a mellow, sweet scent on a pillow. You might have heard of Jerusalem syndrome: the sudden sensation, while visiting the Holy Land, that you are the Messiah. Palestine syndrome is a more down-to-earth affliction, not unlike falling in love. The hospitality and dignity of the people, the ancient stone-terraced olive groves, the spearmint tea and silty coffee, along with a happy dash of sunstroke, can make business travellers, pilgrims and peaceworkers bond with the place forever. Syndrome aside, as a foreign passport–holder you might gain kinky satisfaction from waving a little book that wields power over the guns, walls and barbed wire that deny 2.3 million West Bank Palestinians free passage. The West Bank is developed for tourism, but because of regional turmoil it’s all dressed up with no place to go. A bit of sojourner’s opportunism is welcome as outlets offer belowmarket prices. Room rates here reflect hard times, so if you go when there’s peace on earth, expect to pay more, but see if haggling for less is an option. Opening hours are also flexible, so if you like something, check if they’ll open just for you.
HIGHLIGHTS Wondering while wandering the storied stone passages from Bethlehem’s (p291) Old City to Manger Sq and the Church of the Nativity Nablus
Interacting with internationals over coffee or cocktails in one of Ramallah’s (p299) in-theknow gathering spots Dangling aloft in a cable car above Jericho’s (p305) sandy remains of the oldest civilisation on earth Witnessing – either religiously or politically – the revered and contentious resting place in Hebron (p307) of the monotheist patriarchs Piquing the senses with a Turkish bath in Nablus (p309)
Ramallah Jericho
Bethlehem
Hebron
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WARNING
UNSETTLING FACTS
Check news reports, ask authorities for the official line on travel to the West Bank, contact agencies in the region (for a list see Get Inside, p296), and find out what church groups are doing. Christian pilgrims worldwide have intimate connections with the Holy Land. Hotels were booked solid in Bethlehem as soon as the second Palestinian uprising against Israeli authorities eased up. In 2000 the second or Al-Aqsa intifada (Arabic for ‘shrugging off’) decimated tourism. But in 2006, tour buses rolled in even as bombs fell on Lebanon and Israel. That same year, a policy came into effect denying entry to Palestinians with citizenship in other countries. Curfews, closures, roadblocks and military engagement can occur as soon as tensions arise. Since movement in the streets during curfews could result in injury or death, business hours are null and void at these times. Take your cues from the Israeli army, as well as from experienced Palestinians. Carry your passport; be respectful of soldiers at checkpoints – they’re armed and are often teenagers who would rather be somewhere else. The combination of martial law and media attention makes a person with a foreign passport safer in the West Bank than in many other parts of the world. But avoid demonstrations and skirmishes. Where there are guns or bulldozers, it is better to look like a tourist than a Palestinian, journalist or activist.
From a clear vantage point, look in any direction and see repetitive angular forms – often on a hill top – amidst villages that appear to have developed gradually and in a somewhat heterogeneous fashion over time. The Jewish colonies set up in the Palestinian Territories are most often referred to as ‘settlements’. Yet even this word can raise the ire of some, especially in cases like Gilo, carved out of the Bethlehem-Beit Jala area, but often called a ‘neighbourhood of West Jerusalem’. CNN reporters are required to use this language. Israelis are divided on the issue of expansion outside their country, as many recognise that the generation of Palestinians born in the West Bank with Israel as a reality have no personal recollection of pre-1948 Palestine but are chafing under the policies of military occupation and land confiscation today. Hundreds of young Israelis are willing to risk jail time for refusing, on ethical grounds, to do their mandatory military service in the Palestinian Territories. In 1988 even Yasser Arafat publicly accepted Israel, expecting to establish a nation on the 22% of Palestine remaining. But in contravention of international law prohibiting a nation’s transfer of civilian population into land it occupies, Israel continues to establish new settlements and expand existing ones. Bypass roads giving Jews from around the world exclusive access to each other and into Israel not only take up and disrupt Palestinian land, but also cut the West Bank into restrictive enclaves. While tourists are welcome to use these roads, Palestinians must be granted rare permission. The UN Security Council condemns settlement building as illegal and as an obstacle to peace. Yet in 1998 Ariel Sharon, then foreign minister, told settlers to ‘grab the hill tops’ in the West Bank, before a final solution could be sealed ceding control to the Palestinians. The early Zionist mission to ‘create facts on the ground’ is still in effect, while even natural expansion of Palestinian areas is forbidden. In the decade following the Oslo Peace Accords of 1993, which included a pledge to freeze land claims and settlement building, the settler population more than doubled as construction continued. As Israel evacuated 8700 settlers from the Palestinian Territories (mainly Gaza) in 2005, it made plans to accommodate 30,000 more in the West Bank. There are 430,000 settlers in the West Bank including the 180,000 in East Jerusalem (annexed by Israel in 1980 but recognised by no other country as legal). Israel reports that there are 138 settlements in the West Bank. Many settlements begin as outposts deemed illegal by Israel but then win support and grow from a collection of trailers into a permanent housing development guarded by Israeli forces. Founded in 1976, the largest West Bank settlement is Ma’ale Adumim, a modern city taking up 50 sq km and housing more than 30,000 Jews. Now called a ‘suburb of Jerusalem’, Israel plans to annex the town, which sits upon the desolate brown hills between Jerusalem and Jericho, drawing from limited West Bank water sources to create a lush and liveable California-like atmosphere. Centuries-old olive trees uprooted by the tens of thousands from Palestinian farms sometimes end up replanted around settlements. Equally contentious is the brand-new condo-tower complex on Jabal Abu Ghneim. The settlement Har Homa takes centre stage in the populated valley between Bethlehem and Jerusalem near Beit Sahour. The previously forested hill was the last portal linking the West Bank to the presumed future capital of Palestine in East Jerusalem. Jewish settlers run the gamut from Russians seeking subsidised housing and excellent free secular schools to Uzi-toting zealots from New York and France fulfilling holy prophecy in anticipation of the Messiah – the latter being rarer by far, but wielding much power in government and creating enough of a flap in Hebron for there to be a volunteer corps from Europe and Turkey dedicated to keeping a record of misconduct by all parties there. Settlers have arsenals and carry weapons, and settlements are defended by armed soldiers at great cost to Israel and its funders, some of whom are Christian Zionists. According to them the Second Coming of Christ will occur when Jews establish Israel according to biblical prophecy; see p307 for more on the Hebron situation. Find out more from these Israeli sources (English option available on websites): www.peacenow .org.il; www.btselem.org; the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics.
History The West Bank as a unique geographical designation is a side effect of the 1948 creation of Israel in 78% of historic Palestine. Deriving the name from its position west of the Jordan River, the West Bank is known in biblical terms as ‘Judea and Samaria’. Contemporary use of these expressions can incite tension, as it suggests a belief in the prophecy that Jews will establish Israel on the whole of historic Palestine and possibly beyond. References to the ‘Green Line’ skirt this issue (see Walls Not Tumbling, p302), while some use ‘the Occupied Palestinian Territories’ (including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip) to avoid any religious leaning, or just ‘the Territories’, which is less politically charged; for this book Lonely Planet’s standard is ‘Palestinian Territories’. West Bank culture is stamped with 400 years of Ottoman Turkish rule, but even shorter occupations can leave a mark, such as the post-WWI British Mandate (English is still taught in schools). More profoundly, the tri-point tug-of-war between the Palestinians, the European Zionists and the British resulted in the conflict we know today. After forming duplicitous alliances and frustrating the aspirations of both the natives and the settlers, Britain pulled out, leaving a show of force to determine the outcome. Symbols of Palestinian independence such as owning or flying the flag are no longer against Israeli law. But the post–Oslo Accord semiautonomy exercised by Palestinian municipalities was reversed during
the second intifada (Arabic for ‘shrugging off’), when Israeli troops and tanks pushed deep into Palestinian population centres (see p38). By 2005, however, even with death and destruction ongoing, West Bank towns began to function again. In 2006, despite the loss of Western aid and the disappearance of Hamas lawmakers when that group won the majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament, West Bankers stretched their resources, and schools and offices opened. Evidence of Palestinian politics and resistance in the West Bank is everywhere, with tattered campaign posters fading on walls and spirited Arabic graffiti in every direction. Teachers, police officers, garbage collectors and other government employees work without pay for months on end, holding out for political resolution. While most Palestinians are not aligned with Hamas, the efficient social services provided by that Islamic party were desperately needed, and its longstanding quest to end corruption in government appealed to the masses. Israel fostered Hamas, in its infancy, to foil the secular nationalist intentions of Yasser Arafat and the PLO. Hamas’ resistance to conform was unexpected. Regardless of who heads the Oslo Accord–established Palestinian Authority (PA), total, everyday control of the areas surrounding the towns highlighted in this chapter, along with the Jewish settlements among them, remains firmly with Israel. In addition to borders, Israel controls the airspace and almost all water resources.
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West Bank 0 0
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20 km 12 miles 71
Wall Section Completed/Under Construction (March 2005) Wall Route (as approved by Israeli Cabinet February 2005) 1967 Green Line
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90
66
Beit She'an Jordan River Border Crossing
Jenin
Hadera
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Netanya
Tulkarem Tubas
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Sebastiya Mt Ebal
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Balata Refugee Camp
Nablus
Qalqilya Herzlia
Mt Gerizim (881m)
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Huwwara checkpoint BANK
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Jordan
Sinjil Ben-Gurion Airport
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Lod
JORDAN
Ramla
See Around Bethlehem, Ramallah & Jericho Map (p298) Beit El (Jewish settlement)
Al-Bireh Ramallah
Rehovot 40
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Allenby/King Hussein Bridge Border Crossing
449
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Jericho
Mt Shmuel 3
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Shu'fat
Q Wadi
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JERUSALEM
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Nahal Sorek Reserve
Beit Jala Al-Khader
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Bethlehem
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Orientation & Information This Week in Palestine (x295 1262; www.thisweekin palestine.com) is a must. Pick up this glossy totable at hotels and agencies for happenings in East Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank. When a Palestinian tells you there will be a ‘party’ at a bar or restaurant, it means DJ-and-dancing. Make a reservation. Like the cool, sweet smoke of the water pipe? Ask for it by one of its many names: argeeleh, nargileh, sheesha, hookah or hubbly-bubbly. The day of rest in the West Bank is Friday, due to a predominantly Muslim population, but in cities with a strong Christian presence and business community, such as Bethlehem and Ramallah, Sunday can be soft on commerce, too. So it’s cocktails on Thursday with a Saturday chaser. Souqs (outdoor markets) and commercial districts are most crowded on Saturdays, a vestige of the Israel-dependent (Saturdays-off) West Bank workforce, no longer permitted to cross the Green Line for employment. During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, special desserts scent the air, and storekeepers change opening hours to accommodate daytime fasting and family food fests at sundown (iftar).
Tours You can visit the West Bank on a tour; see p410 for details. As well, see Get Inside (p296) for a list of insider organisations, and House Demolitions (p306) for tours with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD).
Getting There & Around Dead Sea
Kiryat Arba (Jewish settlement)
The question of a final solution is perpetually suspended: relinquishing control of the Palestinians and their land is as unfathomable to Israeli leaders as incorporating the West Bank into Israel proper and giving all inhabitants citizenship in the Jewish state.
If the Palestinians know anything, it’s how to get around their land. That is, unless you meet one who doesn’t. They feel compelled to help you either way. If a person doesn’t seem sure, get a second opinion. Some make assumptions about what seems obvious. Travel is restricted, so their points of reference are limited. If the person you first approach doesn’t speak English, you will probably be directed to someone who does.
Palestinians identify localities by the nickname of an intersection or neighbourhood. Street names mean less to them – or more, if you’re counting the number of names one street can have. The following city sections provide the names of prominent areas. Don’t be shy. Asking directions is not only a way to connect briefly with locals, it is also a potential opportunity to get someone to accompany you. It would be highly unusual for a Palestinian offering to show you around to expect payment. Unless you’re driving, your means of transportation will be private (special) taxis, the more economical service (pronounced ser-vees) taxis, or ‘Ford transit’ (white vans called ‘Ford’). A tap on the shoulder in one of these means pass the money forward. Nowadays, you’ll be taken to a checkpoint where you might have to pass the soldiers on foot, then catch another service taxi on the other side into town. If driving, you’ll have most freedom of movement with yellow licence plates. Your passport should do the rest. Sometimes there’s no waiting at the checkpoint. Sometimes. Ask around for the latest. Most Jerusalem-based rental-car agencies forbid you to take their cars into the Palestinian Territories. Green Peace (x02-582 2179; www.greenpeace .co.il; Shu’fat, East Jerusalem) is an exception. You may also rent a car in the West Bank, but find out in advance if the cars have yellow plates. Yellow plates in the West Bank could be an irritant, as you could look like a freewheeling Israeli who gets to travel through towns and between settlements and Jerusalem on bypass roads. Palestinian cars that are not allowed to cross borders bear white plates (not to be confused with white plates marked ‘CD’ – corps diplomatiques). To avert the rare occurrence of a stone lobbed at your car, avoid appearing to be a religious Jew or Jewish settler. Place a keffiyeh (a scarf like that worn by Arafat) on the dash. (A red one is also welcome, indicating a leftward leaning.) Remove it when stopped at a checkpoint as it could become an inadvertent conversation piece for bored Israeli soldiers. If you don’t firm up directions, it’s easy to get lost and run into a Jewish settlement. Security around these developments is vigilant, so avoid arousing suspicions.
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Roads are fine outside congested commercial centres. Park nearby and walk. Road maps are as current as circumstances will allow. Purchase the most up-to-date road maps with satellite coordinates for GPS users at GSE (Map p290; x274 4728; www
the world, with residents as far back as the Palaeolithic era. On record the town developed in the 14th century BC as a city-state named after the goddess Beit Lahmu, then donned the Old Testament name Ephrata. Three centuries after the birth of Jesus, the Roman Emperor Constantine made Christianity the state religion with the establishment of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In 638 the city was conquered by Muslims, but a treaty was signed guaranteeing Christians property rights and religious freedom. Bethlehem enjoyed exalted status both domestically and in Europe during the Crusader periods of 1099–1187 and 1228–1244. The city continued to prosper through ups and downs under Mamluk
.palmap.org; 8 Jamal Abdel Nasser St, Cinema; h8am4pm Mon-Sat) in Bethlehem, or at the Educational Bookshop (Map p110; x02-628 3704; 22 Salah ad-Din St; h8am-8pm) in East Jerusalem.
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and Turkish rule. In the 19th century the British took an interest in the area while an Eastern European–led Zionist movement began to take hold in Palestine. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire in WWI, Bethlehem bucked under the British Mandate, whose policies included revoking the citizenship of Bethlehemites abroad while granting citizenship to Jews after two years of residency. Today it’s a distinctly Christian town with Muslim and Christian Palestinian Arab residents. Looking east towards Jordan, the graceful Bethlehem wilderness becomes an arid landscape of dusky sand-blanketed hills. Also called the Judean Desert, this retreat for the eyes has a secret backdrop: beyond the blue haze is a stupendous mountain range in Jordan that only emerges to the view seasonally.
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To Bab iz-Qaq (500m); Beit Jala (1km); Olive Tree Tourist Village/ Al-Zaytouna (2km); Qaabar (2km); Cremisan Salesian Monastery & Winery (4km); Everest Hotel & Restaurant (4km); Jerusalem (via tunnels; 8km)
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Think of Bethlehem as a tripartite pleasure, with the Christian Arab villages of Beit Sahour and Beit Jala at her sides. Each has a splendid old city, but the two smaller sisters offer the ancient charm without the commercial clutter. The area’s population also includes three refugee camps. Unless you come from the west through Beit Jala past a defunct Israeli roadblock, your visit to Bethlehem from Jerusalem starts at the new checkpoint resembling the entrance to a maximum-security prison. Show your passport to get in. The area around the still-armed former Israeli checkpoint just to the west near Rachel’s Tomb is called Al-Qubba. In Bethlehem, Manger St (aka Ring Rd or New Rd) is the modern commercial motorway curving around towards Manger Sq (Bab id-Deir) and the Church of the Nativity. Stay alert for the best view of the Old City, looking upward. Fridays are quiet with only a few shops opening after prayers. Many Christian-owned enterprises close on Sunday also. Public services are closed Friday, open Sunday. Corny but clever: trace the shape of a crucifix when walking through Bethlehem and you’ll see a lot. Imagine Pope Paul VI St as vertical with Manger Sq at the top (east) and the taxi stand at Bab iz-Qaq at the bottom (west). Areas Al-Madbasseh and AlCinema are in between. The souq is to the
right (south), and charming old Star St is to the left (north). The etched-stone turns of Star St host an annual Christmas festival market.
Information Manger Sq, the city’s centerpiece, is also the hub of services – both religious and logistical. It has a post office, ATM and Open Bethlehem (x277 7993; www.openbethlehem.org; Manger Sq) – see p296 for its services. The newest building on Manger Sq is the Peace Center (x276 6677; www.peacenter.org; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat & 9am-4pm Sun, 9am-2am Christmas Eve). On the former site of an Israeli po-
lice station, the Peace Center was built by the Swedish government. Find free tourist maps, a bookshop–gift store, galleries, an auditorium and public toilets here. It also handles inquiries about cultural activities on the square such as the Olive Harvest Festival in October–November. It was here that the Israeli army set up headquarters during the siege of the Church of the Nativity in 2002. The facility was looted and vandalised. One hundred tanks ground through the city and filled the square. Also at the Peace Centre is a tourist information centre (h9am-3.30pm).
Sights MANGER SQUARE & THE OLD CITY
The energy on Manger Sq and in the Old City on Christmas Eve is positively electric. But the narrow limestone streets and exotic storefronts are a year-round draw. Even if you’re not a churchgoer, on a Sunday morning sneak a peek at an array of Christian denominations celebrating in the place where so much started. Most in attendance are Palestinians, but respectful visitors are welcome to attend or stop in for a few moments of contemplation. Set out at 9am at the Lutheran Christmas Church, on Pope Paul VI St. Then head towards Manger Sq to St Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church where services are held in a dialect of Aramaic. Descend the stairs to Manger Sq and enter the Church of the Nativity to find a Greek Orthodox service in session. Tiptoe around to the left and through a passage where the Roman Catholic Mass is in progress at St Catherine’s Church. Don’t stand with your hands in your pockets, chew gum, or sit with one foot resting on the other knee.
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Or do. Nothing is likely to happen. But it isn’t polite. The nativity-scene spectacle at the Crib Museum (x276 0876; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat; closed Sun) is a short walk off Manger Sq. CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY
Even without conjuring anything resembling the manger scene, the Church of the Nativity is an imposing marker for the birthplace of Jesus. Also called the Basilica of the Nativity, it’s the oldest continuously operating church. It was commissioned in 326 by Constantine, with his mother Helena Augusta as head contractor and the bishop of Jerusalem in charge, forever ending the use of the site for the pagan worship of Adonis. Renovations throughout
CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY
Casa Nova Orient Palace Hotel
the centuries included a new floor, beneath which lies the 4th-century mosaic floor discovered in 1934. After bowing through the Ottoman-era Door of Humility (most likely built so short to prevent soldiers on horses from entering), proceed to the cavernous nave and see a wooden trapdoor revealing a section of the mosaic. Emperor Justinian had the church rebuilt in the 6th century after it was burnt down in the Samaritan revolt. The mammoth columns of red-and-white limestone come from Bethlehem quarries. In the 12th century the wall around the church was constructed by Greeks and Franks, a cooperative venture between the Byzantine (Orthodox) and Latin (Catholic) – so-called ‘oriental’ and ‘occidental’ – Christians who 0
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had been experiencing a schism. Continue to the Grotto of the Nativity. The 14-pointed silver star marking the spot believed to be where Jesus was born was a gift from the French in 1717. The Chapel of the Manger or ‘the Crib’ to one side of the grotto represents the scene of the nativity. Conflict and controversy have rocked this cradle for ages. The Persians spared it when they sacked Palestine in 614, ostensibly because they saw a depiction of the magi in their own native costume. The star was stolen in 1847 and later replaced. Administrative domination of the church changed hands repeatedly between the Orthodox and Catholics with the Muslims drawn in to arbitrate, given their authority in the region and respect for Jesus as a prophet in Islam. To this day, management of the church is divvied up metre-for-metre between the Orthodox, Catholic and Armenian clerics. Age-old squabbles are not the only action the basilica has seen. In 2002 Israel invaded Bethlehem, sending a resistance force of 200 Palestinians, 50 with weapons, to burst into the church for refuge. A highly televised siege ensued, lasting 39 days. An Israeli flare started a fire in the church, but the damage was contained. ST CATHERINE’S CHURCH
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1 Entry to the church is through the tiny Door of Humility. Originally the entrance was much larger but the Crusaders reduced its size to prevent attackers from riding in. Later, either during the Mamluk or Ottoman period, the portal was made even smaller. You can still see the outline of the original 6th-century doorway and within it the pointed Crusader-era arch. 2 The red limestone pillars may date back to the original 4th-century church. Some of them are decorated with frescoes of saints, painted by artistically inclined Crusaders in the 12th century. 3 Wooden trapdoors are usually left open to reveal parts of Constantine's 4th-century mosaic floor. 4 Greek Orthodox Monastery 5 Stairs down to the Grotto of the Nativity and the Crib shrine 6 Armenian Chapel 7 Statue of St Mary 8 Steps down to the cave 9 The Franciscan Church of St Catherine was built in 1881. It's here that midnight Mass is held every December 24th and broadcast around the world.
Midnight Mass at the newer, pink-toned St Catherine’s Church is broadcast around the world on Christmas Eve. Accessed through the Church of the Nativity or from its front, you should first wander through the Crusader-era Franciscan cloister with a statue of St Jerome. Yasser Arafat and an entourage of notables, including his Christian wife, attended midnight Mass each year until the second intifada broke out. MILK GROTTO CHAPEL
A lesser-known house of worship, a short walk off Manger Sq, is the Milk Grotto Chapel (Milk Grotto St; admission free; h8-11am & 2-6pm). The white rock inside this stony chapel is said to bring milk to a mother’s bosom and enhance fertility in women swallowing a morsel of the chalky substance. Legend has it that Mary and Joseph stopped here with the baby Jesus for a feeding, and some milk dripped onto the red rock-turning it white.
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MOSQUE OF OMAR
On Manger Sq, opposite the church, is the Mosque of Omar, named after the 2nd caliph, Omar Ibn al-Khattab. It was built in 1860 on land granted by the Greek Orthodox Church in honour of the Prophet Muhammad’s father-in-law, who in 637 took Jerusalem from the flagging Byzantines and then prayed in the Church of the Nativity. Having declared the region sacred in compliance with the Quran, al-Khattab realised his followers would want to enshrine that spot as a Muslim holy site. In order to keep the Christian site intact, he instituted the Pact of Omar preventing Muslim prayer assemblies at the church. Only individuals were allowed to pray there. RACHEL’S TOMB
In a desolate corridor near the entrance to town is Rachel’s Tomb (Jerusalem-Hebron Rd, Al-Qubba; h7.30am-4pm Sun-Thu, 7.30am-1.30pm Fri). Another Bethlehem sojourner in labour, Rachel is said to have died here in childbirth, on the way south to Hebron. Her husband Jacob ‘set a pillar upon her grave’ (Genesis 35:20). Revered by followers of all three Abrahamic religions (Jews and Muslims in particular), the place has been enshrined and guarded for centuries, from the Byzantine and Islamic eras to the Crusaders, Ottomans and Israelis. Located near the former checkpoint to Bethlehem from Jerusalem, the tomb complex was flanked by businesses that now stand defunct due to the construction of the 8m-high wall (see p302) effectively annexing the once-autonomous Palestinian area to Jerusalem. Yarmulkes are provided to be worn by all visitors. The mosque, long inaccessible to Palestinians, may also now be off limits to visitors. As of this writing only students of the yeshiva and guided tour groups may enter. Access Rachel’s Tomb from Jerusalem through a military-controlled portion of Jerusalem–Hebron Rd. PALESTINIAN HERITAGE CENTER & OLD BETHLEHEM MUSEUM
A steadfast sign of life nearby is the Palestinian Heritage Center (x274 2642; www.palestinian heritagecenter.com; Manger St, Al-Qubba; h10am-7pm). Have your picture taken in Palestinian folkdress at this exotic micromuseum with lifelike Bedouin dioramas. Learn from the effusive owner Maha how Palestinian hand-stitched
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embroidery (for sale) identifies wearers according to village of origin. On that note, the Old Bethlehem Museum (x274 2589; www .arabwomenunion.org; Star St, Old City; h8am-noon & 25pm Mon-Sat, closed Thu afternoon) will transport you
through time to a typical Palestinian home of the 19th century. See native costumes and purchase embroidery produced by the Arab Women’s Union. INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF BETHLEHEM & THE CAVE
A good place in the Old City area to gather your thoughts and plan itineraries is the International Center of Bethlehem (Dar Annadwa; x277 0047; www.annadwa.org; Pope Paul VI St, AlMadbasseh). Check the calendar for concerts,
plays, films, English-language documentaries and lectures at the sprawling facility, which includes a restaurant, coffee bar (see Al-Kuz Café and Bar, p297) and guesthouse. Relax on multiple stone verandas or inside where there’s free wi-fi. Natives know the centre as Dar Annadwa, and it also houses the Cave (Al-Kahf;
[email protected]; h9.30am-4pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat, closed Sun), which has extended hours
for exhibits. Watch artisans at work through large windows, then go into the gallery-gift shop and bookstore. Don’t miss how it gets its name – an ancient cave-dwelling on the lower level.
Sleeping Most hotel rooms in Bethlehem are nondescript or downright drab unless you’re in the Jacir Palace Inter-Continental or Dar Annadwa. Bethlehem caters to a pilgrim crowd. Groups fill the city even off-season. Expect to pay 30% to 50% more at Christmas time. Check the calendar for both Latin (Catholic) and Orthodox Christmas and Easter dates.
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Everest Hotel & Restaurant (x274 2604; everest@ p-ol.com; Beit Jala; s/d US$30/40) If cooling off is key, the name tells you this lodging is at the summit. A patio in the pines says you’ve left the lower climes and flora of Bethlehem. The restaurant is known for pigeon. Bethlehem Hotel (x277 0702;
[email protected]; s/d US$28/45) Rooms are cheery but plainJane, yet this Manger St standard, 1km from the Nativity Church, is likely to have water even when the city is dry. Its bar is up one flight from the lobby. Grand Hotel (x274 1602;
[email protected]; s/d US$40/55) Known for its Mexican restaurant serving fresh fish, this basic dwelling is in the thick of it on the way to the Old City. Bethlehem Star Hotel (x274 3249; htstar@hall .net; s/d US$35/55) For a plainer-than-plain resting post, it certainly draws a steady flow of journalists. The view overlooking Bethlehem from the breakfast room is captivating (and potentially informative – most military incursions are visible from this high vantage point). Olive Tree Tourist Village/Al-Zaytouna (x274 2016; Beit Jala; s/d US$45/55) A complex of children’s indoor and outdoor play areas, water toys, a pool and a disco (see Drinking & Entertainment; p297), in addition to the guesthouse, makes this ideal for families when circumstances allow it to function fully. It‘s best to ensure you make inquiries beforehand. Paradise Hotel (x274 4542;
[email protected]; s/ d 150/250NIS; i) Renovated since Israeli shelling brought about its demise in 2001, the prominent Manger St hotel’s lobby gleams, while rooms are spartan. Computer facilities and internet access (per hour US$2) are available in the common area. MIDRANGE
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Ibdaa Cultural Centre Guesthouse (x277 6444;
www.dheisheh-ibdaa.net; Dheisheh Refugee Camp; dm US$15) The new multipurpose facility on
Jerusalem-Hebron Rd is a happening place, treating travellers to free internet, cheap eats, simple lodging and the Dheisheh experience (p297). Arab Women’s Union (x277 5507; arwomenunion@ yahoo.com; Beit Sahour; r US$20) The women who run this guesthouse recycle paper, run community programs and produce olive-wood artefacts.
Casa Nova Orient Palace (x274 3980; casanova palace.com; s/d US$45/60) The closest you’ll get to sleeping in the manger. The lobby, just off Manger Sq next to the Church of the Nativity, is as much a gathering place for transient tourists and devout dignitaries as it is for hotel guests. Sancta Maria (x276 7374;
[email protected]; AlKarkafa St; s/d/tr 150/260/300NIS) The lobby and terrace of this new construction gives the impression that the rooms have more character than they deliver. It’s a five-minute drive to the Church of the Nativity.
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l o n eaccommodation l y p l a n e t . c o monline at lonelyplanet.com Book
CONVERSATION STARTERS: RELIGION AND POLITICS – YES Mention the last name of someone you’ve met. A Palestinian will run a mental search of that name and the town the family comes from. Ask how a dish is made, what spices are used and whose mother makes it best. Find out if shwarma is more often turkey or more often beef. Ask when the olive harvest is, and how do you pickle olives? Probe for details on what it’s like when a curfew or closure is imposed. Respectfully learn if a person has been in Israeli prisons or ‘administrative detention’. Express an interest in seeing a woman’s embroidered handiwork and what it means. Inquire about a person’s lineage and where family members were born. Translate Palestinians’ names into English. Flower-child communes have nothing on them. Wonder aloud about relations between Christians and Muslims. Ask why people sometimes put flower bouquets all over their cars. Ask adult refugees if their homes still exist and if they can enter Israel to see them. Ask what happened to St Barbara’s Church and is it really the first in the Holy Land? Discern what is a sign of the culture vs what is peculiar to a religion. Note that though Palestinians are open to deep and wandering conversations, it would embarrass (and possibly inhibit) them to suggest that men holding hands, kissing cheeks, walking with arms laced or sitting in a snuggly way appear homosexual. It’s highly unlikely that they are. There is a winking awareness of certain individuals (such as one popular salon owner in the West Bank) being gay. But the culture doesn’t take gently to public displays, and some flatly deny homosexuality exists.
Dar Annadwa (x277 0047; www.annadwa.org; 109 Pope Paul VI St, Old City; s/d US$50/70) Each of the 13 tasteful rooms is named after a Palestinian village. Students from the International Center’s art school provide décor in this chic Lutheran-sponsored boutique guesthouse with all the amenities.
cherished, restaurateurs from Haifa come in to buy the mix. Qaabar (x274 1419; Beit Jala) Get to the sweet old city of Beit Jala and ask for barbecue. Everyone knows Qaabar for the charcoalgrilled chicken and its fabulous aïoli – a habit-forming garlic mayonnaise (eggless). Use your fingers.
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Jacir Palace Inter-Continental (x276 6777; jacir@ interconti.com; s/d/ste, with breakfast US$80/90/120; s)
Opulent Middle Eastern luxury near AlQubba beckons you to this restored mansion. The stone colonnade and world-class ambience make the courtyard restaurantbar worth a visit. Shortly after the initial restoration, Israeli soldiers seized it, but repairs have been made. The breakfast is a hummus-to-ham buffet.
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Efteem (x277 0157; Manger Sq; felafels 4NIS) Two shops on the down-ramp off the square serve felafel, but the second one down is so
MIDRANGE
Dar Jdoudnah (x274 3212; Manger Sq; mains 25-45NIS) Down the ramp from Manger Sq and to the left, find a wide-open bar in this old stone textile factory and olive oil press. Have a meal or cappuccino with a slice of creamy layaly lubnan (a crustless pudding made from milk, semolina and cream with a touch of rose water). Keys on the wall symbolise the Palestinian return home, in keeping with the name of this place: our grandparents’ house. Al-Kala’a/Citadel (x 277 5725; Old City, Beit Sahour; mains 25-50NIS) This ancient gem of a schoolhouse is host to Westerners and natives with an appetite for both Palestinian and surprisingly good Chinese cooking.
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GET INSIDE This book provides you with the information to go it alone, but the best way to enjoy the West Bank in its fullness is to hook up with the English-speaking core of Palestinians and internationals who can arrange your travel to the sights so you have more time for independent discovery. Your experience can be as structured (or not) as you like. If your desire is strictly spiritual, your religious organisation at home may already have experience travelling to this region and may be able to help you. But there’s so much more than the relics to be experienced in the present-day vitality of the region. Stay in a private home for a total immersion experience. Inquire about day trips, workshops, cooking classes, volunteer assignments and Arabic lessons. Arrange travel from abroad with the assistance of the agencies listed here or look them up when you arrive and introduce yourself. Your best first stop is Open Bethlehem (x 02-277 7993; www.openbethlehem.org; Manger Sq). Neither a travel agency nor a tourist centre, these Palestinian internationals can guide you to the experience you’re hoping to have or make suggestions for options you hadn’t thought of. You will establish contacts in the region with the movers and shakers of the Palestinian civil society development scene. Check out these options for your best fit on the spiritual-to-secular spectrum: Alternative Tourism Group (ATG; x02 277 2151; www.patg.org) Best-connected secular organisation in
Palestine offering the full gamut of information.
American Friends Service Committee with Palestine Fair Trade Association (xin the USA 312-
427 2533; www.palestinefairtrade.org;
[email protected]) International social justice organisation planning tours, including one, with homestays, participating in the Palestinian olive harvest. International Palestinian Youth League (IPYL; x02-222 9131; www.ipyl.org) Hebron-based geopolitical study trips, homestays, volunteer opportunities. International Solidarity Movement (ISM; www.palsolidarity.org) A good way to get deported or maimed; its nonviolent resistance actions are so effective it’s the target of global smear campaigns. Middle East Fellowship/Holy Land Trust (xin the USA 626-797 7904; www.middleeastfellowship.org) Religious or secular tours and extended stays, including the Palestine Summer Encounter (a two-month volunteer program with Arabic classes). Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange (PACE; x02-240 7611; www.pace.ps) Exchange programs and educational tours. Sabeel (x02-523 7136; www.sabeel.org) Globally respected ecumenical Christian organisation with an internationally educated staff. Siraj Center for Holy Land Studies (x02-274 8590; www.sirajcenter.org) Rooted in Palestinian Christianity, with broad ecumenical and secular reach. A good start for independent research is the Alternative Information Center (AIC; x02-277 5444; www.alternativenews.org), a joint Palestinian-Israeli think-tank based in Beit Sahour and Jerusalem.
Fabulous out on the patio or inside with an olive-wood scale model of old Jerusalem. Shepherd’s Valley Tourist Village (x277 3875; Beit Sahour; mains 25-50NIS) A habitual stop after Shepherds’ Field, the attraction is the environment as much as the local food. It’s a huge Bedouin tent. Occasional folkloric dance. La Terrasse (x275 3678; mains 25-58NIS; hclosed Tue) Beauty and politics merge in the panoramic view from La Terrasse of Bethlehem and the Jewish settlement of Har Homa. Find a stepped-up Mediterranean-Mexican menu, comfy-chic ambience, a variety of wines and an international clientele. Alfredo comes with mushrooms, unless you
decline. The creamy, crunchy almond soup is divine. Abu Shanab (x275 0043; Manger St; mains 30-60NIS; hclosed Mon) Succulent lamb chops and traditionally butchered shish kebab are said to turn vegetarians around, but there’s plenty of meatless mezze. The kofta (mincemeat and spices grilled on a skewer) is not overly seasoned (nothing to hide!). Moustachioed brothers (hence the name) give special attention to out-of-towners. Abu Eli (x274 1897; Al-Qubba; mains 30-60NIS) Stuffed pigeon, anyone? One of the star establishments for Middle Eastern salads and grilled meat, Abu Eli now relies on deals
l o n eaccommodation l y p l a n e t . c o monline at lonelyplanet.com Book
with tour operators due to being shunted off by the wall. Al-Baidar (x276 6777; Jacir Palace Inter-Continental, Hebron Rd; mains US$9-14) Covered cloisters in this exquisitely restored mansion are worth a stop, even for the special lemonade or a glass of beer. No baklava here. Apple pie, yes.
Drinking & Entertainment Al-Kuz Café and Bar (x277 0047; International Center of Bethlehem, 109 Pope Paul VI St, Al-Madbassah) This charmingly kitschy Bedouin-inspired coffee bar extends out to a rambling patio garden. Free wi-fi. Olive Tree Tourist Village/Al-Zaytouna (x274 2016; Beit Jala; admission varies) Dance parties are 9pm till late Thursday and Saturday nights at the disco-in-the-round. Reservations are advised. Befriend locals and go someplace for a pre-dawn breakfast while the rest of the town sleeps.
Getting There & Away Special (private) taxis/service (shared) taxis (50/5NIS) originate from Al-Musrara across from Jerusalem’s Old City (Damascus Gate/ Bab al-Amoud). The southward 10km drive stops at the checkpoint. You might have to cross on foot and continue 3km in another vehicle (special taxi 10NIS to 15NIS). Buses also run to Bethlehem or Beit Jala from Jerusalem. Returning, the Bethlehem bus waits at the checkpoint headed for Jerusalem (5NIS).
AROUND BETHLEHEM
Dheisheh Refugee Camp & Ibdaa Cultural Centre دﻫﻴﺸﺔ דהישה You might be surprised by the vitality and progress emanating from the Dheisheh Refugee Camp (UNRWA; x02-274 2445; Jerusalem-Hebron Rd). Having started out as a tent site, this 1-sq-km camp was established in 1949 on Bethlehem’s municipal land leased to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for 99 years. The residents come from 30 villages and from West Jerusalem. Their hometowns were repopulated with Jewish immigrants, or demolished. There’s one part-time doctor for the 11,000 residents. The decades have seen restrictive barricades, barbed wire and some of the longest periods of curfew ever imposed by the Israelis – 84 consecutive days during the Gulf War. The result of never leaving the buildings, aside from acute distress, was a baby boom. A
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huge number of residents have been in Israeli prisons as occupation resistors. The Ibdaa Cultural Centre (www.dheisheh-ibdaa.net) at the camp, named for the idea of ‘making something out of nothing’, is headquarters for the world-renowned youth dance troupe and the women’s basketball team. It also supports a media centre, trade school, kindergarten, oral history project, women’s leadership initiative, internet lab (free to visitors), restaurant and Ibdaa Cultural Centre Guesthouse. Volunteers are welcome. To get to Dheisheh catch a service taxi at Bab iz-Qaq (3NIS) in Bethlehem.
Shepherds’ Field While the Beit Sahour Shepherds’ Field isn’t the only Bethlehem surrounding ascribed to the ‘multitude of the heavenly host’ (Luke 2:13) and the origin of ‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo’ (Glory to God in the Highest), it is the most frequented. The chapel grounds are placid and picturesque; you might find a bride in white having her photos done while brown-clad monks relax under a tree. To reach Shepherds’ Field take a private taxi from Bethlehem (15NIS) or catch the Beit Sahour bus (1.5NIS) near Manger Sq outside Dar Jdoudnah.
Herodian
ﻫﺮودﻳﻮن
הרודיון
Juxtapose the angels heralding the birth of Jesus with Herodian (x02-776 2251; admission 23NIS; h8am-5pm Sun-Thu, 8am-4pm Fri), one of King Herod’s stellar architectural feats. Scanning the Judean Desert, your eye is caught by a flat-topped hill rising above all others, 9km south of Beit Sahour. It was a palace. Jews controlled the site during the two revolts (AD 66–132) and now. A private taxi costs 100NIS to 120NIS (return). The driver will wait an hour. Some walk the 12km through Wadi Artas, from the Muslim village of Artas which hosts the annual Lettuce Festival (p390) and a gracious agrarian convent.
Al-Khader Church
ﻛﻨﻴﺴﺔ اﻟﺨﻀﻴﺮ
כנסיית אלח'דר
Al-Khader Church (x02-274 3233; Al-Khader, Jerusalem-Hebron Rd; h8am-noon & 3-7pm) will conjure stories of St George who slew the dragon. He is also known as the ‘patron saint of Palestine’ or ‘St George the Green’ with a feast day on 5 May. Venerated by Christians
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and Muslims, St George is called upon by travellers and the sick. A man or woman from the Muslim family entrusted with the keys to the small Greek Orthodox church will perform a chaining ritual at your request, ceremonially chaining and unchaining any visitor desiring to release bad energy, cleanse the soul, cast off illness or prepare for a long journey. Knock on the rectory door for attention if no-one is in the church. You can take a private taxi from Bethlehem (15NIS) to Al-Khader.
Solomon’s Pools
ﺑﺮك ﺳﻠﻴﻤﺎن
Dead Sea
Mar Saba Monastery
בריכות שלמה
The more prominent site in Al-Khader area would be Solomon’s Pools. During Roman times a system of springs filled three mammoth rectangular reservoirs supplying water via aqueducts to Jerusalem and Herodian. King Solomon enjoyed respite beside their serene shimmer where he is said to have written the sensuous Song of Solomon. The springs were used into the 20th century for irrigating crops in the surrounding fertile valley. Successive armies have set up camp
Ein Feshkha
here. An Ottoman fortress is still evident. Spectacular even when empty, the pools were drained after several drownings; with the opening of a new conference centre and tourist village adjacent to the pools, plans at the time of writing were to refill them. To reach Solomon’s Pools from Bethlehem take Dheisheh bus No 1 (2NIS) from Manger Sq or private taxi (15NIS).
Mar Saba Monastery
دﻳﺮ ﻣﺎرﺳﺎﺑﺎ
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רמאללה בירה-אל
x02 / pop 65,000
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4826; Beit Jala) is worth a visit. Wine connoisseurs: go for the view. This silent hill top refuge sends half a million litres of affordable wine downhill every year. If you’re spooked by narrow cliffside roads, leave the driving to a pro. Call to reserve a tasting. To reach Cremisan take a private taxi from Bethlehem (15NIS).
מנזר מרסבא
A must-see on any architectural journey is the Mar Saba Monastery (h8am-4pm Sun-Thu; admission 20NIS), 20km east of Bethlehem (beyond Beit Sahour). This phenomenal cliff-clinging hermitage is best seen from the opposite slope, but men can exercise their privilege by going inside, where a dozen monks reside. There is a Women’s Tower at the entrance, for waiting. A taxi driver will take you (100NIS to 120NIS return), and wait an hour.
Cremisan Salesian Monastery & Winery If homage to the spirits is in your plan, the Cremisan Salesian Monastery & Winery (x02-274
The ‘bride of Palestine’ is a lofty 900m above sea level, so it’s understandable that Gulfies and Jordanians used to cool off here in the days long before the dicey Qalandia checkpoint. A mere 15km north of Jerusalem, the city is free from dense politics and religious fervour. Ramallah was settled by Christians in the 1500s. Al-Bireh’s history is traced to the Canaanites. But many of today’s Ramallahns are refugees from 1948 who developed lives and livelihoods in exile. Ironically, the most child-friendly city in the Palestinian Territories is also the place for cocktails and culture. The hub of governmental ministries, diplomatic missions, broadcast outlets, NGOs, commerce and art since the Oslo Accords, Ramallah accommodates work and family side by side, with a play area around every corner. Could it be that the mayor is a woman? She isn’t the first. For the record, the political and diplomatic scene Ramallah is known for is largely rooted in Al-Bireh. Palestinian government ministries, cultural organisations and women’s groups have their offices in Al-Bireh. An historic caravan crossing between Ramallah and Nablus, Al-Bireh maintains its place as a commercial hub with banks, communications facilities and businesses, many of which have connections with families who emigrated to the USA.
Orientation The general area around Al-Manara (Lighthouse Sq) is ‘City Centre’. Banks are plentiful here. Other areas of note include Al-Se’a (Clock Sq), which is another circular intersection easily mistaken for al-Manara but lies a short walk to the southwest, AlSharafeh, Al-Masyoun, Al-Balu’a, the Old City and Al-Muntazah (Ramallah Park or Garden).
Sights & Activities Experience the honk and hustle of the City Centre by walking down Rukab St (Main St) from Al-Manara. Among this area’s few sites of archaeological interest are the hill top Tel al-Nasbeh (the biblical city of Mizbeh) and the Crusader Church in Al-Bireh. The church is said to have been built where Mary and Joseph lost their pre-teen son, before finding him in Jerusalem philosophising with the grownups at the temple. Yasser Arafat spent his sunset years in the bulldozed presidential compound, AlMuqata’a, after the Israelis invaded Ramallah. His enormous cubicle tomb (x298 6465; Al-Itha’a St) is there but, in fact, he died of unknown causes in a hospital in Paris. An illuminated photo near the roof marks the spot where in 2002 he huddled in the rubble. Buildings have been restored with the exception of some holes from tank shelling. Al-Muqata’a is 1km from Al-Manara on the road to Birzeit and Nablus. Ramallah’s Old City is a blink-of-an-eye example of Ottoman architecture. It includes the small Al-Kamandjati (x297 3101; www.alkamandjati.com in French; Old City) conservatory, with the strains of violin and flute wafting over an ancient arch with an edgy, modern copper entryway. It offers intimate concerts and recitals. Play or just watch at the First Ramallah Group (Sareyyet Ramallah; x295 2706; www.sirreyeh .org; Al-Tira St, Old City). The home of the scouts has a pool and gym open to visitors for a fee. Busy basketball courts glow late into the summer night. The walled, well-lit family park seats hundreds. Worth a look for its sense of community and the gracious old fieldhouse. Take Nahdha St (Main St/Rukab St) from Al-Manara beyond the Old City where Main St becomes Dar Ibrahim and then Al-Tira. Wander through Ramallah Souq (Souq alBireh or Al-Hisbeh) on Nablus Rd, 100m off Al-Manara. Technically in Al-Bireh, Ramallah’s big bazaar and produce market has an indoor section as well. During Ramadan it’s brilliantly festive and pungent with the season’s confections. Preen for your evening at Al-Sharqi Turkish Bath (x240 8281; 1st fl, An-Najma Bldg, Al-Balu’a; bath with exfoliation &/or massage 30-100NIS). The fullservice hammam (bathhouse) offers baths
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with exfoliation and massage on Tuesday and Sunday (from 9am to 9pm) for women; and Monday, Wednesday and Saturday (from 10am to midnight) for men.
Sleeping Overall, Ramallah has the classiest accommodation in the West Bank. Bidets are not uncommon. Satellite TV, internet access and parking are practically de rigueur. BUDGET
Al-Wihdeh Hotel (x298 0412; Al-Nahda St, Al-Manara; s/d 80/100NIS) Bed but no breakfast. Al-Wihdeh offers basic affordable digs in the centre of town. Merryland Hotel (x298 7176; Al-Ma’ahed St, AlSe’a/Clock Sq; s/d/t 80/120/150NIS) Not one of Ramallah’s fresh luxury lodgings, but comfy and convenient. MIDRANGE
Royal Court Suites Hotel (x296 4040; fax 296 4047; Al-Muntazah; s US$59, d US$69-120) Units have furnished kitchenettes, some with separate bedrooms. Ask for a room with a balcony.
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heirlooms honouring the name of this eatery, which means ‘our house’. Also offers nargileh (water pipe) and free wi-fi. There’s a playground for the kids.
Eating
Drinking
BUDGET
Most places serve food, but these are known drinkeries for natives and imports. Sangria’s (x 295 6808; Jaffa St, Al-Muntazah) Make a reservation for Ramallah’s favourite summer bar if it’s Thursday or Saturday night. The Mexican and international menu is ambitious, but you’re there for the drinks and glamour-garden ambience. Chez Vatche (x296 5966; Al-Masyoun) Posture ’round the pool. Chilly night? Go next door to Adios in the Grand Park. Adios (x298 6194; Grand Park Hotel, Rafat Rd, AlMasyoun) Adios is a cave-like bar offering a cozy cocktail most nights but at a moment’s notice it can erupt into party mode, becoming an intimate, high-decibel dance club. Almonds (x295 7028; Ramallah Hotel, Al-Masyoun; mains 30-50NIS) Shoot pool and drink. No glitz, but Anglophones and a loyal following. Al-Mattal (x298 6529; cnr Al-Tira & Es-Saraya Sts, Old City) Jury’s still out on whether this café-cinema is a brothel, but it’s known for running with a dangerous crowd. By Palestinian standards this means having your butt grabbed on the dance floor or being offered marijuana. Stones (x296 6038; Al-Muntazah; mains 30-65NIS) This glassy multitiered box with stunning skylight has wood-oven-baked focaccia and serves coffee drinks and cocktails. Near the municipality/city hall.
B3 B2 B3 C2 B2 C2
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ENTERTAINMENT Al-Kamandjati..........................22 Al-Kasaba Theater & Cinematheque.....................23 Baladna Centre.........................24 Khalil Sakakini Centre...............25
yoon
Al-Masyoun
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DRINKING Almonds..................................16 Art Coffee Shop.......................17 Sangria's..................................18 Stars & Bucks...........................19 Stones......................................20 Urobian Coffee Shop...............21 ospit
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Seafood and panoramic views in the penthouse dining/breakfast room. TOP END
Grand Park Hotel & Resorts (x298 6194; grandpark .com; Rafat Rd, Al-Masyoun; s/d US$75/95; s) Largest and swankiest hotel in town has gardens, patio dining, a lounge, a dramatic swimming pool and kids’ playground. There’s also free wi-fi. The sole elevator is shared with hotel staff. City Inn Palace (x240 8080; fax 240 8091; AlSharafeh; s/d US$70/100) For a subtly elegant lodging in Al-Bireh where you might run into your favourite foreign journalist (despite the absence of liquor in the restaurant), your best bet is this fresh full-service facility. Stock the room’s fridge with your own brew and blanc. Best Eastern (x295 8450; fax 295 8452; Al-Bireh; s/d US$90/110; s) Aside from the pool, it isn’t remarkable, except that it’s alcohol free in a town that otherwise rocks. Rooms have minibars for storing whatever you bring. Gemzo Suites (x 240 9727; www.gemzosuites .net; 1-/2-/3-bedroom apt US$150/200/240) These furnished apartments in highly secured,
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Mediterranean-style apartment towers in AlBalu’a have full laundry service, residentialrate telephones, well-equipped kitchens, dining and sitting rooms and a play yard.
Take a break and try one of Ramallah’s icecream shops for a texture sensation that will tell you what ‘gum Arabic’ is all about. Rukab and Baladna are the most famous. Maissareem (Al-Se’a/Clock Sq; felafels 3-4NIS) It may not be the locals’ favourite felafel shop, but this flashy streetside stand lights up the square in the wee hours. Ziryab (x295 9093; Salah Bldg, Main St; mains 2060NIS) Pause for a coffee or something stronger at this artsy spot. It’s upstairs of ice-cream shop Baladna, and you can access free wi-fi. Angelo’s (x295 6408; Main St; mains 26-58NIS) Pizza and cheesy casseroles come bubbling out of the olive-wood oven. Busiest from 2pm to 4pm.
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SLEEPING Al-Wihdeh Hotel........................3 D1 Merryland Hotel........................4 C2 Royal Court Suites Hotel.............5 B3
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B SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Old City.....................................1 A2 Ramallah Souq...........................2 D2
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Pronto Resto-Café (x298 7312; Al-Muntazah; mains 35-60NIS) A hip little coffeehouse and trattoria is the spot for musicians, filmmakers, professionals and peacemakers. Carbonara is full of smoky bacon and garlic. Pose on the patio with a large glass of wine (10NIS to 20NIS) and watch families at play in the park. Al-Bardauni (x295 1410; Al-Muntazah; mains 3070NIS) ‘The deal’ for four includes an enormous array of salads (mezze), grilled meats and dessert for 200NIS. Aside from the Lebanese-inspired menu, the signature of this place is its covered patio seating. Zarour Bar BQ (x295 6767; Old City; mains 4070NIS) The grilled meats and salads at this local standby give the total experience of a Palestinian meal, down to dessert and a hot drink. TOP END
Almakan (x295 7676; Al-Se’a/Clock Sq; 50-85NIS) A step up in dining and ambience, tradition meets innovation for a few shekels more. Darna (x295 0590; www.darna.ps; Al-Sahel St, east of Old City; mains 50-95NIS) Ramallah’s most glamorous eatery sets out to ‘refine and redefine’ Palestinian cuisine – and delivers. The reconstructed stone house has graceful arches and sexy lighting. Find a water well near the bread oven, and there are family
COFEEHOUSES
Art Coffee Shop (Al-Se’a/Clock Sq) Card- and boardgame players are welcome; on the road between Clock Sq and Al-Masyoun. Urobian Coffee Shop (x295 7031; Rukab St; Al-Manara) Bring your sweet tooth and decide between fresh juice and pastry. This women-friendly hang-out is open on Friday. No nargileh. Stars & Bucks (x297 5674; Al-Manara) No sign of the bitter-bean green here, though the logo is strikingly familiar.
Entertainment The entertainment listing This Week in Palestine will help you navigate cultural offerings: Al-Kasaba Theater & Cinematheque (x296 5292; www.alkasaba.org; Al-Manara) A magnet for
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Length – 680km (twice the length of the Green Line; thrice the length of the Berlin Wall)
artists, musicians and film and theatre buffs; take Jerusalem St off Al-Manara, take a right on Hospital St and head along for two blocks. Khalil Sakakini Centre (x298 7374; www.saka kini.org; Al-Muntazah) Hosts art exhibitions by the locally and internationally renowned. Popular Art Center (x240 3891; www.popularart center.org; Nablus Rd, Al-Bireh) The point of origin for the music-rich Palestine International Festival of Music & Dance held in June, this houses the Palestinian Dance School and offers film screenings. Ramallah Cultural Palace (x298 4704; www.ram allahculturalpalace.org; Industrial Zone) Up a hill in the Industrial Zone is this formidable stateof-the-art performance venue with a lively calendar of events. AM Qattan Foundation (x296 0544; www.qatan foundation.org; Al-Jihad St, Al-Masyoun) Readings and competitions in poetry, short story, novel- and script-writing, journalism, and plastic art. Baladna Centre (x295 8434; Al-Nahda St) Children’s shows, concerts, films and activities entertaining to speakers of any language.
Cost – US$2–3 million per kilometre (US$1.5 to US$2 billion total)
Getting There & Around
Location – 80% within Palestinian territory
From Al-Musrara in Jerusalem take a service taxi or bus (4NIS) to the Qalandia checkpoint. From there take another shared taxi to Al-Manara (3NIS per person) – you’re there when you see the lions. Everything within the Ramallah area is 10 minutes or less by private taxi and should cost 10NIS to 20NIS. Bargain with the driver before getting in.
WALLS NOT TUMBLING Good fences make good neighbours. Unless you build them in your neighbour’s yard, say the UN and International Court of Justice. But Israel disagrees. Israel is building a wall roughly along the 1967 Green Line, the de facto border between Israel and a future independent state of Palestine, looping and scooping around Jewish settlements while also separating Palestinians from their communities, businesses, schools and crops. To the Palestinians, it looks like a land-and-water grab. They call it the ‘Apartheid Wall’ and see it as part of a continued ethnic-cleansing campaign. But Israel’s stated intention is for its ‘Security Barrier’ to be removed pending a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict. Israel says the barrier is necessary to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens (www.securityfence.mod .gov.il). It is hoped that this wall will be more effective than the one in Gaza. The only two suicide bombers emerging from Gaza up to the second intifada period entered Israel after that wall’s construction in 1994, which roughly coincides with the first Palestinian suicide bombing ever. So far it is possible for some Palestinians going to work, school or hospital to find ways to penetrate the shorter or unfinished portions of the barrier. Israel knows this. But since most suicide bombers pass through checkpoints and not open border areas, people climbing over with books or squeezing through with shopping bags are not the issue. Nevertheless, Israel reports a measurable reduction in violence against Israelis since the wall began, a relief to Israeli citizens concerned for their safety. The majority of the structure consists of fences with trenches and barbed wire or razor wire. Some consists of concrete slabs up to 8m high (the Berlin Wall was 4m high). The wall is punctuated by cameras, sensors and armed sniper towers. Some projected outcomes upon completion:
De facto annexation – 46% of West Bank (with the wall itself taking 9.5%) West Bank settlers west of wall – 355,783; approx 85% (see p287) Palestinians between wall and Green Line – 242,000 Palestinians separated from their land – 280,000; 12% of Palestinian population Area of historic Palestine for 2.3 million Palestinians to live in – 12% Palestinian homes demolished or slated for razing – 604 (see p306) Palestinian civilian deaths related to wall construction – 553 as of 2005
AROUND RAMALLAH
Land questions aside, the Palestinian economy ground to a halt with the second intifada in 2000. The wall effectively stifles the resumption of business regardless of political climate. Osama’s Pizza is just one example. Osama Mushahwar learned the art of New York–style pizza while studying in the USA. His East Jerusalem pizzeria drew long queues for 15 years until the wall went up on the Jerusalem–Ramallah Rd, locking him between two checkpoints. Sales went down 95%, so he was forced to close. Hundreds of checkpoints, roadblocks and restrictions of movement seal off economic channels. East Jerusalem, along with Bethlehem and Ramallah, account for 30% to 40% of the Palestinian economy. Without this economic engine, a future state is not viable. Proponents of the wall predict peace as a result. But the path to peace is long. In the village of Bil’in, where 60% of the farmland is to be confiscated, weekly nonviolent demonstrations have been staged by Palestinians and internationals (peace and social justice activists). Israeli armed forces have responded with blue dye from water cannons, tear gas, rubber-coated bullets resulting in injuries and one international being beaten in the head with the butt of a gun. Spans of graffiti may lighten the spirit of the wall with hopeful humour (see p59), but the pledge to resist endures: www.stopthewall.org.
When a small Christian village is known more for its beer than for its Bible stories, one might think the past is forgotten. But the townsfolk in Taybeh hold fast to their heritage, raising a glass to the place they believe Jesus stayed with his disciples in his final hours (John 11:54). The Taybeh Beer (x02-289 8868; www.taybehbeer .net) microbrewery isn’t so micro anymore; it has opened in Germany and the UK. Arrange for a brewhouse tour. This microbrewery is 15km from Ramallah, either via Birzeit or through Calandia (from the checkpoint). Either way costs 10NIS by service taxi. Beer and books go hand in hand. Birzeit University (x02-298 2153; www.birzeit.edu), named
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for its host village, is a nexus of activity when curfews, closures and roadblocks don’t prevent students from getting to school. Enrolment stands at 6300, with slightly more women than men. An international music festival and frequent public events make it a destination for all. Classes in Arabic are available for visitors staying on. Birzeit University is about 4km from Ramallah and a service taxi from Al-Manara costs 3NIS.
JERICHO x02 / pop 20,000
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The oldest continuously inhabited city on earth is also the lowest, at 260m (1200ft) below sea level. Half the fun of Jericho is the drive from Jerusalem, where the stubby green and chalky white topography gives way to smooth caramel mounds and brown velvet moonscapes. Keep an eye out for camels and Bedouin tent dwellers (who’ve been selling their tents and living in open metal boxes). The West Bank’s largest and, in ways, most contentious Jewish settlement, Ma’ale Adumim, sprawls atop the hills outside of Jerusalem. A glance at its magnitude and permanence makes it obvious why a final two-state solution with this as Palestine is so complex – especially with Israel’s plans to annex the colony. In so doing, Israel will radically re-draw the boundaries of Jerusalem to include this confiscated Palestinian land, stretching its de facto Jerusalem jurisdiction deep into the West Bank. Some say the plan is to extend ‘Greater Jerusalem’ to the Jordan River. Furthermore, the Jordan Valley along the Jordan River amounts to 28.5% of the West Bank, which Israel has no intention of relinquishing given its proximity to a national border (Jordan). Jericho is a place to warm up and slow down. The population ebbs in hot summer months and flows when rest of the West Bank shivers with rain and occasional snow. Tourists come in summer, nevertheless, to ascend the Mount of Temptation and continue on to float in the salty waters of the Dead Sea. Palestinians allowed to travel gather here or pass through on their way across the river to Jordan. The pace is conspicuously relaxed, and security is so tight since the second intifada that heads of state come here to confer. After a four-year lull, 40,000 tourists visited Jericho in 2005. As
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Hezbollah rockets fell in northern Israel in 2006, Palestinian-Israelis took cover in Jericho. But the Austrian-owned casino that was a magnet for Israelis before the intifada was closed at the time of writing. Jericho has changed hands repeatedly but is known by the biblically astute as the first city the Israelites captured after wandering 40 years in the desert. Addled by horn blasts, the walls came down with a shout (Joshua 6). After Joshua followed his divine command, the city fell to the Babylonians, then the Romans destroyed it, the Byzantines rebuilt, earthquake struck, the Crusaders took hold, then Saladin settled in. Christians celebrate Jericho as the place where John the Baptist received his own 0 0
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baptism in the Jordan River and where the temptation of Jesus took place on the mountain. Ordinarily, this gathering place to remember Jesus’ baptism is open to visitors only during the Greek Orthodox Epiphany and the third Thursday in October for Roman Catholics. Contact the Siraj Center for Holy Land Studies (x02-274 8590; www .sirajcenter.org) to find out if these exceptions are being honoured. While disparate claims are made as to the specific location of the baptism, the one most agreed upon is Qasr al-Yahud, which is located in a minefield. In March of 2006 the Israeli army rammed and pummelled the Palestinian Authority prison and security headquarters in Jericho with bulldozers, tank artillery and helicopter 1 km 0.5 miles
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guns. The US and UK prison monitors were told of the plan and left the premises for a constellation of reasons. After the ninehour siege, two guards were dead and the six wanted Palestinian prisoners were captured, including one accused of the 2001 assassination of the Israeli tourism minister, Rehavam Zeevi, who boisterously espoused the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
Sights & Activities MOUNT OF TEMPTATION & MONASTERY OF THE QURANTUL
If your heart can handle the height more than the hike, take a swingy Swiss-made cable car near the ancient city ruins, Tel es-Sultan, up to the place where Jesus resisted. The Mount of Temptation & Monastery of the Qurantul (x232
1590; www.jericho-cablecar.com; cable-car round trip US$12; h8am-5pm) mark the cave where the devil is
said to have tested Jesus, saying that after a 40-day fast, the Son of God should make a loaf of bread out of a stone (Matthew 4:1-11). The 12th-century Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Qurantul (Monastery of the Forty) clings to a cliff-side overlooking orange and banana trees in the river valley, the Dead Sea to the south, and the Jordan Mountains to the east. There’s plenty of stair-climbing at the summit if you want to see the monastery for an extra charge. The cave-church inside is only open in the morning. TEL ES-SULTAN
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To Jericho Tower al-Burge Apartments (3km); Allenby/King Hussein Bridge Border Crossing (10km); Al-Istraha Terminal (15km) To Jesus' Baptism Site (5km)
‘Old city’ means something different here. Visit Tel es-Sultan (x232 1590; admission 10NIS; h8am-5pm) on foot or look down from the cable car and see what remains of the world’s original civilisation. It looks like sand dunes and stairways because it dates back 7000 years, when planting crops and keeping livestock were innovations. They are the oldest known stairways in the world, and the layers of civilisation beneath go back another two millennia. The round tower indicates that it was fortified and defended. Legend has it that the tower withstood seven earthquakes. Biblical references to Lot and his wife also refer to earthquakes in this region. The abandoned mud dwellings you see around Jericho are not related. They were constructed in 1948 when refugees poured into the area from what is Israel today. Mud is a good building material for hot climates.
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HISHAM’S PALACE & KHIRBET NA’ARAN
ﺣﺮﺑﺔ اﻟﻤﻔﺠﺮ ח'רבת אל מפג'ר For archaeology lovers, Hisham’s Palace (Khirbet al-Mafjar; x232 1590; admission 10NIS; h8am-5pm), 5km north of Jericho, is impressive. The sprawling winter hunting retreat of Caliph Hisham Ibn Abd al-Malik must have been magnificent in the 8th century with its baths, mosaic floors and pillars. The guestroom mosaic bears the somewhat-known image of a lion biting a deer and a tree of red oranges. The aesthetic mix also includes the hint of a burgeoning Islamic architectural identity. A Byzantine synagogue near the remaining arch of an aqueduct serving Hisham’s Palace, Khirbet Na’aran has a 6th-century mosaic floor demonstrating similar decorative trends. WADI QELT & NEBI MUSA
وادي ﻗﻠﺖ ואדי קלט ﻣﻨﻄﻘﺔ اﻟﻨﺒﻲ ﻣﻮﺳﻲ קבר נבי מוסה Why drive to Hisham’s Palace when you can take a 15km hike (or camel ride) through the Wadi Qelt? The steep canyon between Jerusalem and Jericho is a naturalist’s treat. Find a waterfall and aqueduct along the way. Cave dwellings here gave way to monasteries, with the spectacular 5th-century St George’s Monastery blending into a rock face. The monastery is closed to visitors on Sunday. Don’t drink water from the springs, and beware of extreme heat in summer and flash floods in winter. Signs to the settlement of Mitzpe Yeriho will put you on the path, or contact a Bedouin guide (x052 265 0988) and consider a jeep or camel. Another side road on the way to Jericho from Jerusalem will take you south to Nebi Musa (nearing the northern edge of the Dead Sea), the tomb of Moses, as revered by Muslims. A mosque was built on the site in 1269 and expanded two centuries later. OTHER SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
A circle of dilapidated storefronts at the city centre, with colourful bouquets of household products spilling into the streets, is Jericho’s version of a shopping mall. Here you’ll find a taxi stand or be able to rent a bike on the east side of the centre from Joudi Abu Sama’an (x232 4070; per day 10NIS; h7am-10pm). But if four legs are better than two wheels, the Equestrian Centre of Palestine (x232 5007; per hr 40NIS) is on Al-Qadisiya St.
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One cannot live by bread alone, so Jericho has plenty to satisfy. The resort hotels in Jericho have fine eating outlets, and you can lunch at the top of the Mount of Temptation. Abu Raed’s Temptation Restaurant and Souvenir Center (x232 2614; Tel as-Sultan; mains US$715) Part of a retail extravaganza, including a snack shop and souvenir outlets, to suit every taste from the dada to the divine. The mostly Middle Eastern lunch buffet offers quality and variety. Green Valley Park (x232 2349; Ein es-Sultan St; mains 30-60NIS) One of a jubilant strip of shaded dining patios on this street, for eating in the local style. Specialises in grilled meats and mezze. Firas’ minimart (x232 6202; h24hr) On the west side of the city centre.
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Recent History The 19th-century pronouncement by European socialist Jews of their intent to create a Jewish state in Palestine fomented little discord, as the rate of Jewish immigration was slow. But with anti-Semitism on the rise in Europe, the Zionist project caught on. So by the time the Ottomans fell to the Brits in WWI, the mood was ripening for a showdown. Arab nationalists revolted in 1929 when the status of holy sites and other property was imperiled. Jews in Hebron were targeted and killed, so most were evacuated. The prominent feature of today’s Hebron is the striking presence of Israeli military guards and ultraorthodox Jews in the West Bank’s most conservative Muslim city and also its most peopled. Rabbi Moshe Levinger and his US-born wife began colonising the centre of town after Israel seized the West Bank in 1967. Though these moves were against Israeli law, they ultimately garnered endorsement, even after the settlement of Kiryat Arba was established nearby to draw the settlers out. As a result, the city is quartered up into zones. Each armed settler in the Old City is protected by as many as four
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During the intifada years it was well known that after a suicide bomber completed his mission, the Israeli army would identify the bomber’s home, clear out the residents and have it flattened with a bulldozer. What is less well known is that these house demolitions were happening before suicide bombings began in the ’90s, and continue unabated today. This stems from Israel’s policy of refusing to give building permits to Palestinians. As they need homes to live in, Palestinians build without permits, and it’s only a matter of time before these illegal domiciles are identified and demolished. Homes are also destroyed when an area is declared a security zone or nature preserve. According to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD; www.icahd.org), punitive demolitions only account for 5% of the 12,000 demolitions that have occurred since 1967. The other 95%, ICAHD says, were razed during military incursions or because they lacked the necessary permits. Since 1997 ICAHD has been protesting house demolitions and has worked to improve the lives of those whose homes have been levelled. In some cases ICAHD has rebuilt homes two or three times as an act of protest, realising that the military could come back and destroy them. ICAHD provides tours from its base in Jerusalem. A day trip includes a visit to the Separation Wall, the Ma’ale Adumim Jewish settlement in the West Bank, and a home that was destroyed. Contact ICAHD though the activist centre Daila (Map pp114-15; x02-624 5560; www.dailazoo.net;
If Chinese exporters think Al-Khalil (Hebron) is a country, it could be as much for the international commercial trade as the high-decibel political clamour emanating from it. Yet despite decades of tension between native Palestinian Arabs and immigrant Zionists, Hebron has flourished as a business leader among Palestinian communities. It is generally the densest population centre since many fleeing the violence of 1948 ended up staying here after losing their properties to the new Jewish state. On a former trade route to the Arabian Peninsula, Hebron is still celebrated for blown glass, hand-painted pottery, grapes, dairy products and camel meat. It’s a discount shopper’s bliss. Nevertheless, the ‘Village of the Four’ is a primary place of pilgrimage. Surrounding the collective tomb of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives, Hebron is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims.
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You can take a taxi to Abu Dis from Al-Musrara in Jerusalem or Bab iz-Qaq in Bethlehem (service taxi 7NIS). Take a service taxi to Jericho for 10NIS. Drivers take Rte 1 towards Ma’ale Adumim and follow the signs to Jericho, taking the highway to the left.
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armed soldiers stationed on rooftops and street corners, emboldening the 600 Jews there to parade in the streets chanting antiArab ditties and wielding guns. Clashes break out between settlers and soldiers regularly. As proof of the unusual radicalism of these settlers, there is a memorial tribute to Brooklyn-born physician Baruch Goldstein who, on the Jewish holiday of Purim during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in 1994, sprayed Palestinians with bullets while they prayed in the mosque. Palestinians, who the religious settlers consider foreigners in the Promised Land, wait for the final solution and occasionally strike back with violence. There are at least 17 Jewish settlements in the vicinity of Hebron, housing more than
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Jericho Tower al-Burge Apartments (x232 4896; Amman St/Al-Istraha; apt 250-350NIS) Two- and threebedroom semi-furnished no-frills apartments have washing machines, kitchenettes without cookware, and air-con by request. It’s next to the Alami farming project on Amman St, out from the city centre off Hetteen St near the Allenby Bridge parking and transfer post. It’s helpful to know a little Arabic. Jericho Resort Village (x232 1255; fax 232 2189; s/d 250/300NIS; is) This breezy bamboobedecked vacation getaway has bungalows with kitchenettes as well as standard rooms with tile floors and terraces. Jacuzzi, kids’ pool, tennis, poolside bar. Near Hisham’s Palace. Hotel Intercontinental Jericho (x231 1200; www .interconti.com; s/d US$80/90; is) With a rack rate of US$220 per night, tour operators are eager to pull past the security gate and discharge busloads into the lap of luxury for a fraction of that cost. Click your heels for a sound sensation beneath the small dome in the splendid Australian-designed foyer. Enjoy tennis, basketball, indoor squash, a
Eating
Taxis also go from the checkpoints in Ramallah and Nablus.
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gym, restaurant and bar. Scattered swimming pools (admission per adult/child, including towels and locker US$20/10) and terraced grounds are open to the public. It’s near the checkpoint letting you into Jericho.
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You might pass the Tree of Zacchaeus near the city centre. This sycamore, said to be more than 2000 years old, got its name from the story of the rich-but-short publican who climbed the tree to greet Jesus then invited the prophet to his home.
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12,000 Jews. For foreign-observer operations based here, see below.
At Ras al-Jora, blown-glass and ceramic factories are open for viewing and shopping. The blue glass is alluring. Al-Natsheh (x222 8502;
Orientation & Information
www.hebronglass.com; h8am-9pm; closed noon-2pm Fri)
The northern entrance to Hebron, which is 6km from the Ibrahimi Mosque and Old City, is called Ras al-Jora or Jerusalem Sq. Another 700m puts you at the intersection Al-Haras. Jerusalem Rd (Shari’a al-Quds) becomes Ein Sarah St at Al-Haras and goes through the Ein Sarah area to the city centre (Bab iz-Zawieh), to the Old City souq and further to the Ibrahimi Mosque. Get information on happenings in Hebron from IPYL (x02-222 9131; www.ipyl.org). A curious aspect of Ein Sarah St is the multitude of internet cafés. But if you prefer a scholarly vibe, Hebron University, Palestine Polytechnic University and Al-Quds Open University all have computer labs (with internet) for use at a cost of 4NIS per hour. The following are foreign-observer operations with offices in Hebron: Christian Peacemakers Teams (CPT; www.cpt.org) Temporary International Presence in Hebron
and Al-Salam glass factory (x222 9127) draw crowds, as does the smaller Tamimi Ceramics (x222 0358), all with similar opening hours. Continue on to the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Cave of Machpelah, where the Ibrahimi Mosque (x222 8213; admission free; h8am-4pm Sun-Thu) sits; be mindful of the separate spaces for Jews and Muslims and the strict security since the Goldstein massacre. As it is a house of worship, when entering the mosque, you will be asked to remove your shoes, and women will be handed a head covering. Like decorated tents, the mostly Mamluk-made cenotaphs commemorate the patriarchs and their wives, but it is the cave below that is said to have been bought by Abraham as the actual final resting place for his brood in the posthumous company of Adam and Eve. For Jews and Muslims, the site is second in importance only to Jerusalem’s most spiritual spot.
(TIPH; x222 4445; www.tiph.org)
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The Herod-commissioned enclosure was altered by the Byzantines in the 6th century, adding a church. A synagogue was built beside it. When the Arabs conquered the area in the following century, the church was converted to a mosque, but the synagogue remained intact. After the Crusaders had their era, the Mamluks built another mosque. The Old City’s Mamluk-styled Ottoman architecture includes a souq, but merchants have moved to an outdoor area due to violent events. Still, the open-air market is a sensual odyssey from agriculture to art.
Sleeping Hebron Tourist Hotel (x222 6760; Ein Sarah; s/d US$35/45) An airy lobby gives way to adequate rooms mixing shabby with new. Hebron Regency Hotel (x225 7390; www.hebron -regency.com; Ras al-Jora; s/d/ste US$70/90/150) It could be the on-premise Turkish bath (bath and massage US$30) and exercise room that make the dark marble lobby a little dank. At least lithographs in the overpriced rooms offer an authentic sense of place, as do the village views from higher floors.
Eating Though camel meat is available, you won’t find it on most menus, as even Khalilis find it exotic. But Hebron is the place for hardto-get homestyle meals. It’s the liquor that’s unattainable here. Drinking only happens in private. King of Falafel (x222 8726; Al-Haras; felafels 2NIS) Stuff hummus and a rainbow of salads into your sandwich and order fries on the side. King of Shawerma (x222 8831; Al-Haras; meals 10NIS) More slick but less storied than its neighbouring sandwich sovereign, this is for the nonvegetarian. Abu Mazen (x222 6168; Nimra St; mains 25-35NIS) Understandably crowded from noon to 2pm, Abu Mazen offers outstanding value. For the price you get salads with refills, warm bread, a choice of a delicious hot dish, a bottle of water, and bitter unsweetened Arabic coffee with dessert. Mensef (lamb on rice served beside a salted broth of lamb stock and dissolved dried yogurt) is usually a big-event family meal, so this could be your only chance to try it. The lamb melts in your mouth, and the yogurt-soaked yellow rice is a profusion of authentic flavours. Kidreh (a baked casserole of meat, nuts and
rice) and stuffed chicken are special, too. Find it near the Regency Hotel and AlQuds Open University. Its chief competitor is Al-Quds Restaurant at Ras al-Jora.
Getting There & Away At any time roads can be blocked and iron gates can roll shut. But the circumnavigation possible at the time of writing made it no problem for service taxi drivers at AlMusrara in Jerusalem to go the 36km to Hebron in less than an hour (15NIS). From Al-Nashash in Bethlehem it’s 24km (6NIS). Arrive and return via Bab ez-Zawieh. Get current information if driving, and don’t rely on road signs.
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The West Bank’s northern population hub is also one that has seen some of the roughest action, given the stringent resistance to Israeli occupation that simmers here. With much damage and destruction wrought since 2000, keep a careful eye on the climate for tourists. But an opportunity to go should be relished. Situated in and around a lush spring valley between Mt Gerizim (Jarzim in Arabic) and rocky Mt Ebal, Nablus became a significant exporter of olive oil, cotton, soap and carob. Best known contemporarily for its olive-oil soap factories, olive wood carving and warm chewy goat-cheese pastry (kunafeh), Nablus is layered with millennia of plunder and glory. After the tribes of Israel split 12 ways, Shechem was declared by one faction as the capital of all ancient Israel and held on through inter-tribal conflict and external threat for nearly two centuries. Today’s Tel Balata (a tel is an ancient mound created by centuries of urban rebuilding) memorialises that event. After the Assyrian conquest, forced population shifts increased the rate of intermarriage of Gentiles with the remaining Israelites of Samaria (a departure from Orthodox Jewish practice). John Hyrcanus, a Jewish leader from the south, destroyed the city of Shechem and the rival temple on Mt Gerizim. Later, the Romans obliterated what remained of Shechem and set up the ‘new city’ Neapolis (Nablus) in AD 70. Buildings are still in use that date back six centuries and earlier. Repair to these has been
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slow after air and land invasion. Curfews forbid all movement outside of buildings. The longest of these was from July to midOctober 2002, during which time the curfew was lifted for only 79 hours of provisionshopping and movement in the streets. The northern West Bank is still referred to by some Old Testament purists as Samaria, from which term ‘Samaritan’ is derived. Among the most fascinating elements of the Nablus area is the Samaritan community and their relationship to Mt Gerizim since the 2nd millennium BC. With fewer than 700 people today, including some in Tel Aviv and Jaffa, they pose no challenge to greater Jewry. But in earlier times, their racial impurity made them outcast, among Jews who did not intermarry with Gentiles. The worst insult Jesus could sling was to compare a Samaritan favourably to the Jewish elites of the day.
Sights & Activities While Samaritan secular habits are indistinguishable from those of any other Palestinian, their religious rites are tied to a belief that Mt Gerizim is not only the first piece of land ever created, but is also the land out of which Adam was made, the only place spared in the great flood, and the place Abraham went to sacrifice his son (opposing the common belief that this took place in Jerusalem). A strictly followed Moses-sanctioned ritual sacrifice commemorates this event each year when Samaritans gather on the mountain for 40 days in prayer. One seat’s is reserved in the Palestinian parliament for a Samaritan. Learn more at the Samaritan Museum (x/fax 237 0249; admission 4NIS; h8am-2pm Sun-Fri) on Mt Gerizim. An-Nasir Mosque is one of 30 mosques and provides one of the 30 minarets that point skyward from Nablus; it’s also a landmark at the corner of An-Nasir and Jamaa alKebir Sts. In the Old City of Nablus, Al-Qasaba is an Ottoman-era labyrinth of framing shops and pastry stands, spice sacks and vegetable mounds, in a snapshot of the past. Look for examples of earlier architecture from the Mamluk, Crusader and Byzantine eras as you imagine life here as far back as 4000 years. Don’t miss Touqan Castle, a privately owned Turkish mansion. Visit a soap factory like Al-Bader (Al-Nasser St) or recharge your
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senses with a bath at the oldest functioning Turkish hammam in Palestine. Built in 1624, Al-Shifa (x238 1176; hmen 8am-midnight
Mon & Wed-Sat, 3pm-midnight Tue & Sun, women 8am-5pm Tue & Sun) offers massage, a bath with camel’s-
hair brushes, and occasionally music. At the entrance to Balata, the largest UNRWA refugee camp (housing 20,000) in the West Bank, you’ll find Jacob’s Well (admission free; h8am-noon & 2pm-5pm), the spot where Christians believe a Samaritan woman offered Jesus a drink of water, and he then revealed to her that he was the Messiah (John 4:13-14). A Byzantine church destroyed in the Samaritan revolt of 529 was replaced by a Crusader church, which is undergoing restorations, overseen by a priest.
Sleeping Al-Yasmeen Hotel (x233 3555;
[email protected]; s/d US$40/50) A favourite lodging of aid workers and politicos, this puts you in the middle of it all. Al-Qasr Hotel (x238 5444;
[email protected]; s/d US$60/75) A full-service sleep is worth a commute. It’s 3km out of town.
Eating & Drinking In addition to confectionaries selling Turkish delight, halweh and syrupy pastry, Nablus is full of cafés for sipping and puffing, but the clientele is usually masculine. While a woman might be served in one of these, she could draw stares. Women and men together enjoy AlMadafa (x238 4492; Rafidia St; h9am-midnight). Selim Effendi Restaurant (x237 1332; Raharbat St, Martyrs’ Sq) serves full traditional meals. No alcohol is served in these establishments, but the eatery at Al-Yasmeen Hotel has a bar. Try the kunafeh (dessert’s answer to pizza) at Al-Aqsa, next to the An-Nasir Mosque. The warm, elastic cheese and syrupsoaked wheat shreds make kunafeh a cultural pastime and special-occasion treat.
Getting There & Away Under normal circumstances, take a service taxi/bus from Ramallah’s bus station near Al-Manara for 13/8NIS. There are seven checkpoints around Nablus, so normal is relative. The main one on the road from Ramallah is the Huwwara checkpoint, which can be closed for security reasons at any time. Find out first.
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The Dead Sea ים המלח
It’s the ultimate Israeli cliché, the picture of the swim-suited bather lying in – almost on – the water, feet up and newspaper open, like a Sunday morning in bed. But unlike a camel ride at the pyramids or wrapping a keffiyeh (chequered scarf ) around your neck, this is one Middle Eastern cliché well worth indulging in. Floating in the Dead Sea is a sensation that cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world. Beyond the obligatory float, the soothing mud bath and a soak in the sulphur, the approximately 65km-long shoreline is one of the most mythic places on earth. Believers say that Jesus Christ was baptised where the Jordan River meets the Dead Sea. It’s where the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are thought to have been located and it’s where the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest copy of biblical texts, were found in a mountain cave. But the No 1 attraction is Masada, a solitary monolith rising from the desert; the fortress in which Jews martyred themselves and their families rather than become slaves of the Romans nearly 2000 years ago. This Unesco World Heritage site is one of Israel’s most enigmatic locations and watching the sun rise over the Dead Sea from the ancient ruins at the top is an experience not to be missed. Ein Gedi’s nature reserves are perfect for beginner hikers with their refreshing pools, endangered animals and ancient sites. For adventure seekers there’s a wide range of walking trails that offer stunning coastal views and the chance to explore the spectacular canyons of the Judean Desert. HIGHLIGHTS Kalia Beaches
Feeling like you could float forever at Kalia’s uncrowded beaches (p314) in the northern Dead Sea Appreciating idyllic plunge pools after a sweaty hike through the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve (p316) Indulging in a sulfur soak and a soothing Dead Sea mud wrap at one of the many day spas (p315) Trudging joyously upward on the snake path to Masada (p320) before dawn, which leads to humbling views, incredible sunrises and a haunting history Taking on the Judean Desert (p325) – unforgiving for beginners, unforgettable for those who respect it
Judean Desert Ein Gedi Nature Reserve Day Spas Masada
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Awareness of the Dead Sea’s unique qualities goes back to at least the 4th century BC; luminaries such as Aristotle, Pliny and Galen all made mention of the sea’s physical properties. The Nabataeans also knew a good thing when they saw it and collected the bitumen from the surface of the water and sold it to the Egyptians, who used it for embalming. Records show that this industry continued well into the Roman period. Despite scientific interest and small-scale commercial activity, the sea was largely regarded as an unhealthy thing (common wisdom had it that no bird could fly over its waters) and shunned. This made the area a favoured retreat of religious ascetics and
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20 km 12 miles Allenby/King Hussein Bridge Border Crossing
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458
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449
Jericho
Almog Junction
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90
JERUSALEM
60
Qumran National Park
Bethlehem
Suweimeh
Almog
Kibbutz Kalia
New Kalia Beach Biankini & Siesta Beach
Qumran
Ein Feshkha Judean Desert (Bethlehem Wilderness)
WEST BANK
Wadi Darja Metzoke Dragot
Metzoke Dragot Junction
ὄὄ ὄὄ Mineral Beach
Ahava Factory & Outlet Store
Mineral Beach Dead
Sea
Wadi alMujib
Wadi David Ein Gedi Nature Reserve
Ein Gedi Beach Ein Gedi
t
Wadi Aru go
To Be'er Sheva (44km) Arad
Sound & Light Show
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Masada Tourist Complex
Masada Junction
Lashon Peninsula
Ein Bokek
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Neve Zohar
THE NEGEV
90
Mt Sodom
Arava Junction 25 Dead Sea To Dimona Works (15km) To Eilat (164km)
The Dead Sea
JORDAN
Evaporation Ponds Safi
Neot Hakikar
political fugitives – the future King David, King Herod, Jesus and John the Baptist all took refuge among its shoreline, mountains and caves. Because of its ‘Sea of the Devil’ tag, the area remained desolate and untouched until it was finally explored by the US Navy in 1848. Still, it wasn’t until the arrival of the British in Palestine that any real activity around the sea began. They set up two plants to tap the abundant mineral wealth and during the 1920s the Dead Sea provided half of the British Commonwealth’s potash needs. One of the plants was destroyed in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War but the other, at Sodom, is still working. The luxuries of modern roads and airconditioned vehicles make it easy to overlook the fact that the region is a barren desert with an inhospitable climate. The heat and aridity, as well as political factors – half the area is in the Palestinian-controlled West Bank – have meant that other than in Ein Bokek, the Israelis have been slow to exploit the enormous potential here for moneyspinning tourist and health facilities.
Geography Known in Hebrew as Yam HaMelah (Sea of Salt), the Dead Sea is the world’s lowest point, lying at some 400m below sea level. The sea is approximately 65km long and 18km across at its widest point, although its water level fluctuates, dropping about one metre a year. After the 1948 ArabIsraeli War only about a quarter of the Dead Sea fell to the new State of Israel, but as a result of the Six Day War, almost half of it is now under Israeli control, with the border between the West Bank and Jordan running virtually straight down the middle. The Dead Sea is fed mainly by the Jordan River, and is supplemented by smaller rivers, underground springs and floods. With no outlet, the inflow is balanced by a high rate of evaporation caused by the hot climate. The water arrives with normal mineral concentrations (mainly magnesium, sodium, calcium and potassium chlorides) but evaporation causes the levels of minerals to rise dramatically. Ten times more salty than the ocean, the Dead Sea’s salt concentration is about 30%, making it easy to sit up in and comfortably read this book (for more statistics see A Salty Tale, p315).
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Contrary to the sea’s ‘dead’ tag, 11 species of bacteria manage to survive – but no fish. Its shores are dotted with springs and oases, which provide water for 90 species of birds, 25 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 24 species of mammals, as well as more than 400 species of plants. There are two very different sections to the Dead Sea. The northern basin is over three times the size of the southern one, and at some 400m is a lot deeper. The southern basin is only about 6m deep and has a higher salt level, resulting in iceberg-like crystal formations. The Lashon (Tongue) Peninsula, which juts out from the Jordanian eastern shore, now acts to separate the two sections. At one time the lake was four or five times the size that it is today. Fluctuations in the water level were once due only to natural conditions, (mainly variations in rainfall) but the construction of Israel’s National Water Carrier System, which draws on the Jordan River, has now disturbed the natural balance. Inspired by the Israelis, the Jordanians went on to build a similar project on the Yarmuk River, and together the two neighbours deprive the Dead Sea of over 600 million cu metres of water per year (see Dead Healthy?, p323). This has all but dried up the Dead Sea’s southern basin and the sea has been shortened by over 25km in length.
there are some health precautions to consider (see p315). Finally, theft is rife in Ein Gedi; we cannot warn you enough to keep not only your eyes, but your hands on your valuables at all times.
Dangers & Annoyances
x09 774 8670;
[email protected]) On the first and third weekends of the month SPNI operates a two-day program with a focus on hiking in the Dead Sea region. The cost is US$385 per person and includes accommodation, food and entrance fees. United Tours (x03-693 3412, 02 625 2187; www .unitedtours.co.il) Does one-and two-day trips all over the country, plus city tours of Jerusalem. Also runs a daily tour of the Dead Sea region (excluding Qumran) for US$70 per person, leaving Tel Aviv at 7.15am and Jerusalem at 9am.
When you are about 417m below sea level this is no ordinary desert climate. Despite the high temperatures and around 300 cloudless days a year, the high atmospheric pressure filters the sun’s burning ultraviolet rays, making it harder to get sunburnt. Which isn’t to say it’s not possible; we met a few people with boiled lobster complexions who had wrongly presumed that their fair skins were safe without sunscreen. The hot, sticky weather can also be incredibly dehydrating, especially if you’re hiking. A hat and sunglasses are vital, as is drinking as much water as possible (about a litre an hour). Flash floods are no joke either, especially from November to March, when they can turn dry riverbeds and walking trails into fast-flowing rivers. For more climate info see p17. For those who are planning on spending heaps of time floating in the Dead Sea,
Tours A cheap, but not terribly relaxing way of sampling the Dead Sea region is to sign up for the tours you’ll see advertised in many of the hostels in Jerusalem. The tours usually leave around 3.30am, heading straight to Masada in time to climb the mountain and watch the sun rise over the desert. You get about an hour at the site before being shuttled to Ein Gedi for a float in the Dead Sea and a walk through the nature reserve. Then it’s a brief photo stop at Qumran, the site of the Dead Sea Scrolls. You arrive back in Jerusalem at about 3pm. Despite the stopwatch schedule most travellers find that they see all they want; those who want to slow down can always drop out at Ein Gedi and make their own way back later using Egged buses. The tours generally take a minimum of five people and can also be organised as a day tour, but that means you miss out on the spectacular sunrise. The cost of the general tour is about US$30 per person, excluding entry fees. Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI;
Getting There & Around Bus services in the Dead Sea region are infrequent and to avoid hanging around wilting under the sun, make sure to plan your itinerary in advance. Although you can reach the Dead Sea by direct bus from Haifa, Tel Aviv, Be’er Sheva, Arad, Dimona and Eilat, the most comprehensive service is from Jerusalem’s Egged central bus station (see p143). Buses to Eilat and Be’er Sheva go via Qumran, Ein Feshkha, Ein Gedi (No 421, 444 or 486,
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32NIS, 1¾ hours), Ein Bokek and Masada (No 444 or 486, 39NIS, 2½ hours, five daily) and there should be a bus heading from Jerusalem this way departing at least every hour or so (intermediate fares and travel times are proportionately less). Buses stop on request at all the major sites along the Dead Sea shoreline but it is important that you keep a sharp eye out for the place that you want. The Egged drivers speed along so fast that you can fly past Qumran or Ein Feshkha, for example, without realising it. Leaving Jerusalem on Saturday, no buses operate until the late afternoon.
KALIA BEACHES חוף קליה ﺳﺎﺣﻞ ﻗﺎﻟﻴﺎ x02
Only 25 minutes from Jerusalem, the northern Dead Sea is a world away from the packed tourist beach at Ein Gedi and the flashy hotels of Ein Bokek. Driving through the bombed-out remains of Jordanian homes from the 1960s and the rusty, broken slides of Atraktzia, a failed water-park venture, the row of peaceful private beaches comes as a pleasant surprise. Here you’ll find excellent facilities, and lots of space for lounging around at the lowest point on earth. After a float on New Kalia Beach (x994 2391; adult/child 25/15NIS; h8am-6pm summer, 8am5pm winter), take advantage of the free mud or
relax on the couches in the breezy café-bar shaded by grape vines. Towel rental and beach chairs are available, as are massages (Thursday to Saturday). Biankini & Siesta Beach (x940 0033; admission 30NIS; h8am-8pm) is a Moroccan paradise on the Dead Sea, and is the perfect place to sip some mint tea and while away the afternoon. Lots of greenery, a traditional Moroccan restaurant with hanging lanterns and cushioned eating area, as well as a wonderfully laid-back atmosphere, are just some of the highlights of this camp run by the ebullient Dagan Dina. Stay overnight in the Sinaistyle huts (basic wooden bungalow/shacks) by the water (80NIS for two people), or newly built rooms (600NIS). Bringing your own tent will set you back 40NIS. If you are coming by bus make sure you tell the driver you want to stop at Kalia beach, otherwise you will end up at Kibbutz Kalia. The beaches are about a 2km walk from the bus stop.
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QUMRAN
ﻗﻤﺮان
קומראן
x02
Described as ‘the most important discovery in the history of the Jewish people’, the Dead Sea Scrolls, now on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem (see p119), were discovered inside earthenware jars in a high cliffside cave at Qumran in 1947, by a Bedouin shepherd boy searching for a stray goat. Excavations at Qumran National Park (x994 2235; adult/child 18/8NIS; h8am-5pm) have revealed the settlement and caves of the Essenes, the Jewish sect that authored the scrolls, which included books of the Old Testament, the Apocrypha and the Essenes’ own texts. The Essenes were members of a breakaway Jewish sect who hid here to escape the liberalism and decadence they believed were corrupting their fellow Jews. The Essenes lived here from about 150 BC, working the land, tending their sheep and studying the Old Testament and other religious texts, until they were disbanded by Roman invaders in AD 68. The Essenes were ascetics, and as such, were into ritual bathing and purification. The ruins are not that extensive, nor terribly impressive, but from a wooden bridge you can clearly make out the aqueduct, channels and cisterns that ensured the community’s water supply. Elsewhere are the ritual baths, refectory, a council chamber, the scriptorium where the Dead Sea Scrolls were probably written, a pottery workshop with kilns and a cemetery. The caves themselves are higher up although none of those in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were found are marked. If you want to walk up make sure you arrive very early in the day and take plenty of water. Give yourself about 1½ hours for the return climb. The small museum (and its seven-minute multimedia program) next to the entrance to the national park will give you a good potted history of the site (plus temporary relief from the heat outside). There is also a café and souvenir shop at the site.
Getting There & Around Coming from Jerusalem, this is normally the first stop the bus makes after the road hits the Dead Sea shoreline. As soon as you spot the water remind the driver that you want to get off at Qumran – you’re only minutes away. Arriving from the south, Qumran is about 10km after Ein Feshkha.
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A SALTY TALE Hailed by the PR companies as the largest ‘natural spa’ in the world, the Dead Sea is a lot more powerful than the old facial, that’s for sure. Compared to regular sea water, the water of the Dead Sea contains 20 times as much bromine, 15 times as much magnesium and 10 times as much iodine – it is, in effect, 33% solid substance. Bromine, a component of many sedatives, relaxes the nerves, magnesium counteracts skin allergies and clears the bronchial passages, while iodine has a beneficial effect on certain glandular functions – or so it’s claimed, especially by local health spa owners and the various Dead Sea cosmetic companies. If this was not enough, the Dead Sea’s extremely dry air has 10% more oxygen than at sea level. Combine this with high temperatures, low altitude and relative lack of pollution, and it all works to increase the body’s metabolic rate for an alleged bracing effect. However, the misty haze of evaporating water over the Dead Sea contains large amounts of bromine, which supposedly also soothes you. Make the most of these therapeutic properties by indulging at one of the many Dead Sea health spas. Each spa has an indoor Dead Sea water pool (or beach access), thermo-mineral pools, Jacuzzi, dry sauna and steam baths, fitness facilities and a variety of treatments, such as mud wraps, massages and traditional treatments from the Middle East. Check out Mineral Beach (p316), Ein Gedi Spa (p319) or the luxury hotels in Ein Bokek (p324). Health tourism is also on the rise and many hotels offer extended-stay health packages for everything from psoriasis to arthritis. Ahava (see p320), DSD and Jericho are the big names in Dead Sea cosmetics and are available throughout the country. The Dead Sea might have some fantastic healing powers but tell that to the person who dives face first into the murky green water. If this happens head straight to the freshwater showers (if you can actually see!). Wade in to the sea with any exposed cuts or grazes and you will gain instant enlightenment as to the meaning behind the phrase ‘to rub salt into one’s wounds’. We guarantee that you are going to discover scratches and sores that you never knew you had. Don’t shave the morning you go swimming and if you have a pair of waterproof sandals, they will protect you from cutting your feet on the jagged salt.
From the bus stop the site is just a 200m walk up the signposted approach road.
EIN FESHKHA x02
עין פשח'ה ﻋﻴﻦ ﻓﺸﺤﻪ
Ein Feshkha’s pretty freshwater springs were a favourite holiday spot for King Hussein of Jordan during the 1950s and early ’60s, but today the site is falling into disrepair. Also known as Einot Tzukim (Spring of Cliffs), this area is unique in having freshwater pools adjacent to the highly saline Dead Sea. Often made to sound more attractive than it actually looks, Ein Feshkha (x994 2355; admission 23NIS; h8am-5pm) is an area of salt-encrusted reeds and grass, with several small pools of spring water, leading down to the shore which, due to the effects of a rapidly drying Dead Sea (see Dead Healthy?, p323), is moving further and further away. Note the sign on dry land that says ‘The sea was here in 1967’! The pools tend to become quite murky by the middle of the day and become crowded pretty
quickly. Popular with large groups of young men, women may not feel that comfortable swimming solo.
METZOKE DRAGOT מצוקי דרגות )ﻣﺘﺴﻮﻗﻲ درﺟﻮت )درﺟﺔ x02
A narrow twisting road (with vistas so spectacular they make safe driving difficult) leads up to one of the most magnificent spots along the Dead Sea coast. Perched right on the edge of a cliff is Metzoke Dragot (x994 4777; www.metzoke.co.il in Hebrew; camp sites per person 70NIS, dm/s/d, with breakfast 85/280/400NIS; a), a centre for desert tourism. The rooms
are nicely set up with bedside lamps, fridge and coffee-making facilities, and the delicious breakfasts feature shakshuka (a Moroccan dish of eggs poached in tangy stewed tomatoes) served hot in the pan and with fresh juice. Dinner is available (65NIS) and there needs to be a minimum of four people to take a dorm room. At the reception, the stone deck filled with colourful
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lounges and cushions takes advantage of the amazing views and is a nice place to crash with a drink after a day of walking. Unfortunately all of the centre’s activities, such as jeep tours and abseiling, are for groups only these days. But this is still an excellent base for hiking or climbing Wadi Darja with its soaring cliffs and ravines. The centre has a lot of information about different walks, but this area is really for serious hikers only. The Metzoke Dragot turn-off along Rte 90 is about 18km north of Ein Gedi, and is well marked – it’s next to a military checkpoint. There are no buses from the turn-off up to the centre (and no taxis; it’s a difficult 5km-long walk up a very steep hill). In the same area, but south along the coast road a couple of kilometres (there’s a bus stop but you need to ask the driver to let you off), you can find the health spa Mineral Beach (x994 4888; www.dead-sea .co.il; admission 35NIS; h9am-5pm Sun-Thu, 9am-6pm Fri & Sat). Run by the Mitzpe Shalem Kib-
butz, Mineral Beach has pools, mud- and sulphur-baths.
EIN GEDI x08 / pop 650
ﻋﻴﻦ ﻏﺪي
עין גדי
One of the country’s most attractive oases, Ein Gedi (Spring of the Kid) is a lush area of freshwater springs, waterfalls, pools and tropical vegetation nestled in the arid desert landscape of the lowest place on earth. It’s a haven for desert wildlife, which hangs in there despite the terrifyingly raucous coach-loads of kids that rampage through the reserves on an almost daily basis. Still, the animals have had a while to get used to human intrusions – archaeologists reckon this area was first settled during the Chalcolithic Age (3000 BC) when tribes just out of the Stone Age worshipped the moon at a temple here. The encounter between David and Saul at Ein Gedi is described in Samuel 1:24, and the place crops up again in Solomon’s ‘Song of Songs’ (1:14). Human habitation continued at Ein Gedi until the Byzantine period when it stopped, resuming only in 1949 with the establishment of an Israeli military presence. Apart from the odd machine gun–fitted jeep, today that military presence is low-key and instead Ein Gedi is now a decidedly high-profile, coach party–guzzling tourist attraction.
Orientation & Information Ein Gedi includes the most (undeservedly) popular beach on the Dead Sea, the Ein Gedi Spa, a youth hostel, a SPNI field school, the Pundak Ein Gedi restaurant, a kibbutz guesthouse (which has an ATM in the reception) and a petrol station. Ein Gedi is spread over 4km and is served by four bus stops, so it’s important to get off the bus at the right place to avoid a long, hot walk or wait. The nature reserves, youth hostel and field school are to the north, on the western side of the road. At the next stop, 1.5km further south, are the bathing beach, the restaurant at Pundak Ein Gedi and the petrol station. A kilometre further along is a stop for Kibbutz Ein Gedi, while another 1.5 to 2km to the south is the Ein Gedi Spa.
Sights & Activities SPNI FIELD SCHOOL
Israel’s first SPNI Field School (x658 4288; ngedi@ spni.org.il; h8am-3pm) is the place to come for information on hiking in the region. There’s also a small museum of local flora and fauna, and a sound-and-light show (5NIS) about the Judean Desert, which, despite what you might imagine, takes place in an auditorium, not outside. The SPNI centre is a steep climb up the hill above the youth hostel; see also p319. EIN GEDI NATURE RESERVE
This is the place most people associate with Ein Gedi – a pretty canyon in the desert near the Dead Sea, with lots of trees, plants, flowers, animals and cascading streams of water. Compared with some of the country’s other great natural beauty spots, it may seem a little tame, as it’s signposted and well trodden. However, if you can get here early in the morning when it opens (beating both the masses and the heat) it’s like a little Garden of Eden. The hikes in the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve (x658 4285; adult/child 23/12NIS; h8am-4pm winter, 8am-5pm summer) are not particularly difficult
or strenuous in themselves but you do need to bring along plenty of water to combat the heat. The reserve offers hikers opportunities to cool off in its plunge pools, too, but bring swimwear (come wearing it, there’s nowhere to change) and towels. The ticket offices can provide you with a
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free map, which includes a series of hikes in the area. Definitely pick one up before you set off. Note that there are two ticket offices or entrances to the reserve and its trails. The Wadi David entrance (Nahal David; h8am-3pm winter, 9am-3pm summer) is beyond the car park at the end of the road leading from the bus stop. The road off to the right goes up to the youth hostel and the field study centre. The Wadi Arugot entrance (Nahal Arugot; h8am2pm winter, 9am-2pm summer) is a good 4km inland from Rte 90, which is to the left and behind the car park. Food is not allowed in the reserve so you should ensure you eat well before you attempt any lengthy trekking.
Wadi David Hikes
Once inside the Wadi David entrance, follow the signs to David’s Waterfall (Nahal David), the reserve’s biggest attraction for most visitors, which is about a 40-minute walk up past a series of pools and waterfalls. Some sections of the path are steep, but there are steps and railings in place in the rock. From here, follow the path around to head back towards the Dead Sea and pass another path leading up the slope. Climb up an extra 20 minutes to reach the Ein Shulamit Cave at the top of the cliff. Just beyond the place where water bubbles out of the ground, the path splits. For a longer walk, take the path to the right that leads to Dodim Cave (Lovers’ Cave), just above the waterfall in a lovely setting. Give yourself about 40 minutes to make the side trip there and back. The steep main path to the left leads up to the fenced-in ruins of the Chalcolithic temple, which, judging from artefacts discovered here, was most likely dedicated to the worship of the moon. Continuing down the slope, signs point to the Ein Gedi Spring, reached after about 25 minutes. Find your way through the trees and reeds to join another path where there’s a choice of going left to return to the main entrance, or going right to Tel Goren, the remains of the first Israelite settlement here (dating from the late-7th century BC). Beyond Tel Goren are the ruins of an ancient synagogue (see National Antiquities Park, p318) with an interesting mosaic floor. Continue down to the road and either turn right to reach the entry to the magnificent deep canyon of Wadi Arugot or turn left to reach the main road, a 15-minute walk. From here it’s a 10-minute walk northwards along the main road to return to the Nahal David bus stop and the turn-off to the main entrance. Note that you are not allowed to start the climb up to Ein Gedi Spring and Dodim Cave after 2.30pm.
ὄὄὄὄ ὄὄὄὄ ὄὄὄὄ ὄὄὄὄ ὄὄὄὄ 0 0
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500 m 0.3 miles
To Ahava Factory & Outlet Store (10km); Qumran (33km); Jerusalem (80km)
Dry
Can
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Dodim Cave
To Window Waterfall
90
David's Waterfall
Wa
di
SPNI Field School
Da
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Wadi David
Ein Shulamit Cave
Chalcolithic Temple
Ein Gedi Ein Gedi Nature Youth Hostel Reserve Wadi David Entrance Ein Gedi Spring
Nahal David Bus Stop
Wadi Arugot
National Antiquities Park
Pundak Ein Gedi Bus Stop Ein Gedi Beach
Tel Goren
Wadi Arugot Entrance
Dry Canyon Hike
To Hidden Waterfall & Upper Pools
Kibbutz Ein Gedi
Dead Sea
90
To Ein Gedi Spa (3km); Masada (20km); Eilat (225km)
Ein Gedi
Bus Stop
This beautiful four- to six-hour hike takes you to less-visited parts of the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve. It involves straightforward walking over slightly rough ground, a few steep slopes and some scrambling over rocks here and there. Regular sports shoes are suitable footwear – sandals are not. It can be muddy underfoot in places, especially in winter, and you can also end
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up getting your feet wet wading through shallow water. Flash floods are a danger in the winter months (November to March); it may not be raining at Ein Gedi but downpours in the hills further west can result in rushes of water through the canyons – make sure that you keep an ear out for the sound of rushing water and that you are ready to climb to higher ground. Don’t start the hike later than noon during summer and winter. The hike starts at the end of the road leading up past the field study centre. Follow the black-on-white painted trail markers past the reconstructed agricultural terraces. After 500m the trail reaches an intersection; go straight ahead, now following red painted markers. As you climb the small cliff, you can look down to the lush greenery between the David’s and Window Waterfalls. The trail leads down to the dry canyon through a small gully. Take the left path down to Nahal David, with the springs a little further along. The canyon gets deeper and narrower and stakes have been provided to help you get past the waterfall. The canyon ends at the picturesque Window Waterfall, which overlooks Nahal David. Come back to the stakes to climb the small ravine to the south. After 100m you come to a trail running parallel to the dry canyon. Turn left on this green marked trail, taking a right up the small hill. From the top you look down upon Ein Gedi and the Chalcolithic temple. Follow the trail on your right down to the temple. About 250m to the right is the Ein Gedi Spring. You may well see hyraxes (dassies) here. From the spring, you can choose to either return to Nahal David via the upper part of the reserve and/or the Ein Shulamit Cave, or continue down through Tel Goren and past the ancient synagogue (see National Antiquities Park, right). To reach the upper part of Nahal David, take the wide path north from the spring, passing underneath the ledge of the Chalcolithic temple. After 350m you intersect with the trail; continue straight down the southern bank and come to Nahal David Spring, with the Window Waterfall’s overhang nearby. Take the path to the right across the stream until you reach a large boulder at the top of David’s Waterfall. You can climb down the ladder to reach Ein Shulamit Cave.
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To return to Nahal David, follow the path to your left and head down through Ein Shulamit Cave. The path eventually reaches David’s Waterfall. Follow the path from here to reach the main entrance and car park. To continue south, return to the Ein Gedi Spring and pass through a tunnel created by overhanging reeds. Note the ruins of a Crusader flour mill here. Follow the yellow marked trail, heading southeast, and crossing a dirt road. Take a right on the next dirt road you come to, and exit through the gate. To your left is a war memorial. The adjacent ruins are Tel Goren. Follow the dirt road till it intersects with a paved road. Turn left and pass by Tel Goren and the former field study centre and kibbutz buildings. At the next intersection, turn left, and go through the gate. After about 100m the road curves to the left. Head down to the right for another 100m and cross the fence to reach the ancient synagogue. Return to the paved road to make your way down to the main road, where you finish the hike about 3km south from where you started. Wadi Arugot Hike
From the Wadi Arugot entrance there is a larger area for walkers with more time and energy. Hikers can head up to the lovely Hidden Waterfall (two hours return). Another 30-minute hike beyond the Hidden Waterfall leads you to the Upper Pools. It is possible to make a loop by hiking up to the plateau on the northern side from the Hidden Waterfall and exiting the reserve via Nahal David. However, this is a difficult and long trek (five to six hours), you will need at least five litres of water per person and you must advise the reserve office before you leave. National Antiquities Park
The grandiloquent-sounding National Antiquities Park (adult with/without reserve admission 26/12NIS, child 124/6NIS; h8am-4pm) describes an essentially small archaeological attraction featuring only one historic find: possibly the oldest synagogue discovered in Israel. Dating from the 3rd century AD the original synagogue was a trapezoid building paved with a black-and-white mosaic floor containing a moveable Torah Ark. The northern wall faced Jerusalem. The excavated remains that you see today date from the middle of the 5th century AD, and are
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fairly well preserved, particularly the mosaic floor in the prayer hall. EIN GEDI BEACH
The popular but unpleasantly stony public beach (bring beach footwear) fulfils the bare requirements of those after a float in the Dead Sea in that it has changing areas, large plastic shade umbrellas, toilets and showers (8NIS). It also has a 24-hour snack bar and restaurant (see right), and is adjacent to a bus stop. What this beach lacks is the slightest hint of aesthetic appeal. Never mind, just keep your eyes shut while you float – although on second thoughts, better not; theft on the beach is rife. EIN GEDI BOTANICAL GARDEN
For an impressive example of ‘making the desert bloom’ stop in at the botanical garden at Kibbutz Ein Gedi. There’s more than 900 plants – from strange biblical species, such as frankincense and myrrh, to ornamental palms and unusual tropical trees. There’s also a cactus garden. Night tours (x658 4444; admission 24NIS; h8pm Tue & Thu) of the botanical garden are free for guests of the kibbutz. EIN GEDI SPA
After a float the next best thing is to roll around in some black Dead Sea mud, which is rich in minerals and feels great on the skin. A popular place to swim and then get covered is at the Ein Gedi Spa (x659 4813; adult/student Sun-
Fri 60/48NIS, Sat 65/62NIS; h8am-6pm summer, 8am-5pm winter). Beach-goers are shuttled to and from
the private beach and mud area by a little train, now that the shoreline of the Dead Sea has receded so much in recent years. At the spa it’s also possible to soak in the hot sulphuric water from nearby mineral springs or relax by the freshwater pool. There’s a range of natural cosmetic and massage treatments available – but book ahead. The complex belongs to the adjacent Kibbutz Ein Gedi (see right); guests have free use of the facilities.
Sleeping Ein Gedi Youth Hostel (Beit Sarah; x658 4165;
[email protected]; dm/s/d, with breakfast 97/250/280NIS; a) The sensational setting and clean, con-
temporary rooms means this hostel is madly popular with everyone from 14 year olds on school camp to elderly religious women taking R and R at the sulphur pools. If you
are adverse to Israeli folk songs until 2am or snoring, incontinent seniors keeping you up all night, then check out the newly renovated ‘guest house’ area, which has rooms with private balconies and great views. Dinner is 45NIS. Ask at the reception about the 15% discount for admission to the the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve and Ein Gedi Spa. The hostel is uphill and 250m from the bus stop. SPNI Field School (x658 4288;
[email protected]; dm/ s 75/130NIS, d 250-395NIS, with breakfast; a) Perched on the hill side above Beit Sarah amid wandering ibex, this place enjoys great views over the Dead Sea and of the Ein Gedi waterfalls. Rooms are not as swish as at the youth hostel, but it’s an excellent launching point for early hikes. Stay a few days and watch the magical light and changing scene over the sea. Dinner is an extra 38NIS to 45NIS. Kibbutz Ein Gedi (x659 4222; www.ein-gedi.co.il;
s US$125-150, d US$156-210, with breakfast; asi)
Surrounded by tree-filled gardens and only a skip and a hop to the Dead Sea (slightly more to the spa and hot springs, see left), this is one of the most popular kibbutzim in the country. Efficiently managed by superfriendly staff, it offers a host of activities, such as nightly entertainment (belly dancing is a favourite), guided walks, yoga classes and a wellness centre. There are a range of rooms but they are all a step up from standard motel-like kibbutz accommodation; the recently renovated Desert Rooms have painted murals and homemade furniture. Unfortunately there are very few rooms with views. A meat buffet dinner is 80NIS. If you’re on the cheap, ask about the self-catering ‘country lodgings’ (d 360NIS).
Eating There are very few eating options in Ein Gedi, a bit of a problem if you arrive late and miss dinner. The beach snack bar (h24hr) serves pre-packaged sandwiches, and beers (and they will card you!). At lunch you can try the blessedly airconditioned Pundak Ein Gedi (x659 4761; mains 39NIS; h10am-6pm), a self-service cafeteria next to the petrol station. Pundak offers uninspiring meat dishes, but has colourful salad-bar options, which are fresh and tasty. The café-bar at the reception of the Kibbutz Ein Gedi guesthouse has outdoor seating and is open late. Otherwise, if you plan ahead or are in the area for a few days try At
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Home with Chaya (x052 832 5495; hdinner) for delicious home-cooking in a private house on the Ein Gedi Kibbutz.
Shopping Ahava Factory & Outlet Store (x994 5117; Kibbutz Mitzpe Shalem; h8am-6pm Sun-Thu, 8am-4pm Fri, 8.30am-6pm Sat) Want to enjoy the benefits of
factory for great bargains on its excellent skin- and hair-care range that is based on Dead Sea minerals. It’s approximately 10km north of Ein Gedi.
6ﻣﺼﺎد
MASADA
מצדה
x08
Masada, a desert mesa rising high above the Dead Sea, figures prominently in the Israeli
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psyche. Shorthand for describing a kind of ‘they’ll never take us alive’ attitude, the term ‘Masada complex’ is part of modern-day Israeli parlance. The story of the siege that took place here has been adopted as a symbol for the modern Jewish state. Israeli school children visit the site as part of their curriculum and some Israel Defence Forces (IDF) units hold their swearing-in ceremonies here,
replete with the oath that ‘Masada shall not fall again’. For travellers Masada is an absolute must-see. Set amid spectacular scenery, the site exudes a haunting ambience (especially before dawn) that is unforgettable.
History A freestanding, sheer-sided plateau high above the Dead Sea, Masada (in Hebrew,
MASADA COMPLEX 1 Snake Path Gate The stone slab floor, wall
benches, guardroom and white plaster wall made to resemble marble, are typical of Masada’s gates. 2 Eastern Wall This section of the Herodian wall allows you to see how it was designed, with an outer and inner wall connected by partitions and the occasional tower. Herod’s layout was, befitting a king, rather spacious, and the Zealots also built partitions to create more living quarters for themselves. 3 Byzantine Dwelling Cave Monks built this living space in an existing crater, believed to have been a quarry for plastering material. 4 Southeastern Wall In this section of the wall, there’s a tower with a little room built on to it. Inside, a small niche bears what might be a Roman inscription. 5 Royal Family Residence One of a few examples of the luxurious residential villas built for Herod. Designed around a courtyard, it had a wide roofed hall at the southern end, separated by two pillars. Frescoes cover the walls of the three rooms here. Again, the Zealots divided up the big rooms to accommodate their large numbers. 6 Southern Wall There’s a lookout tower here, with what was probably a bakery added by the Zealots. The Zealots were strictly religious and built ritual baths for themselves. The bath here has a dressing room next to it (note the narrow niches for clothes). The southern gate led to cisterns and caves outside the wall. 7 Water Cistern This is an example of Herod’s clever water supply system that was necessary to allow such a community to live in comfort in this barren location. There are another 12 cisterns up here, on the western slope. 8 Southern Citadel This defended Masada at its weakest spot. 9 Southern Villa An unfinished Herodian structure, the Zealots built more living quarters around it. One of the rooms has been restored to the state it was in when excavated, with pots left beside the kitchen hearth. A long hall with benches was built on to the north by the Zealots and may have been used as a study hall.
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10 Building No 11 The Zealots dug water reservoirs
out of this Herodian villa’s floor. 11 Swimming Pool This is a good example of the luxury Herod thought he could not do without. 12 Western Palace The largest building on Masada, covering over 4000 sq metres, this was both the main administration centre and the king’s ceremonial palace. The western wing had storerooms and a kitchen, with an underground system of cisterns. The northern wing, built around a courtyard, had servants’ quarters, storerooms and workshops. The southern wing was for royalty, with waiting rooms, a throne room, bed chambers and a bathhouse. Masada
13 Tanner’s Tower This is believed to have been
where the Zealots treated hides, with basins built into the walls to store the liquids needed for the job. 14 Western Stairs & Gate This is where you enter if coming from the Arad road, via the Roman Ramp. From this side of the mountain you look west to Wadi Masada. Turn left to pass through the Western Gate and the wall that surrounds the whole site. The gate you see today is Byzantine. The Herodian gate and the gate the Romans breached are to the north. 15 Byzantine Church Dating back to the 5th century, this church consisted of a hall and three rooms. It had a tiled roof, glass windows and a mosaic floor. 16 Tower Byzantine monks constructed the wall around this tower, which was built out of sandstone. 17 Scroll Casemate Archaeologists found several items of value left by the Zealots here, including scrolls, silver coins, a prayer shawl, weapons and sandals. 18 Synagogue This is the oldest synagogue found anywhere in the world, and the only one dating from the time of the Temple in Jerusalem. Pillars supported the roof, and you can see the base of the wall that divided the large hall. 19 Northern Palace Lookout Affords spectacular views north to Ein Gedi and the various wadis making their way to the Dead Sea. Herod’s Northern Palace is just below on the lower slopes of the mountain. 20 Administration Building The Zealots built a ritual bath in this Herodian courtyard. Following strict Judaic law, rainwater was collected in the southern pool until it reached a certain level. It then trickled through a slit into another pool, and could be used for the ritual immersion. The Zealots washed in the smaller pool to the west before taking the ritual bath. 21 Water Gate With another great view to the north, this gate also featured a stone floor and benches around the walls for people to sit on while waiting. The walls were covered with white plaster to imitate marble. 22 Herod’s Northern Palace Spectacularly built on three separate terraces on the northern slopes of the mountain, this was the king’s private villa. The lower
terrace featured a courtyard, bordered by a double row of columns. Frescoes covered the walls to imitate marble, and the floor of the small bathroom was heated. Evidence of the Zealots’ fate was found here: archaeologists dug up the skeletons of a man, a woman and a child, and the plaited scalp of another woman, along with a prayer shawl, arrows and armour. The middle and upper terraces were Herod’s private quarters. The upper terrace had black-and-white geometrically designed mosaic floors. Fragments of the wall and ceiling frescoes can still be seen. Restoration of the palace is currently underway with all the Roman frescoes from the lower part of the palace – the part most susceptible to wind and rain – removed at the time of research. 23 Bathhouse Herod’s luxurious bathroom boasted pillars, a black-and-red mosaic floor, a dressing room with frescoes on the walls and ceiling and a black-andwhite tiled floor, a lukewarm room with a pink-andblack tiled floor and more frescoes, and a cold room with just a pool. The largest of the rooms was the hot room, which had a suspended floor making it possible to heat the room by blowing hot air from the furnace outside under the floor and through clay pipes along the walls. 24 Storehouses This is where a year’s worth of supplies were kept. Archaeologists found hundreds of storage jars that once contained large quantities of oil, wine and grains. 25 Snake Path Lookout Look down to see the Snake Path, and across to the Dead Sea to the point where it is now split in two. 26 Villa A residential villa at the time of Herod, it boasted a courtyard, pillars and spacious rooms. The Zealots later divided up the rooms to house themselves. 27 Quarry Some of the stone used in Masada’s construction came from here. 28 Officers’ Family Quarters Three separate living quarters lead off a central courtyard. Again, the Zealots built more rooms within the existing setup. Valuable remains were found here, including silver coins, indicating that probably the wealthier Zealots lived here.
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Dead Sea mud at home? Drop by the Ahava
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Metzuda, meaning ‘stronghold’) was fortified sometime between 103 and 76 BC before passing into the hands of Herod the Great in 43 BC. He saw the fortress as a potential refuge in the event of either a Jewish revolt or trouble from Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Herod beefed up the defences with a casemate wall and towers, and added barracks, arsenals and storehouses. To make sure any enforced retreat would not be suffered in discomfort he added two luxurious palaces complete with swimming pools. After all that work, Herod died of natural causes in 4 BC without needing to use his desert hideaway. In AD 66 the Jews rose up against the Romans in what’s known as the First Revolt. A group called the Zealots captured the lightly guarded Masada, which became a sanctuary for fleeing Jews. After four years the uprising was finally suppressed and the Romans then turned their attention to the mountain-top stronghold. The sole account of what happened next comes from the chronicles of Flavius Josephus, a 1st-century historian who was not a man to let the truth stand in the way of a good story. Josephus writes that under the command of Flavius Silva the Romans set up 8000 men in eight camps around the base of the mountain and, using Jewish slave labour, began building an enormous earthen ramp up to the fortress walls. Inside the walls, the defenders of Masada numbered 967 men, women and children with enough food and water to last them for months. Once the ramp was complete, the Romans brought up their siege engines and prepared to breach the fortress. It’s at this point that the Zealots, according to Josephus, began to set fire to their homes and all their possessions to prevent them falling into Roman hands. With that done, 10 men were chosen by lots and given the task of killing all of the others. Nine of the 10 were then executed by their companion before he finally despatched himself. When the Romans broke through they found alive just two women and five children, who had survived by hiding. The mass suicide of Masada marked the end of the Jewish presence in Palestine. Byzantine monks occupied the site during the 4th and 5th centuries, after which Masada faded into legend. It was rediscovered in the early 19th century: in 1838
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it was seen from Ein Gedi and correctly identified, and in 1842 it was climbed. It wasn’t, however, until 1963 that a major investigation was undertaken during which the site was excavated, preserved and partially rebuilt.
Information Once a dusty outpost, Masada is now guarded by a massive tourist complex (x658
4207/8;
[email protected]; h8am-4pm Apr-Sep, 8am5pm Oct-Mar), which has a theatre that shows
a short introductory video on the history of the site, an impressive model of the site and coming soon, a small archaeological museum of discovered artefacts. There’s a souvenir store that sells snacks, and a lovely outdoor juice bar. Just in case you thought a Unesco World Heritage citation would maintain a pristine environment there’s talk of a McDonalds also moving in (presumably sans golden arches). Top up with water before you start out, even though there is drinking water available on the summit. The heat really does get going by about 10am, so the earlier you set off, the better. The sunrise over Jordan and the Dead Sea is very special, so it’s well worth setting your alarm so that you’re in time to view it from the summit.
Sights SUMMIT RUINS
Depending on the level of your interest in archaeology, you could be up here for hours. The summit ruins are accessible on foot via the steep and sinuous Snake Path (adult/child 23/12NIS), which takes about 50 minutes to walk up, and 30 minutes back down. The Snake Path opens one hour before sunrise, and during summer (April to October) closes at around 10am because of the harsh conditions. Considerably more popular is the cable car (adult one way/return 45/61NIS, child one way/return 22/34NIS; h 8am-4pm), which takes about three minutes and runs every half hour. On the western side of the mountain, the easier Roman Ramp is only accessible by the road from Arad. It opens 45 minutes before sunrise and takes about 15 minutes to climb. Hand-held audio guides are available in 6 languages for 15NIS. A very good map is available at the tourist complex but it’s perhaps not necessary as all the excavations are well labelled in English.
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DEAD HEALTHY? Water diversion for agriculture, mineral extraction, tourism and wildlife all compete for the Dead Sea’s limited natural resources. Because the Dead Sea crosses international borders, this competition takes place not only between the different sectors but also between the different countries. This unregulated competition has led to the ‘Tragedy of the Commons’ – the over-exploitation of a shared resource. The near drying up of the lower Jordan River that used to flow into the Dead Sea, the 1500 sinkholes that have opened up around its shores and the loss of wildlife are the result of these competing policies. However, the tragedy can be reversed and the sea saved through regional cooperation. EcoPeace/Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME), a unique Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli environmental organisation, has launched a campaign to ‘Save the Dead Sea’. FoEME, with the help of leading experts from the region, has developed a concept document for the Unesco World Heritage listing of the Dead Sea. Though the Dead Sea is yet to be registered with Unesco, decision makers are having to respond, especially to the consequences of the falling sea level. Two options are presently being discussed: either allow the natural source of water, the Jordan River, to flow again (at least partially) and rehabilitate the Jordan River and Dead Sea at the same time, or pump in marine water from the Gulf of Aqaba and use the drop in elevation to produce energy/desalinate water. Both options have their supporters, but clearly environmentalists favour the first mentioned solution. The River Jordan, holy to half of humanity, cannot be allowed to run dry. Dealing with the water problems of the region, fair and sustainable allocations between peoples and nature will result in both the rehabilitation of the Jordan River and stabilisation of the Dead Sea. Saving the Dead Sea by working out the details over water can only assist in advancing peace in the Middle East. For more information on the ‘Save the Dead Sea’ campaign visit www.foeme.org. For details on other water-management initiatives see p75. Gidon Bromberg is the Israeli Director of EcoPeace/Friends of the Earth Middle East
The lines of black paint you’ll see indicate which parts are the original remains and which parts are reconstructed. For details, see Masada Complex, p320. SOUND & LIGHT SHOW
For a dramatic recount of the history of Masada, check out the 40-minute sound-andlight show (bookings x08-995 9333; admission 41NIS; h9pm Tue & Thu Apr-Aug, 8pm Sep-Oct), staged in a specially built open-air theatre on the Arad side of the mountain. Booking is possible through the tourist information office in Arad (p328), from where you can also pick up round-trip transportation. The performance is in Hebrew but you can rent earphones for simultaneous translation into English, French, German or Spanish. Refreshments are available at the site. Note that there’s no connecting road from the sound-and-light performance area with the main highway along the shore of the Dead Sea (Rte 90). If you are coming from Arad, driving time to the sound-andlight show is about 30 minutes (see right).
Sleeping Isaac H Taylor Hostel (x658 4349; dm/s/d , with breakfast US$25/48/66.50; as) What was once a hostel
so utterly depressing you couldn’t wait to get out at 3am and rush up the mountain, is now one of the finest in the country. Extensive renovations have created a luxury hotel-style reception with floor-to-ceiling windows and a fabulous balcony overlooking the Dead Sea. Downstairs the spacious dorm rooms have huge TV, kettle and excellent bathrooms, but best of all, they lack the all-too-sterile feeling of other HI places. Landscaped gardens and courtyards lead to the swimming pool (open on weekends) built into the mountain, and the basketball court. Dinner is US$12 and guests get a 25% discount on the cable-car entry fee to Masada. Sleeping out on top of Masada is not permitted, but the hostel does have some tent-pitching space.
Getting There & Away You can approach Masada from either the Dead Sea (for the youth hostel, tourist
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complex and summit access) or Arad (for the sound-and-light show only). For the former, there are bus services from Jerusalem (No 444 or 486, 39NIS, 2½ hours, five daily), and from Eilat (55NIS, four hours, four daily). To access the sound-and-light show take road 3199 from the back of Arad (see p328); from Arad it’s about a 30-minute drive to Masada.
ﻋﻴﻦ ﺑﻮﻗﻴﻖ
עין בוקק
An unappealing gated community of fivestar hotels and private beaches with the revolving arches of a McDonald’s franchise as a centrepiece, it’s difficult to get excited about the package-tourist ghetto of Ein Bokek. It’s even harder when you find out that the shallow water in front of the hotels isn’t actually the Dead Sea, which dried up here in the 1980s. It is a reservoir maintained by Dead Sea Works, a company that pumps water from the northern to the southern part of the lake, where it is evaporated to extract minerals such as potash and bromide – a process hastening the sea’s demise (see Dead Healthy?, p323).
Sleeping There’s no budget (or even midrange) accommodation in Ein Bokek, but if you want a splurge, you’re in for a night of pure luxury, with gorgeous swimming pools, state-ofthe-art spas and a buffet bonanza as given features of the top hotels. All the big chains including Caesar, Crowne Plaza and Sheraton have hotels here – for huge savings check the discount travel websites before you arrive. Le Meridian Dead Sea Resort (x659 1234; res
[email protected]; half-board s/d US$145/ 170; asi) This rates as one of the best
places to stay in the world, and without a doubt it offers the greatest value on the Dead Sea. The most sumptuous of the many hotels in Ein Bokek, it is set on 12 landscaped acres with no less than three swimming pools, a private beach and more marble than an Italian sarcophagus. Some of the plush, modern rooms have private balconies, and they all face the water. An on-site medical centre offers everything from post-op care to acupuncture, while the Mineralia Spa has 21 treatment rooms for massages, Dead Sea salt scrubs and mud wraps.
resort has gone all neo-Roman with a walkway leading down to the beach marked with 10ft-high pillars; surprisingly it actually looks quite elegant. As does the rest of the hotel, which has a slightly more intimate feel than some of the larger chains. The large swimming pool overlooks the sea and the swanky glass-enclosed spa offers sulphur pools, hydrotherapy and a dry Finnish sauna. The tasteful rooms are on the small side but are nicely decked out in blonde wood. There are a range of night-time activities, from interesting lectures to the -400 nightclub.
SODOM
ﺳﺪوم
סדום
This area is traditionally thought to be the site of Sodom and Gomorrah, the biblical cities that were destroyed in a storm of fire and brimstone – a punishment from God because of their people’s depravity (Genesis 18-19). It’s also a place where the interesting sites are off the beaten track so you really need your own transport or to take an organised tour. With your own car, follow the signs for a scenic drive with an eerie landscape and great views of the Dead Sea. If you are visiting Sodom via the southern route you will pass the unsightly Dead Sea Works, one of the world’s leading producers of potash for agricultural fertiliser (3.5 million tonnes a year), employing around 35,000 people. The company’s plant is a massive industrial complex surrounded by a 29km-long maze of evaporation ponds and mountains of chemicals.
PLUNGING INTO THE JUDEAN DESERT – THE POOLS OF NAHAL PERES Hiked Ein Gedi and your legs are aching for more? The southern part of the Dead Sea has some moderately challenging walks that are well marked and offer excellent views and impressive landscapes. If you enjoy wandering through narrow gorges and splashing in waterholes, hike the Nahal Peres (four hours one way). The red-marked trail starts at the parking area beside KM111 on the Dimona–Dead Sea Rd (Rte 25). During winter the rains fill a string of beautiful pools within the gorge. The 10m-high waterfall is great to admire over a packed lunch. Continue along the green-marked trail, bypassing the waterfall from the left, to the point where it meets the black-marked trail. Follow the black-marked trail into the riverbed and on until you reach a metal ladder attached to the rock. Climb the ladder to the green-marked trail leading to the top of the Peres Lookout, where there are spectacular views of the Dead Sea and the Moav Mountains in Jordan. The trail then descends to where the hike ends at the Arava Junction.
into a variety of shapes by water currents. The Flour Cave got its name from its powdery chalk lining, which you still find all over your clothes several hours later. The cave is pitch black, so it’s best to carry a torch. It’s 8km south of the Dead Sea Works on Rte 90, then along an unpaved but signposted road that ends at a car park – further signs direct visitors to the caves about a 15-minute walk away. There is no public transport to the cave but you can easily reach it by car.
NEOT HAKIKAR ﻧﺎوت ﻫﺎﻛﻜﺎر x08
נאות הכיכר
An agreeable place to stop on the drive to/ from Eilat is Neot Hakikar, a remote (well, for
Israel and the Palestinian Territories) moshav on the border with Jordan. Surrounded by rugged hills at the end of a desolate stretch of road, the moshav has a handful of good sleeping options and is home to a small artistic community. It’s also a great place for doing some mountain biking or short hikes. If bird-watching is your game, the nearby saline oasis and fish ponds are home to a number of rare feathered friends. For rustic wooden cabins head to At Belfer’s Place (x655 5104;
[email protected]), though families might like the Cycle Inn (x052 899 1146; www.cycle-inn.com; s/d 125/250NIS), where you can take over the whole house (six bedrooms) as well as rent bikes (100NIS per day) from cycling enthusiast Uzi, who will give you the low-down on trails in the area. For both these places it’s best to ring ahead.
Mt Sodom & the Flour Cave This mountain range (11km by 3km) is 98% salt. In most climates, salt dissolves and disappears, but in the dry Dead Sea region these salt rocks remain. The run-off that collects on the surface cuts through to form a series of potholes that drains into a maze of caves. The largest of these is next to a noticeable salt rock formation that has been dubbed ‘Mrs Lot’ in reference to Lot’s wife, who was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back at the burning city (Genesis 19:26). Due to the danger of avalanches access to these caves is only possible with a guide. You don’t need a guide to visit the Flour Cave in the beautiful Nahal Perazim (gorge), which has been carved out of soft limestone
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THE DEAD SEA
THE DEAD SEA
EIN BOKEK x08
Hod Hamidbar (x668 8222; www.hodhotel.co.il; s/d, with breakfast US$225/265; as) This Israeli spa
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The Negev
Hiking in the Negev
اﻟﻨﻘﺐ
הנגב
Where the Judean Desert ends, the Negev begins, a spectacular region of low sandstone hills, rocky peaks and fertile plains furrowed with narrow canyons. Far from being a simple expanse of sand, the Negev is a seductress. The Negev was once the heart of the Nabatean empire, and you can still follow the ancient trade route along which incense and spices were brought from southern Arabia to the Mediterranean. The archaeological sites of Avdat, Mamshit and Shivta reflect the way the desert was colonised for agriculture by the Nabatean people.
The Negev constitutes 62% of Israel’s land areas, but despite Ben-Gurion’s view that if the state does not put an end to the desert, the desert may put an end to the state’, it is home to only 10% of the population. This emptiness is its greatest attraction. Explore lofty plateaus and deep wadis on foot or from atop a camel on a Bedouin-style safari. The region’s most outstanding features are the world’s three largest craters. The biggest, Maktesh Ramon, can be visited from the peaceful town of Mitzpe Ramon, which clings to the crater’s edge. The Arava Valley, usually seen only from the bus window, is a stunning area worth discovering for its national parks.
produced in English, is available from any office of the SPNI. SPNI has field study centres at Sde Boker, Mitzpe Ramon and Eilat, and at Hatzeva, 50km south of the Dead Sea on Rte 90 – these are the places to visit for detailed maps and information, and for recommendations on routes and desert sights. SPNI also runs interesting Yarok Tours (x 03 638 8625; www.aspni.org) of the Negev region for individuals and families. While the tours are held in Hebrew, many of the guides and participants speak English. Tours range from hiking, abseiling and cycling day trips to weekends away snorkelling in Eilat. Check the website for the latest schedules.
There are some excellent hikes in the Negev region, taking in a surprisingly wide variety of landscapes. Particularly recommended are those around Sde Boker (p335) and Ein Avdat (p336), Eilat (p345) and Mitzpe Ramon (p338). There is a very good 1:50,000 map of the Eilat mountain region produced by the Israeli Trails Committee of the SPNI (Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel), which contains information on the flora and fauna of the region as well as individual trail maps for some of the more popular hikes across the region. This map, No 20 in the very popular Israel Hiking and Touring Maps series and one of the few that are
0 0
THE NEGEV To Tel Aviv Netivot (80km)
GAZA STRIP
Mediterranean Sea
ὄὄὄ ὄὄ Lahav
4
Hazerim Talme Yosef
To Amman
Dead Sea
31
Arad
Tel Be'er Sheva
Be'er Sheva
80
25
222
Kerak
Neve Zohar
Dimona
10
40 km 20 miles
Masada
Tel Arad
40
Ofakim 25
Al-Arish
WEST BANK
60
Dvir
To Jerusalem (90km)
40
Mamshit
211
Yeroham
Shivta
Nizzana
Maktesh HaQatan
Maktesh Sde Boker HaGodal Ein Avdat National Park Avdat
Tafila
90
Finally there’s Eilat, a razzmatazz of flashy hotels, suntan and sleaze parked on the coast of the Red Sea, an underwater paradise that makes up for the carbuncle on the shore.
Mitzpe Ramon
Negev
Sleeping in the open under a thousand stars in the Arava (p343)
Frolicking with Flipper – diving with dolphins in the Gulf of Eilat (p345)
Petra
13
Kfar Hanokdim
Exploring the Negev the traditional way on the back of a camel during a Bedouin-style desert safari at Kfar Hanokdim (p328)
Drinking fresh herb tea and taking time out to enjoy Israel’s last piece of primordial landscape in Mitzpe Ramon (p338)
Desert
40
HIGHLIGHTS
Savouring that first awe-inspiring glance into Maktesh Ramon (p339)
To Amman
Hatzeva
Maktesh Ramon
EGYPT Maktesh Ramon
Shizzafon Junction
10
(SINAI) Ovda Airport
Mitzpe Ramon
40
The Arava 40
12
Gerofit Kibbutz Lotan
Shaharut Red 12 Canyon
Timna Park 90
The Arava
Ein Netafim
Eilat
Taba
Eilat
Red Sea
The Negev
Maan
Gharandal
Yotvata Kibbutz Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve
Shehoret Canyon Arava Aqaba
JORDAN
THE NEGEV
THE NEGEV
Someone else who recognised the potential of the desert was David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister and ‘father of the Negev’, who launched a development program to turn a wilderness into fertile farmland.
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The Negev is a harsh desert, but due to its rapid development visitors can easily be lulled into a false sense of security and forget to follow the safety guidelines. It really is best to make an early start, avoid physical exertion in the middle of the day (say noon to 3pm), cover your head and drink plenty of water. Presumably due to the demands of IDF personnel (the Negev is highly militarised), bus services pass by most of the places of interest but they are very infrequent, so check the timetables to avoid too much waiting around.
Blau Weiss HI Hostel (x995 7150;
[email protected] .il, 34 Atad St; dm/s/d/tr 65/165/200/250; a) Typi-
Getting There & Away
ARAD
ﻋﺮاد
ערד
THE NEGEV
x07 / pop 21,600
On the road between Be’er Sheva and the Dead Sea, this lethargic eastern Negev community benefits from its surrounding wealth of mineral deposits. Situated on a high plateau with commanding views of the desert, the town itself doesn’t offer too much to either see or do. The Arad tourist office (x995 4160; h9am-5pm Sun-Thu) is behind the Paz petrol station. Visitors to the Masada sound-andlight show (see p323) will necessarily pass through Arad, since the venue is not connected by road to the main north–south highway linking the Dead Sea and Eilat. An attractive addition to the city is Eshet Lot Artists’ Quarter, being developed in an abandoned industrial zone 2km southwest of town. Nearly 20 artists have transformed the old hangers, garages and factories into gift shops, studios and workshops. Check out the Glass Museum (www.warmglassil.com; Sadan Rd; h10am-5pm Sat-Thu, 10am-2pm Fri) opened by artist Gideon Fridman, and Studio 11 (x054 554 0002; Sadan Unit 4), a bar and concert hall featuring live music on weekends.
cally modern hostel with clean, comfortable rooms and a distinctly institutional atmosphere. Reception is closed between 8am and 2pm. To find it walk east from the bus station up Yehuda St, and follow the signs before turning right on HaPalmach St. Breakfast is another 31NIS. Kfar Hanokdim (x995 0097; www.kfarhanokdim .co.il; tent 60NIS, r s/d 150/300NIS; a) About 10km
From the central bus terminal on Rehov Yehuda, buses run twice per hour to and from Be’er Sheva (No 388, 14.80NIS, 45 minutes). Buses depart for Ein Gedi (No 384, 29.50NIS, 1½ hours) at 10.15am, 1pm and 3.45pm. To access the sound-and-light show at Masada (30-minute drive) take Rte 3199 from the back of Arad.
A DROP IN THE DESERT There has not been such excitement about wine in the Negev since ancient times. In the last decade vineyards have sprung up all over the northern Negev hills, with innovative computerised watering methods (drip irrigation) turning the dust into fertile land. The semiarid area is best for growing Merlot grapes. A joint venture between major Israeli wine producer Carmel and local grape growers in the cool climate Judean Hills, the boutique Yatir Winery (x995 9090; www.yatir.com) at Tel Arad has had unparalleled success since its first wine was launched in 2004. Known for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Merlot, it is the first Israeli winery to be listed in the main selection of Selfridges in London. Next door, the large Ramat Arad Winery is also kicking up a sandstorm with its red varieties. The 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon recently won awards for excellence from the Wine Spectator. At Sde Boker, what started as a Ministry of Agriculture experiment to see if it was possible to irrigate a vineyard with brackish water (apparently it isn’t) has turned into a small but successful enterprise for ex-San Franciscan Zvi Remak. The Sde Boker Winery (x051 579 212; www.sde-boker .org.il) is a great place to stop in for a tasting if you are visiting the kibbutz.
TEL ARAD
ﺗﻞ ﻋﺮاد
תל ערד
Keen archaeologists will be excited to hear that Tel Arad National Park (x07-776 2170; adult/ child 12/6NIS; h8am-4pm Sun-Thu, 8am-3pm Fri) is the country’s best example of an early Bronze Age city from the 3rd century BC. Mentioned in the Old Testament accounts of the Israelites’ attempts to penetrate the Promised Land (Numbers 21:1-3, 33:40; Joshua 12:14), ancient Arad was then an important fortress guarding the southern approaches to the country. The site covers several hectares and consists of a lower and an upper city. The upper city is called the ‘hill of fortresses’ and was initially settled during the Israelite period (1200 BC). Archaeologists have found an Israelite temple with a sanctuary and a small room that served as the Holy of Holies. The Arad temple is a smaller version of King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. Remnants include a metre-high red gravestone found on the tiled platform of the Holy of Holies, an altar in the courtyard outside the temple and shards inscribed with the names of priestly families. The site is 8km west of Arad. Take any bus towards Be’er Sheva, get off at the Tel Arad junction and walk the final 2km to the site on Rte 2808.
BE’ER SHEVA x08 / pop 184,800
ﺑﺌﺮﺷﺒﻊ
באר שבע
There’s no denying that Be’er Sheva (Bear Share-Vah) is a hot and ugly town, developed quickly in the ’60s and still growing. It’s a city that is constantly being built – a
vast construction site of shoddy grey apartment blocks built to house the swelling population of immigrants from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia. But it is also the fourth-largest city in Israel, the ‘capital of the Negev’ and home to the pioneering Ben-Gurion University, a major centre for teaching and research with over 17,000 students. High-tech research and development is now big business in Be’er Sheva, with multimillion-dollar investments and industrial parks attracting global companies such as Intel to the area. The young, educated population is starting to stay on after graduation and the city is slowly gaining a reputation for its active nightlife and unpretentious desert atmosphere Be’er Sheva also has a rich history, receiving mention in the Old Testament several times (Judges 20:1; I Samuel 3:20; II Samuel 3:10, 17:11, 24:2), though little of that is detectable today. The one surviving ancient monument, a well on Hebron Rd, attests to the town’s association with the story of Abraham (Genesis 21:25-33), in which the name Be’er Sheva is given as meaning ‘the well of the oath’ after a covenant believed to have agreed in this place between the patriarch and Abimelek the Philistine. In fact, until the late 19th century, Be’er Sheva remained little more than a collection of wells, used by the Bedouin to water their flocks. Changes came when the Turks began to develop this remote desert spot as an administrative centre. During WWI the
THE NEGEV
Sleeping & Eating
from Arad on the road to Masada, this is the perfect place to stay the night if you are planning on catching the sound-and-light show (Tuesday and Thursday; see p323). A sprawling oasis of palms in the stark Judean desert, this Israeli-/Bedouin-run venture offers a wonderful desert experience, sleeping in stylish cabins with handmade furniture or on a mattress in an authentic Bedouin tent. Hanokdim can take both groups and individual travellers, who are free to use one of the three kitchens, relax in the palm-shaded cushion areas or get cosy with the camels. Drop by for a coffee and a camel ride (one hour, 50NIS). Inbar Hotel (x997 3303; www.hotel-inbar.com; 38 Yehuda St; s/d 357/447NIS; asi) Guarding the entrance to Arad is this huge edifice that won’t win any prizes for interior decoration – perhaps if it was 1976 – but gets top marks for friendly service, comfy rooms with cable TV and a spa featuring a Dead Sea pool and black mud treatments. Muza (x997 5555; www.muza-arad.co.il; Rte 31; mains 48NIS; hnoon-5am) Tucked behind the Alon petrol station, this Arad institution is a haven for the parched traveller. The flowerfilled courtyard is a great place to tuck into hearty pub food such as salads, grilled sandwiches and towering burgers while watching the local seniors playing boules next door. Inside, the sporting action is on the big screen, the ceiling lined with football colours and the bar with beer bottles – a cosy place to kick back with a few drinks. Mr Shay (x997 1956, 32 HaPalmach St; mains 70NIS; hlunch & dinner Mon-Sat) Tucked underneath a market is this unassuming little Chinese restaurant, which locals say is the best in the Negev. Before you order the banquet ask yourself, how many Chinese restaurants are there actually in the Negev? Yes, stick to the honey chicken and tasty noodle dishes. The soups are also pretty good.
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small town fell to Allenby’s allied forces after a spectacular and celebrated charge by units of the Australian Lighthorse. The Israelis captured Be’er Sheva in 1948, then still an Arab village of approximately 2000 inhabitants.
MONEY
There are banks in the Kanyon shopping centre, and a Bank Hapoalim on the corner of Ha’Atzmaut and HaHalutz Sts (Old Town). POST
Orientation
The main post office is just north of the central bus station on the corner of HaNessi’im and Nordau Sts. There is also a convenient branch in the Old Town, on the corner of HaHistradrut and Hadassah Sts.
If you are avoiding the airconditioned malls where most of the city hangs out, the not so old Old Town is about 15 minutes’ walk west of the central bus station. It’s laid out on a tight grid pattern, and centred on the pedestrianised Keren Kayemet Le-Y’Israel St. The Bedouin market is south of the Kanyon shopping centre (opposite the bus station) on the main Eilat Rd. The ancient site of Tel Be’er Sheva is 5km outside town, to the east.
Sights BEDOUIN MARKET
Information The police station (x642 6744; Herzl St) is at the northern end of Keren Kayemet Le-Y’Israel St in the Old Town.
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INFORMATION Bank Hapoalim.............................1 Branch Post Office.......................2 Main Post Office..........................3 Police Station...............................4
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This small, contemporary art gallery (x620 6570; 60 Ha’Atzmaut St; adult/child 12/10NIS; h8.30am3.30pm Mon, Wed & Thu, 8.30am-2pm & 4.30-6pm Tue, 10am-1pm Fri & Sat) is housed in the elegant Governor’s Mansion, which was built in 1906. The building has been beautifully restored into a superb configuration of stone and glass, creating an intimate space for the four halls, which house works from Israeli artists who have spent time in the city, as well as travelling exhibitions. NEGEV PALMACH BRIGADE MEMORIAL
On a windswept hill northeast of town is a stark, modern tribute to the Jewish soldiers killed while taking Be’er Sheva from the Egyptians in 1948. Designed by Israeli artist Dani Karavan in 1963, the Negev Palmach Brigade Memorial (also known as the Andarta Memorial) has Hebrew inscriptions that explain the significance of the images – a tent, a well, some battle maps, a narrow passage, a bunker, a bird, a watchtower, an aqueduct and a snake that represents the enemy. It’s worth scrambling up to the monument for the excellent views of the city and the surrounding desert. The memorial is difficult to reach by public transport. Near the Arad road, you can get off bus No 388 and walk the 750m, or take local bus No 4 to the train station and cut across the tracks to reach the hill. TEL BE’ER SHEVA
Some 5km east of the city, Tel Be’er Sheva
7
No
NEGEV MUSEUM OF ART
(x646 7286; adult/child 12/6NIS; h8am-5pm Apr-Sep, 8am-4pm Oct-Mar) became one of three Biblical
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To Migella (1km); Lakiya Negev Weaving (5km); Museum of Bedouin Culture (25km); Tel Aviv (100km)
SLEEPING Beit Yatziv HI Hostel.....................6 A1 Golden Tulip Negev.....................7 D2
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Ass
DRINKING ira Bilbao Tapas Bar.........................11 A3 ap Sh Manga.......................................12 D2
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A3 A2 C2 A2
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To WWI Cemetery (20m)
D Sh EATING az ar Achuzat Halperin......................... 8 A3 Beit Ha-Ful...................................9 A2 Grandpa Jebetto's......................10 D2
St
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300 m 0.2 miles
Be nZ
THE NEGEV
EMERGENCY
It’s south of the central bus station, where you can see the arched rooftops across the main road.
Train Station
SHOPPING Kanyon Shopping Centre...........13 C2 TRANSPORT Avis........................................... 14 D2 Central Bus Station.....................15 C3 Hertz..........................................16 C3 Moniot Ayal.............................(see 15)
tels (hill-top ruins) to be declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2005. The archaeological digs of the tels (Megiddo, p214, and Hazor – both in the Galilee – are the others) reveal meticulously planned cities protected by enormous fortress walls with impressive gates, castles, temples, storage rooms, stables and water cisterns. At Tel Be’er Sheva archaeologists have uncovered two-thirds of a settlement dating from the early Israelite period (10th century BC), when a fortified administrative city was built on the hill. The best-
preserved parts are the well-engineered cisterns and a 70m well, the deepest in Israel. Large parts of the buildings have been rebuilt by SPNI, with mud blocks. There are great views to be had from the observation tower. Tel Be’er Sheva National Park is on the Be’er Sheva–Shokat junction road, south of the city of Omer and near the Bedouin settlement of Tel Sheva.
Activities Skykef Skydiving Centre (x1 700 705 867; www.sky kef.com) at Sde Tieman Airport is the largest professional parachute centre in Israel. Every Friday and Saturday they offer tandem skydiving (990NIS) and once a month they have a full-day course (1390NIS) for those who wish to jump alone for the first time. As you can imagine, there are spectacular desert views and a good chance of blue skies. The airport is 15km northwest of Be’er Sheva on Rte 25.
Sleeping Be’er Sheva has an extremely limited selection of accommodation – what’s available is often taken over by Russian migrants and other temporary residents. So despite the good nightlife it’s hard to recommend staying overnight. Beit Yatziv HI Hostel (x627 7444, 627 5735; www
.beityatziv.co.il; 79 Ha’Atzmaut St; dm/s/d, with breakfast 110/195/280NIS; as) Mainly used by visiting
academics and groups from the Open University, the dorms and guesthouse rooms at this bustling hostel are well equipped, with fridge and TV. The pleasant gardens and swimming pool (open May to August) are a blessed relief on a scorching desert day. Book ahead as the rooms fill up quickly. Lunch and dinner (48NIS) are available during the week. Take bus No 12 or 13 from the bus station. The hostel can be hard to find – look for the three large radio antennae. Golden Tulip Negev (x640 5444; 4 Henrietta Szold St; s/d US$115/125) When you have the monopoly on accommodation in a town as large as Be’er Sheva you don’t have to offer too much to be a success, but this towering, modern complex delivers with an airy bar and café area, a huge pool and gym, as well as cosy rooms featuring all the usual creature comforts.
THE NEGEV
The much-vaunted Bedouin market (h6am4pm Thu) was traditionally where hundreds of the Negev’s Bedouins came to town to sell their livestock, carpets, clothes and jewellery. Today there’s no better place for buying Nike and Yves St Laurent knock-offs, and third-hand electronics. If you get up really early you may see the odd camel, but it’s definitely less a cultural than a commercial experience. While that’s fair enough, it’s not an especially interesting visit.
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Eating Beit Ha-Ful (x623 4253; 15 HaHistradrut St; mains
15NIS; h8am-midnight Sun-Thu, 8am-3pm Fri, dinner Sat) For a quick bite in the Old City you
can’t go past what locals say is the best fuul (fava bean paste) joint in town. Dig into some decent shwarma and felafel in pipinghot pita while you’re at it – stand up or sit down, inside or out. Grandpa Jebetto’s (Yaakov Rager; mains 25NIS) Convenient to the bus and train stations, Jebettos’s is famous locally for its super-sized, super-tasty sandwiches. Several menu pages attest to the myriad of fillings and sauces on offer, or pick out your favourite ingredients. Non-meat eaters should definitely chance the vegetarian chopped liver. The omelettes and stir-fries are great for dinner, while the fresh lemon mint slushy is refreshing at any time of the day. The café is in the Rusko City pedestrian mall.
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Achuzat Halperin (x0507 515 154; 23 Smilansky St; mains 80NIS; hdinner) You may be hard
pressed finding a table for dinner at this excellent Old City restaurant, which serves an interesting range of French-inspired dishes in a prized setting – a gorgeous stone house with soaring ceilings, indoor plants and an attractive courtyard. Start off with the delicious home-made bread, before trying the salmon tartar or the entrecôte steak. Save room for the crème brûlée, which tends to run out fast. The wine is very good value – a decent bottle will only set you back 50NIS
Drinking Manga (Yitzhak Rager; h6pm-late) Tucked into the side of the Teacher’s Centre, this is Be’er Sheva’s hottest nightspot, especially on Wednesday and Friday nights. The covered outdoor area with its plants and slick white couches is for relaxing with friends. Inside
When Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, put forth his great vision for the Negev it did not include the estimated 140,000 Bedouin Arab minority, who have lived and bred livestock in the desert since prior to 1948. In the 1960s war hero and politician Moshe Dayan famously called for the Bedouin to ‘become an urban person who comes home in the afternoon and puts his slippers on’, and successive Israeli governments have made no secret of their desire to move the Bedouin off the land and into settlements of their own. Over 80,000 Bedouin have been lured into seven ‘recognised villages’ in the Negev, cramped clusters of houses established in the early 1980s with no scope for expansion. Despite being officially ‘recognised’ these shanty town developments remain incredibly poor, with a terrible lack of facilities such as proper sewage and roads, and no jobs. The transition to a modern way of life has been particularly difficult for the Bedouin because they lack skills and education. Bedouin adult male unemployment is estimated at over 60%, while for women it is over 90%. For the Bedouin who remain in the desert, life is even harder. The Israeli government has never recognised Bedouin ownership of the land, and they have therefore suffered a series of land expropriations, evictions and housing demolitions, forcing their communities into smaller and smaller areas. Estimates say that less than 10% of Bedouin are now able to maintain their traditional pastoral way of life, because of lack of access to land and water. Those who try to continue farming the land are often up against the so-called Green Patrol, an Israeli environmental paramilitary police and the Israel Lands Administration, who have been known to spray Bedouin crops with pesticide. Some of these 46 ‘illegal/unrecognised villages’, which are predominately located in the Be’er Sheva region, have existed for over 40 years. They have no water or electricity and their inhabitants are forced to travel long distances to school or for health care. They are also denied basic rights such as being able to vote. A positive turn has been the establishment of the Regional Council for Unrecognised Villages, which aims to ensure basic living conditions in these villages and to create a population capable of shaping its own future. Meanwhile, the Israeli tourism industry long ago twigged to the appeal of the adjective ‘Bedouin’, and without a trace of irony operators offer accommodation in ‘authentic Bedouin tents’, and some upmarket hotels welcome their guests with their ‘traditional Bedouin hospitality’. To support a true Bedouin-run enterprise visit Lakiya Negev Weaving (see p334).
is for trying to pick up while you fight your way to the bar. The cool crowd perches at tiny dark-wood tables and nibbles on plates of sushi, which after 8.30pm are only 29NIS plus a glass of wine. Migella (Arlozorov St; h4pm-late) For the best chill-out zone in town, follow the university crowd to this funky bar in a red lantern–lit Bedouin tent. The comfy floor cushions and low couches are perfect for puffing away on an apple nargileh or picking at a plate of watermelon and Bulgarian cheese. It’s behind Coca Bar, which is near the student dorms. Bilbao Tapas Bar (x623 8135; 25 Smilansky St) The tapas is pricey and not that great, but this bar more than makes up for it with a great atmosphere to kick back with a few wines or bottled sangria. Understated boho-chic, the bar is inside an old stone house with mosaic floors, mismatched furniture and hanging plants. The service is also charming, and the waiters will guide you through the Hebrew menu.
Getting There & Away BUS
On business days, buses run every 30 minutes to Tel Aviv (No 370, 13.70NIS, 1½ hours) and at least half-hourly to Jerusalem (No 446, 32NIS, 1½ hours). For Eilat (No 397, 55NIS, three hours), buses depart more or less every hour and a half via Mitzpe Ramon (23NIS, 1¼ hours). Bus services for Dimona (9.80NIS, 30 minutes) and for Arad (14.80NIS, 45 minutes) run at least every half-hour. CAR
You can rent a car by calling the following organisations. Avis (x627 1777; 8 Henrietta Szold St) Europcar (x623 1013; 1/9 Hebron Rd) Hertz (x628 8828; 7 Ben Zvi St) SHERUT (SERVICE TAXI)
Moniot Ayal (x623 3033) operate sherut (shared or service taxi) services to Tel Aviv and Eilat for the same fares as the buses, but there’s nothing running on Saturday and you have to wait until they fill up. They operate from a booth just outside the bus station. TRAIN
From Be’er Sheva’s central train station (www .israrail.org.il), which is adjacent to the central bus station, you can travel comfortably to
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Tel Aviv (25.50NIS, 1½ hours) hourly on business days.
Getting Around You can easily walk from the central bus station to the Old Town and the market; otherwise, the local buses leave from outside the central bus station’s main entrance. Local bus No 13 departs every 20 minutes for the Beit Yatziv HI Hostel.
AROUND BE’ER SHEVA
Museum of Bedouin Culture With Israel’s push to develop the Negev, the nomadic existence of the Bedouin is fading fast. The aim of this museum (x08-991 8597;
www.lahavnet.co.il/joalon; admission 20NIS; h9am-5pm Sun-Thu, 9am-2pm Fri) is to preserve and present
samples of the Bedouin’s threatened culture and to represent their life as it is today. Most of the museum guides are Bedouins from the area. The idea for the museum came from Jews and Bedouins interested in promoting Bedouin culture and heritage. The collection, consisting of a variety of traditional items such as clothes, household utensils, tools and jewellery, was part of a private collection of the Jewish founders of the museum. Bedouins have also donated some items. Other museum attractions include a 12-minute audiovisual program detailing the Bedouin existence in the Negev and Sinai, a demonstration of traditional homemaking activities like bread-making and weaving, and a Bedouin tent of hospitality where visitors can sit with a local Bedouin, drink coffee and talk. The Israeli and Bedouin curators are young and energetic and have recently planted a Bedouin medicinal garden. They also offer donkey rides for kids. There is also an interesting archaeological section with a display of the cave culture dating from the Mishnaic and Talmudic eras. Kids will love clambering through the different caves from the Chalcolithic, Israelite, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. Don’t leave without climbing the stairs to the observation point. The museum is part of the Joe Alon Regional & Folklore Centre, which is a combined museum, research institute and field school.
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THE NEGEV
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NORTHWESTERN NEGEV הנגב המערבי
The complex stands behind the property of Kibbutz Lahav, which is near Kibbutz Dvir; both are off a side road that intersects with the Be’er Sheva–Kiryat Gat road. Bus No 42 (14.80NIS) runs directly to the Kibbutz Lahav twice daily, but immediately heads back to Be’er Sheva without allowing time for a visit. Alternatively, use bus No 369 towards Tel Aviv, which will drop you at the junction 8km from the kibbutz.
The northwest corner of the Negev is a vast expanse of natural steppe and semidesert (this is where you come if you’re after proper sand dunes!), which during the winter and early spring is transformed into a technicolour carpet of flowers. The area is also popular area with birdwatchers. Another great reason to take the trip out here is the San Pedro Cactus Farm (x08-998 2989,
Israeli Air Force Museum
close to the Gaza and Egypt borders. The farm has thousands of different types of cacti; they even sell the ‘magic’ Hoodia plant used by the San (formerly Bushmen) of the Kalahari. Tours can be arranged in English. San Pedro also offers accommodation in the form of luxury tepees, making it one of the most peaceful and interesting places to stay this side of Be’er Sheva. The tepees contain everything from DVD player to kitchenette with running water. Guests can admire the desert sunsets or relax in the shaded hammock area, which also has a barbecue. During the summer the San Pedro pub (hThu-Sat) is a great place to kick back with a beer or some home-made wine. Talme Yosef is off Rte 232, which heads towards the Rafah border checkpoint (not in use).
(x08-990 6855; www.iaf-museum.org.il in Hebrew; admission 26NIS; h8am-5pm Sun-Thu, 8am-1pm Fri) at
the Hazerim Israeli Air Force (IAF) base is one of Be’er Sheva’s most worthwhile attractions. Young soldiers take the interesting one-hour tours of the museum and the country’s aeronautic history, which is illustrated by about 100 different planes including several that were captured during the various Arab-Israeli conflicts. Probably the best part of the tour is a film screened in the Boeing 707 used in the 1976 rescue of 100 mainly Israeli hostages, held by pro-Palestinian hijackers at Entebbe airport in Uganda. Hazerim (sometimes spelt Khatserim) is just 6km west of Be’er Sheva. From the central bus station take bus No 31 (9.80NIS, 10 minutes) which leaves every hour; the air base and museum are the last stop.
Lakiya Negev Weaving Lakiya was established in 1991 as an income-generating project for Palestinian Bedouin women living in villages in the Negev Desert. Lakiya provides them with an opportunity to develop the tradition of spinning and weaving, and to acquire new roles and skills in dyeing, production and business management. The project currently provides work for 146 women. You can visit the Lakiya Negev Weaving showroom (x08-651 9883; www.lakiya.org; h8am1.30pm Sun-Thu), which is in the Bedouin village of Lakiya, about 6km north of Be’er Sheva. Share a cup of sweet herb tea and check out the vast range of high-quality woven rugs, wall hangings, cushions and bags. Weaving demonstrations and a guided tour for up to 20 people costs 160NIS. For more information see Negev Bedouin, p332.
0507 549 648/9; www.cactusfarm.co.il; d 380NIS, 450NIS for up to 5 people) at Talme Yosef, a remote moshav
DIMONA
دﻳﻤﻮﻧﺎ
דימונה
x08 / pop 33,800
Unless you’re involved in espionage (Dimona is the site of Israel’s no-longer-secret nuclear weapons facility), the main interest in this bleak development town is the African Hebrew Israelite Community (see Shalom Brother, opposite). In one small enclave, this motivated and self-contained group of around 2000 American-accented immigrants operates its own school, and members make their own jewellery and natural-fibre clothing. Dietary restrictions are a variation on veganism, as African Hebrew Israelis don’t eat meat, dairy products, fish, eggs or refined sugar or flour. Visitors are welcome but you will get better attention by calling first. There’s a guesthouse (x657
3286/87; www.kingdomofyah.com; half-board 100NIS)
and a small vegan café (meals 25NIS). Thirteen kilometres east of Dimona is the infamous film factory (known also as the ‘chocolate’ factory), a mysterious establishment reputedly at the centre of Israel’s
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SHALOM BROTHER Every year in mid-May the African Hebrew Israelites hold a celebration; two days of picnics, sports, entertainment and family fun to mark their exodus from America to the Holy Land. This is one of the biggest events on the calendar for this community, who believes they are descended from Israelites expelled from Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70 who then migrated for more than 1000 years before reaching West Africa and later the USA as slaves. This idea is based on the revelations of spiritual leader Ben Ammi Ben Israel, a former Chicago steel worker called Ben Carter, who had a vision in 1966 that it was time for African Americans to return to their land of origin. Acting on his epiphany, Ben Ammi gathered 400 followers and moved to Liberia for a two-year ‘purging period’ before finally arriving in the Holy Land in 1969. The Children of Israel were not greeted warmly by the government, who dumped them in the bleak development town of Dimona while their claims of Jewish heritage were assessed. In the meantime the community, who are commonly referred to as Black Hebrews, set up a vibrant base observing their strict customs – some of which share aspects of Judaism (rites of circumcision, celebrating Jewish holidays and the Sabbath, studying the Old Testament) and others unique (practising veganism, children born under community midwives, several families living in one home, a hierarchy of ministers and princes). When they were joined by a second and third exodus of pilgrims from downtown Detroit in the early 1970s, branches sprung up in Mitzpe Ramon and Arad and the Israeli government came down hard, refusing them citizenship unless they converted to Judaism. Hunger strikes and petitioning from American politicians ensued for twenty years before Israel finally granted them temporary residency. In 2003 this became permanent with the option of applying for full Israeli citizenship. Many of the young people are now serving in the army, and the Black Hebrews had their first star when Eddie Butler became Israel’s entry to the 2006 Eurovision contest (after performing in 1999 with the band Eden) – in Israel a sure a sign of acceptance.
nuclear power industry. It was here that whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu worked before revealing in 1986 to an incredulous public that the chocolate produced here contained more radon than proteins. Needless to say, there are no visits allowed and you will almost certainly be pulled aside if you are caught lingering too long around the barbed-wire fenced perimeter. From the central bus station, buses run frequently between Dimona and Be’er Sheva (9.80NIS, 30 minutes).
SDE BOKER
ﺑﻮك%ﺳﺪ
שדה בוקר
One of the best known of all kibbutzim, Sde Boker is synonymous with Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, who passionately believed that ‘the future of Israel lies in the Negev’. The kibbutz was established in 1952 by young pioneers who planned to breed cattle in the desert; its name is Hebrew for Ranchers’ Field. Ben-Gurion joined this lush oasis the following year at the age of 67, ready to start practising what he preached about literally building up the new independent state by cultivating the Negev. Only 14 months later he returned to the political
scene as minister of defence and then went on to serve a second term as prime minister, returning to kibbutz life in 1963. Envisioned by Ben-Gurion as a place of learning in the Negev, Sde Boker is well known for its environmental research and education. Now part of the main BenGurion University of the Negev, there are more than 20 different institutions working in Sde Boker including the Institute for Desert Research, the National Solar Energy Centre and an environmental high school and college. About 3km south of the kibbutz and overlooking the Wilderness of Zin nature reserve is the university campus, with the graves of Ben-Gurion and his wife, Paula, and the Ein Avdat spring nearby.
Sights & Activities BEN-GURION DESERT HOME
At the entrance to Sde Boker there is an information centre (x08-656 0469; h9.30am-3.30pm Sun-Thu, 9.30am-1pm Fri, 10am-3pm Sat), which shows a 20-minute film (7NIS) about the kibbutz. Follow the sandstone walkway through a pistachio grove marked by famous Ben-Gurion
THE NEGEV
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Even if you don’t have a strong interest in military history, the Israeli Air Force Museum
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quotes, until you reach the ‘old man’s’ (as he was known) home. When Ben-Gurion died in 1973 he asked in his will for his kibbutz quarters to remain exactly as he left it, and that’s what you see when you visit the small desert home (x08-
656 0320; adult/child 10/7NIS; h8.30am-4pm Sun-Thu, 8.30am-2pm Fri, 9am-3pm Sat) he shared with his
wife Paula. As you enter the site there’s an exhibition about Ben-Gurion’s life with a fascinating collection of correspondence he had with everyone from high-school students to the author Amos Oz and Arab leaders. You can then tour the modest hut where he lived and check out his photographs, thousands of books (he was very fond of philosophy, especially that of Spinoza) in nine different languages, and personal items that are on display in the simply furnished rooms. The graves of David and Paula Ben-Gurion (1892–1968) lie in a spectacular cliff-top setting overlooking the stunning Zin Valley and the Avdat plain. The well-signed path from the parking area to the grave sites leads through a landscaped garden filled with plants that have successfully adapted to the dry and saline desert conditions. The graves can be reached from the northern entrance of Ein Avdat National Park, which is in the university campus (turn right at the main gate), about 3km south of the kibbutz. EIN AVDAT NATIONAL PARK & WILDERNESS OF ZIN NATURE TRAIL
Hidden from the main road and missed by most visitors, Ein Avdat National Park (x08-655 5684; adult/child 23/12NIS; h8am-5pm Apr-Sep, 8am4pm Oct-Mar) is one of the highlights of the
Negev. Ein Avdat is a freak of nature – a pool of icy water in the hot expanse of desert, fed by waters that flow through an intricate network of channels. Dominated by a steep, winding canyon, reaching it involves an easy hike through incredible scenery. The area on top of the cliffs is where prehistoric tribes made their camps for over 100,000 years. They lived in huts made from branches and their flint tools can be seen protruding from the earth – especially on the northern rim of the canyon. Here and nearby, archaeologists have found evidence
of dwellings from the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods (35,000 to 15,000 BC). The best way to reach Ein Avdat is by the beautiful Wilderness of Zin nature trail. There are two entrances to the national park and the trail leads from the lower entrance at Ben-Gurion’s grave on the university campus, along the river to the upper entrance, which is 5km south along Rte 40. From the upper entrance follow the zigzagging road 3km down into the Wilderness of Zin until it ends at the car park. Follow the path that leads off beyond, and about 40 minutes after leaving the campus you will see the large cave up on your right. Ibexes and gazelles can often be seen along here, too. Simply follow the water and after another five minutes you will come to a spring. Despite the ‘no swimming’ warning sign, many ignore the dangers and are tempted by the refreshing dip. If so tempted, be aware of the danger caused by the extreme difference in temperature between the hot sun and the cold water. This is a dead end, so return the way you came and on your left look out for steps cut into the rock leading up the cliff (hidden behind a tree). Climb the steps to the paved ledge where there’s a great view. Carry on walking and after another few minutes you will reach the top of a waterfall, which in winter can be spectacular. Some more steps have been cut into the rock to lead up the cliff to the right (not always easy to find – for the caves up above). There is a steep climb up steps cut into the cliff to reach the top of the canyon, or you can head back to the car park. The best views of all are from the steps, rather than at the very top, so be sure to take a good look around before the end of the climb. An observation point has been provided a short distance away. The whole hike usually takes two to three hours, allowing plenty of time for relaxing by the springs. The main road is a 10- to 15-minute walk along a side road from the observation point. You come out south of the university campus. Note that this is a one-way hike, so if you need to return to the northern entrance you’ll need to hitch or wait for a bus (one every 1½ hours) back to the upper entrance. Check the bus schedule before heading off, to help time your hike.
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FOLLOWING THE INCENSE ROUTE Follow the smell of frankincense and myrrh through the Negev by exploring the Nabatean strongholds of Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta, which were built along the ancient incense and spice route to protect travelling caravans bringing this hugely profitable trade from south Arabia to the port city of Gaza on the Mediterranean coast. Despite the hostile desert environment, the Nabatean towns flourished as remains of forts, caravanserai and sophisticated agricultural systems attest. All three towns also have rich Roman and Byzantine history. These towns (along with Haluza) became Unesco World Heritage sites in 2005.
Avdat
ﻋﺒﺪات
עבדת
This well-preserved city is perched on a hill that dominates the desert skyline. The rich combination of impressive ruins and incredible vistas at Avdat (Avdat National Park; x08-655 1511;
adult/child 23/12NIS; h8am-5pm Apr-Sep, 8am-4pm Oct-Mar) makes the steep climb well worth the
effort. Parts of the film Jesus Christ Superstar were shot here. Named for the admired Nabatean monarch Avdat, the city was built in the 2nd century BC as a caravan stop on the road from Petra to the Mediterranean coast. Prosperous throughout the Byzantine period, the city was abandoned in 634 when it fell to the Muslims. The ruins include the Roman bathhouse, which has cold, lukewarm and hot baths, a burial cave with 21 double catacombs and one grave dug in the floor and an elaborate Byzantine winepress. There’s also a pottery workshop and several 4th-century churches. The visitors centre has an interesting 10minute video introduction to the Nabateans and the spice route. On the Be’er Sheva–Mitzpe Ramon road, Avdat lies 10km south of the Ben-Gurion home and 23km north of Mitzpe Ramon. Bus No 60 passes by in each direction about every hour.
Shivta (Subeita)
ﺳﺒﻄﺎ
שיבטה
The most isolated of the Nabatean towns, Shivta (adult/child 12/6NIS; h8am-5pm Apr-Sep, 8am-4pm Oct-Mar) was not fortified and therefore can be considered a large agricultural village.
Shivta was founded during the early Roman period (1st century BC) and Roman-period ruins are visible in the southern part of the city. Most of the findings, however, are from when it was an important Byzantine town (4th to 7th centuries BC) on the caravan route between Egypt and Anatolia. While the ruins include Byzantine churches, houses and tiled streets, the main feature is the impressive systems created to use run-off water, as Shivta has no natural water sources. The streets leading from the northern part of the city drain into double collection pools. Shivta is some 58km southwest of Be’er Sheva. From Rte 40 continue from Telalim junction on Rte 211 for about 15km. At the junction near the petrol station, drive approximately 9km south. We really can’t recommend visiting without a car, but if you are keen take the infrequent bus No 44 from Be’er Sheva to Nizzana, get off at the Horvot Shivta stop and walk the rest of the way.
Mamshit
ﻣﻤﺸﻴﺖ
ממשית
Visually less impressive than Shivta, Mamshit National Park (x655 6478; adult/child 18/8NIS; h8am-5pm Apr-Sep, 8am-4pm Oct-Mar) is, however, the smallest but best-preserved Nabatean city in the Negev – here entire streets have survived intact. The Nabateans built their city here in the 1st century AD and it was later used by the Romans, who bred Arabian horses that brought great wealth to the city. The excavations include Nabatean remains, reservoirs, watchtowers, Roman military and Byzantine cemeteries, jewellery and coins, churches and mosaics. The city is also particularly renowned for the engineering skills that were used in its constructions. About 6km southeast of Dimona, an abandoned British police station marks the site where the Romans built a series of dams to store rainwater to supply the town’s inhabi tants year-round. Before the founding of the state of Israel, David Ben-Gurion planned for Mamshit to be the capital of the future country. Mamshit is on Rte 25 (Be’er Sheva–Dimona), about 8km from Dimona in the direction of Rotem junction. Any of the buses heading to Eilat via Dimona will drop you at the signposted turn-off for the site.
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BEN-GURION GRAVES
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Mitzpe is Hebrew for ‘watchtower’, and accordingly, this small but engaging desert town is perched above the dramatic Maktesh Ramon crater. All along this spectacular ‘watchtower’, you’ll find far-ranging views and an extensive network of hiking routes. Pick up a Maktesh Ramon Nature Reserve map at the visitors centre and set off into the desert on foot; this wild wonderland is good for days of wandering. A failure of the desert development program since it started life as a remote Moroccan community in the 1950s, Mitzpe Ramon hasn’t taken off as planned, despite many attempts at incentive schemes to attract new businesses and residents. More recently the government resettled large numbers of Soviet immigrants in the town but that has only served to exacerbate the problems of severe unemployment. The town is slowly revitalising itself without the help of ‘well-meaning’ government strategies. Today Mitzpe Ramon is styling itself as an all-seasons ecotourism destination, but it has also become a haven for an eclectic mix of artists and city-escapists who have reclaimed the unlettable industrial zone, where they have set up galleries, stores, restaurants and even a small planetarium. With its excellent range of accommodation, Mitzpe Ramon is the best place to base yourself for visits to nearby Avdat, Ein Avdat and Sde Boker.
9am-noon Fri).
The ammonite-shaped visitors centre (x658 8754; adult/child 28/14NIS; h8am-4pm Sat-Thu,
A
B
8am-3pm Fri), perched on the crater rim, has a
tourist office and presents an overview of Maktesh Ramon’s intriguing natural history, along with a 20-minute film about the nature reserve. The helpful staff at the centre have maps (2NIS) and information on adventure activities. Ask about the ‘10 most popular hikes’ booklet that was being written in English at the time of research. The roof of the building serves as an excellent viewing platform and is also home to a gleaming sun dial.
Sights BIO-RAMON
If you missed out on seeing desert creatures during your time in the Negev, don’t worry as the entrance fee to the visitors centre includes the very worthwhile Bio Ramon (x658
8755; adult/child 12/6NIS; h8am-5pm Summer, 8am-4pm Winter), where you can see scorpions, porcu-
INFORMATION Library.........................1 A3 Visitors Centre.............2 B4
1
15
3
11
Industrial 10 Zone 6 9
8
40
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Adama........................3 Bio Ramon...................4 Desert Sculpture Park...5 Guide Horizon.............6 Lookout......................7 Made in Mitzpe...........8 Nature Scent...............9 Negevland Tours........10 Star Trip Planetarium..11
A1 B3 B2 A1 A4 A2 A2 A1 A1
SLEEPING Adama......................(see 3) Mitzpe Ramon HI Youth Hostel....................12 B4 Ramon Inn................13 A4 To Be'erot Camping (12km); Eilat (130km)
2
5
To Desert Home (400m)
To A Room with a View (500m); Chez Alexis (500m)
3
1 To Silent Arrow (700m); Alpaca Farm (3km); Succah in the Desert (7km)
4
14
2
13
12
eis
7
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Mitzpe Ramon
pines and snakes all in a rather scaled-down version of their natural habitat. The ‘bedroom hatches’ mean you can even view nocturnal animals, but the knowledgeable staff recommend coming as late in the day as possible for best sightings. The Bio Ramon is just down from the visitors centre. About 300m south of the visitors centre along the crater promenade is a breathtaking lookout, which juts out over the edge of the crater. Don’t look down from the platform if you’re faint-hearted as there’s nothing between your feet and the bottom of the crater. The views are indescribable, but better enjoyed early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the angled light casts fantastic shapes and shadows across the crater floor. DESERT SCULPTURE PARK
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17
M
The town is centred on the wide Ben-Gurion Blvd, off the Be’er Sheva–Eilat road. On BenGurion Blvd is a small commercial concourse with a few shops, a Cafeneto franchise and a
200 m 0.1 miles
To Be'er Sheva (75km)
al
Orientation
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MITZPE RAMON
on
x08 / pop 5700
the edge of the crater is worth visiting for anybody planning any serious hiking. The study centre is about a 2km walk from the southern end of Ben-Gurion Blvd. Free internet is available in the public library (Ben-Gurion Blvd; h10am-noon & 3-7pm Sun-Thu,
h Na
The Sde Boker Field School (above) runs a hostel (dm/s/d, with breakfast 90/220/260NIS; a), which although often filled with noisy school groups is available for travellers. The rooms are clean and bright and have use of a kitchenette. Alternatively they also offer accommodation in the slightly more comfortable Hamburg House (s/d 260/330NIS; a), with TV and fridge in each room. Dinner is available for 47NIS, or you can try Zin Restaurant (h8am-11pm), which serves meat dishes, barakas and fresh sandwiches. Get in quick at night as the food runs out fast. For a more personal atmosphere try the British-run Krivine’s Guest House (x052 271 2304;
[email protected]; s/d US$39/51), also on the Ben-Gurion campus. The airy rooms are nicely decorated and there is a pretty garden and outdoor area to eat breakfast (US$6) or dinner (US$16). Speaking both English and French, the charming Krivine family provides excellent tourist information and transport from the Sde Boker bus. Advance booking is essential.
מצפה רמון
The SPNI Har HaNegev Field School (x658 8615;
[email protected]; h8am-5pm Sun-Thu, Fri 8am-1pm) on
Ra m
Sleeping & Eating
MITZPE RAMON ﻣﺘﺴﺒﻪ راﻣﻮن
Information
vd
versity is mainly responsible for nature conservation in the area. The young staff are extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic and, once you have shown an interest, will tell you all about the local wildlife and where and when to see it. Sights include griffin vultures having their breakfast of raw meat provided by the field school, ibexes and other animals coming to drink at a spring, and sooty falcons nesting in the cliff side. You should also inquire here about the various hikes in the desert, where you can see a lot of this natural activity as well as some beautiful scenery.
bank. The youth hostel and the visitors centre are south of the commercial block, overlooking the Maktesh Ramon. All these places are within easy walking distance of each other.
EATING HaHavit.....................14 Haksa........................15 Hannah's Restaurant..16 Supermarkets............17
B3 A1 B3 A3
TRANSPORT Petrol Station...........(see 16)
North of the visitors centre is a rather stark collection of stone sculptures assembled on the lip of the crater, by Israeli artist Ezra Orion. You have to walk over rocky and unforgiving terrain to reach them but they’re photogenic and add colour to otherwise hard-to-reproduce crater shots. The interactive sculptures where gongs and bells are set in motion by the wind are particularly haunting. MAKTESH RAMON
The maktesh (crater) will remind visitors a little of the Grand Canyon and a lot of the moon. It is 300m deep, 8km wide and
THE NEGEV
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The Sde Boker field school (x08-653 2016; www .boker.org.il; h7.30am-4.30pm Sun-Thu, 7.30am-noon Fri) on the campus of the Ben-Gurion Uni-
From Be’er Sheva (bus Nos 382/392, 21.50NIS) buses leave at least every hour between 8am and 3.45pm. The bus makes three separate stops for Sde Boker: heading south from Be’er Sheva it first stops beside the turn-off to the main entrance of the kibbutz, then at the turn-off for the Ben-Gurion Desert Home and, finally, at the turn-off for the university campus, the Ben-Gurion graves and Ein Avdat. Warn the driver in advance where you want to get off.
Bl
SDE BOKER FIELD SCHOOL
Getting There & Away
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A less ambitious option is to walk from the lower entrance to the Ein Marof pools at the foot of the waterfall, return along the same path, and then drive to the upper parking lot where you can admire the view from the observation point, clearly signposted, north of the Avdat archaeological site and just off the main highway.
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40km long. Millions of years old, it presents a unique opportunity to walk through the stages of the earth’s evolution in reverse. A few nature trails have been marked out, which lead through some of the most attractive and interesting sections. Hiking maps in English and other languages are available at the visitors centre. The Nahal Gewanim–Ein Sharonim trail is recommended as one of the best. The various rock formations seen along the way and the variety of colours are simply awe-inspiring. Taking about 4½ to 5½ hours, the walk covers occasionally steep rocky terrain and is usually walked in very hot conditions. Do not overestimate your stamina – take along plenty of water, wear a head covering and start as early in the day as possible. To reach the trail, take the southbound bus from the petrol station in Mitzpe Ramon (to Eilat) and get off when you see the second orange signpost on the left-hand side of the road in the crater – about a 10-minute drive from town. You will pass mines on both sides of the road just before you get to the two signs. There is no bus stop, so tell the driver when you want to get off. Follow the jeep track away from the road for about 30 minutes, then take the right fork after the electricity pylon on the left. At the top of the steepish slope follow the green-on-white trail markers to your left. This narrow path takes you along the ridge, giving you excellent views across the crater to your left. There is a pleasant shaded spot for that necessary drink and rest after about 10 minutes – climb up to your right here. It should have taken you about an hour to reach this spot from the road. After a further five minutes, the path splits in two, but both the high and low paths go the same way. Scramble up the rock face briefly to the top of the ridge for a commanding view in all directions. Here you can see all at once the variety of contrasting rock formations and colours with the maze of wadis and canyons wending through them. If you took the high path, climb down after about 20 minutes to join the low path and save an even steeper descent later. It’s possible to take any of the three paths here as they all join up eventually to lead down to a wadi (Nahal Gewanim).
Follow the wadi to the right and around to the left. After 25 minutes it narrows considerably, with large and small caves on both sides of the canyon. Another 15 minutes and you come to a Hebrew signpost. Follow the track just past it to the left, away from the wadi. The track forks after about five minutes; take the left track to the sign with the coloured trail markers. Go straight ahead, following the blue-on-white trail markers. After 20 minutes you should reach another signpost. Again, go straight and then follow the path to the left. Follow the wadi for 20 minutes and you will come to a couple of water holes. Follow the track to the left 10 minutes from here – there is a blue-on-white sign. After five minutes you will come to a jeep track going left to right with a signpost. Go to the left and after 25 minutes you will reach the electricity pylon that you passed at the start of the walk. Go to the right here and the road is 30 minutes away. Scenic Pass
The scenic pass is part of the Israel National Trail, a series of hikes designed to run the length of the country. It is a leisurely and very scenic two-hour hike that takes you down into the Maktesh Ramon to the Carpenter’s Workshop and on to the main road. From the youth hostel, follow the path along the edge of the crater until you see the sign pointing down. Follow the green trail markings and you’ll eventually come to the Carpenter’s Workshop. Continue to reach the main road, where you can either hitch back to town or flag down one of the infrequent buses. Carpenter’s Workshop
Shortly after the road from Mitzpe Ramon zigzags down into the crater, an orange signpost points to this site of geological interest, 500m to the right. The Carpenter’s Workshop is a unique rock formation that has been shaped by pressure and is said to resemble wood. The rock eventually breaks up into pieces, but among the rubble you can see unbroken parts. Follow the jeep track from the road that ends with a car park. From here take the path up the hill to the left (past the refuse bins). This leads you around the hill to a wooden observation platform, which gives you a close-up at the rocks in question. You
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can either take the Eilat bus or hitch from Mitzpe Ramon, or stop here on your way down on the Scenic Pass hike. OTHER CRATERS
There are two other craters in the Negev, Maktesh HaQatan and Maktesh HaGadol; both are south of Dimona, but neither is accessible by public transport. The best option if you want to hike in the area is to hire a car in Be’er Sheva (see p333). Maktesh HaQatan is, as the name suggests, the smallest crater (qatan is Hebrew for ‘small’, gadol is ‘big’). Roughly circular in shape, it looks more like it was caused by a large meteor than erosion. It offers more hiking opportunities than Maktesh HaGadol, which is the easier of the two to reach. To get to Maktesh HaGadol head to the town of Yeroham (take Rte 204 south from Dimona towards Sde Boker) and follow the signs to the ‘Great Crater’. It’s a short but beautiful drive right through the crater on Rte 225. Turn left at Rte 206, which takes you back to the main Dimona road (Rte 25). Turn right and head towards the Dead Sea for about 25km until you see the signs for the small crater. There’s a short walk from the car park to a spectacular observation point. There is also a free camping site here. ALPACA FARM
Inspired by their love for South American wildlife and culture, Ilan and Na’ama Dvir flew 188 camelids (llamas and alpacas) here from Chile. Starting with 188 creatures, they now have over 500 at their beautiful Alpaca Farm (x658 8047; www.alpaca.co.il; adult/child 25/23NIS; h 8.30am-6.30pm summer, 8.30am-4.30pm winter)
tucked into a hidden valley about 3km from Mitzpe Ramon. The animals are being raised for their wool, which is for sale as hats and scarves. If your timing is right, you can see such activities as shearing, washing, spinning, weaving and, for kids, there is a llama ride (20NIS for 20 minutes). These charming, woolly quadrupeds wander around freely and will no doubt approach you fearlessly looking for handouts to nibble on. The farm also offers horse riding in the desert. Ride to the crater’s rim (1½ hours, 130NIS) or the more experienced can take a 25km, two-hour trail ride (250NIS) into the Negev Highlands. Call the day before to arrange the trips.
INDUSTRIAL ZONE
To see regeneration in action, check out the industrial zone at the entrance to town, where an assortment of artists and urbanescapists have transformed the old hangars into studios and galleries. Stop by Made in Mitzpe (x659 5111; 21 Har Boker St; h9am-6pm Sun-Thu, Fri 9am-3pm) studio for local ceramics, jewellery and clothing. Out the back a designer makes mud furniture. In the next street, Nature Scent (x653
9333; www.naturescent.co.il; Hangar 22; h 7am-4pm Sun-Thu, 7am-1pm Fri) is a family-run workshop
creating over 50 types of handmade soaps from natural ingredients, as well as delicious-smelling bath products. Producing interesting modern and interpretive dance is Adama (x659 5190; www.adama .org.il), a company that runs monthly festivals during summer and regular dance/ meditation workshops during the rest of the year. See also p342. To get closer to the Negev’s amazing night skies drop into the small Star Trip Planetarium (x659 5959; 12 Har Boker St; admission 20NIS; h9am-midnight).
Activities Desert Archery (x658 7274, 0505 344 598; www.desert archery.co.il) A beautiful and intriguing sport, not dissimilar to a game of golf, but with a bow instead of a club and desert terrain instead of a putting green. Training is provided and it’s 50NIS per person for two hours with a guide and equipment.
Tours Lots of companies run rugged jeep tours, but they come and go with the desert wind and you may need to muster a group; see the visitors centre for the latest offerings. Guide Horizon (x659 5333;
[email protected];
27 Har Boker St) Hires out desert dune buggies for excursions into the Negev; a three-hour trip with breakfast goes for 350NIS while an overnight trip, including cook-out and sauna upon return to the home base, goes for 800NIS. Negevland Tours (x659 5555; www.negevland .co.il; Har Ardon St) Best all-round adventure company in the area. It offers jeep crater tours (130NIS per person), abseiling (60NIS for two descents), paintball (100NIS for 120 bullets) and licensed hiking guides who speak English, French and Spanish (US$140 per day). Negevland also has the only professional bike-repair shop between Be’er Sheva and Eilat and rents 21-gear mountain bikes (70-150NIS day).
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342 T H E N E G E V • • M i t z p e R a m o n
Peter Bugel Tours (x658 8958; www.shunra.net
/peter.html) Caters for travellers who are interested in desert culture, geology and botany. It’s a sophisticated outfit run by a fellow who speaks Dutch, German, English and Swiss-German. Overnight trips cost from US$350 for a group of seven.
Sleeping From desert tents to boutique luxury, there are some great accommodation options for every price range in Mitzpe. Be’erot Camping (x658 6713; www.beerot.com; campsites/Bedouin tent beds per person 25/40NIS) The only place to sleep in the crater; what this camp lacks in atmosphere it makes up with its dramatic setting. Popular with groups, there’s traditional tents, clean bathrooms and a modern shower block. The camp is Bedouin-run and there’s good local food. It’s 12km south of Mitzpe Ramon on the highway to Eilat, and then 5km down a bumpy access road. Meals are available for 30NIS but call ahead. Silent Arrow (Hetzba Sheket; x052 661 1561; www .hetzbasheket.com; Bedouin tent beds/dome tents per person 80/120NIS) A magical place where you can
choose from a mattress in the communal Bedouin-style tent (fully heated in winter) or a dome ‘suite’ tent, in the desert outside the camp, which have a comfortable double bed and are half open to let you do some serious star gazing. Owner Dror is a real character who gives this place a special touch, from the cosy lounge area with its hanging lanterns (there is no electricity) to the herb tea made fresh from the garden and his wonderful stories about the Negev. Shared bathroom and kitchen facilities are incredibly clean. Best to bring your own food, or if you order ahead breakfast is 45NIS, three meals 120NIS. Dror also takes volunteers (week minimum). The camp is 700m from town or ring for a lift. Chez Alexis (x658 8002, 052 546 0661; 7 Ein Saharonim St; r per person 100NIS) This villa on the western side of town has been converted into a cosy family-run guesthouse and offers the best value for those who like four walls and a bed. The four rooms are immaculately neat and share one large bathroom with bathtub. The living room and kitchen are a great place to lounge around in winter while you warm yourself next to the old potbelly stove heater. The family doesn’t live on the property so phone ahead and make a reservation if you are heading this way.
Adama (x659 5190; Har Ardon St; camping 50NIS, r per person, with breakfast 100NIS) Not everyone’s cup of herbal tea but definitely something different is the indoor camping at Adama, a modern dance company housed in an old hangar in the industrial zone (see p341). For as little as 50NIS per night you can crash on a mattress in one of their airy studios, or for a bit of privacy crawl into one of the foam tepee-like structures. Those with tents can set them up in the garden. Guests are welcome to participate in dance and meditation activities. If you’re really on the cheap, volunteer around the place and eat and sleep for free. Mitzpe Ramon HI Youth Hostel (x658 8443;
[email protected]; dm/s/d, with breakfast 100/195/280NIS; a) A short downhill walk from the visitors
centre, this hostel is beautifully located near the edge of the crater with most rooms having an inspirational view. Reception is open from 3pm onwards. MIDRANGE & TOP END
Rooms in this section are at least 100NIS cheaper in the middle of the week. Alpaca Farm B&B (x658 8047; www.alpaca.co.il; d 450NIS; a) For some unique accommodation (not that it’s hard to find in Mitzpe) stay overnight on the Alpaca Farm (see p341) in their attractive hillside suites. Each cabin is decked out with wood floors, cable TV, kitchenette and a great balcony for enjoying the views of the desert and all those fluffy creatures. When the farm closes this place offers the perfect mix of comfort and serenity, but during working hours it could get a little noisy when there are groups visiting. Succah in the Desert (Succah HaMidbar; x658 6280; www.succah.co.il; half-board d 550NIS) Set 7km from town on a poor track, this is the place to stay if you’re intrigued by any sort of mysticism. The collection of seven sukkot (small dwellings) built of stones and palm leaves sits on the rocky slopes of a wadi amid some typically beautiful desert scenery. There is one larger sukkah that houses a kitchen, lounge and dining area, while the others provide accommodation that’s tastefully furnished with rugs and other fabrics. Known for its ecological sensibilities, each sukkah has its own solar energy system. The tariff includes a gourmet vegetarian dinner, which all the guests eat together. Reservations are essential and will avail you of a free lift from Mitzpe Ramon.
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Desert Home (Bait BaMidbar; x052 322 9496; www .baitbamidbar.com; 70 En Shaviv; d, with breakfast 600NIS; a) Run by the same people as Succah in
the Desert, this is for travellers who really enjoy their creature comforts. On the edge of a quiet residential neighbourhood, the five units are decorated straight from the pages of a Vogue Living special on desert life. The minimalist style incorporates bleached-wood floors, locally made furniture and a private collection of art and photography. Each unit has a balcony that overlooks the beautifully landscaped courtyard, but the desert views are slightly obscured by neighbouring houses. There is an on-site treatment room for massage and alternative therapy. Also recommended: A Room with a View (x658 7274; desreta@netvision
.net.il; 6 Ein Saharonin; d 300NIS) As the name implies, this cosy room in a modern townhouse has a gorgeous garden with stunning sunset views over the desert hills. Ramon Inn (x658 8822, fax 658 8151; 1 Ein Akev St; US$121/146; as) The standard hotel option; efficiently run with comfortable units and a wide range of adventure activities on offer.
Eating Self-caterers will find joy at the Hyper Neto and Supersol supermarkets in the town centre. Hannah’s Restaurant (x 658 8158; mains 2535NIS; h9am-6pm Sun-Thu, 9am-3pm Fri) This simple roadside diner at the Paz petrol station turns out surprisingly decent dishes with a Moroccan-French twist. It’s self-service and there are also standards such as schnitzel and pasta available. HaHavit (x658 8226; mains 30-45NIS; h8am2am) Located next to the visitors centre, the inviting HaHavit (Barrel) serves up huge portions of fresh salad, soups, sandwiches and pasta dishes. On Tuesday nights, young soldiers leave their Uzis in the corner and dance up a storm. By the way, it’s not the well-stocked bar making you drunk; those views are for real. Haksa (x0507 565 063; Har Adon St; mains 40NIS; hlunch & dinner) Enjoy delicious home-style grill dishes such as meatballs with aubergine and couscous at this friendly restaurant in the industrial zone. There are no real vegetarian options but the owner will happily bring out salad, hummus and oven-hot pita if you ask. The library in the next room has every Marxist/feminist/
anti-globalisation handbook there is translated into Hebrew, but also some English magazines that can be read on the couches out the back.
Getting There & Away Mitzpe Ramon lies 23km south of Avdat and 136km north of Eilat, via the Gerofit junction. From Sunday to Thursday bus No 392 travels to Eilat (44NIS, 2½ hours) at 8.55am, 10.25am, 12.55pm and 4.40pm. There is no bus on Friday. Catch the bus from the petrol station. From 6am to 9.30pm, bus No 60 shuttles hourly to and from Be’er Sheva (26NIS, one hour), via Sde Boker and Ein Avdat. You can pick this up on Ben-Gurion Blvd.
THE ARAVA
اراﻓﺎ
הערבה
The Arava is a beautiful, sparsely populated desert that runs from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea, and is part of the Great Rift Valley (which runs north to south for some 5000km from northern Syria to central Mozambique). Often seen only from the window of a bus, it has many hidden treasures that are well worth taking time to explore. The SPNI Hatzeva Field School (x08-658-1546;
[email protected]) has information on hiking and bird-watching in the Arava.
Timna Park
ﺗﻤﻨﻊ%ﻣﻨﺘﺰ
פארק תמנע
About 25km north of Eilat, Timna Park (x 08-631 6756; www.timna-park.co.il; adult/child 38/33NIS; h 8am-4pm Sat-Thu Sep-Jun, 8am-1pm Fri & Sun, 6-8.30pm Mon-Thu Jul & Aug) is the site of
some stunning desert landscapes, enlivened with multicoloured rock formations. It’s best known as a source of copper for 5th century BC Egyptian miners – the park is dotted with ancient mine shafts – but it also includes a wonderland of geological phenomena. The most intriguing are the Natural Arch, the eroded monolith known as the Mushroom and the photogenic Solomon’s Pillars. There is also a range of excellent day hikes through one of Israel and the Palestinian Territories’ wildest desert landscapes. Information about walks is available at the visitors centre, which also has a multimedia presentation; ‘Mines of Time’ tells the story of copper mining and its significance to the culture of Ancient Egypt.
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BUDGET
Book accommodation online l o nate lonelyplanet.com lyplanet.com
Located 35km north of Eilat, the Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve (x08-637 3057; adult/child was created to establish breeding groups of wild animals that are mentioned in the Bible, as well as for other threatened species. The reserve has three parts; a three-acre penned-in area where you can observe the animals (mainly African asses, addax, ostriches and oryxes) in their ‘natural state’; the predator centre (23/12NIS per adult/ child), where reptiles, small desert animals and large predators such as wolves and leopards are on display; and the desert Night Life exhibition hall, where night and day are reversed so that you can watch nocturnal animals like the pygmy gerbils and the fat sandy rat during their active hours. The reserve includes a variety of different habitats including sand dunes, an acacia forest and a salt marsh. A private car is needed to navigate its gravelled roads, and an audio CD (5NIS) is available with English explanations about the animals. A visit takes about an hour. It’s recommended to visit at feeding time, which is between 11am and 1pm. A combined ticket for both the wildlife reserve and the predator centre is 39/18NIS. The reserve is on Rte 90 between Kibbutz Yotvata and Kibbutz Samar.
Kibbutz Lotan
ﻟﻮﻃﺎن
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One of the youngest kibbutzim in Israel, Lotan (x08-635 6935; www.kibbutzlotan.com; Rte 90) is committed to a strong ecological vision known in Hebrew as tikkun olam (repairing the world). Kibbutz Lotan members operate a compost pile; maintain a bird reserve; tend an organic vegetable garden; construct buildings out of old tires and clay; and are in the process of installing a series of ponds to reclaim and filter used water from showers, cooking, and cleaning. Through the Centre for Creative Ecology, the kibbutz runs regular workshops in subjects such as alternative building methods, as well as half-day and full-day tours that show visitors how to put
Sleeping & Eating Camel Riders (x 08-637 3218; www.camel-riders
inn sells the organic produce grown on Kibbutz Neot Semadar, a young, very alternative community nearby. Try the delicious goats’ cheese lasagne or the nectarine and plum ice-cream. There’s also homemade olive oil, wine and dates for sale. Yotvata Restaurant (Yotvata Kibbutz, Rte 90) This famed dairy kibbutz lives up to its name with mouth-watering ice-cream, belt-widening puddings and a full menu of blintzes, cheese platters and pizzas. There’s also a small supermarket and sandwiches for takeaway.
.com; Shaharut; Bedouin tent per person 60NIS, huts 120NIS, r 170NIS; s) If you’re searching for peace in the
EILAT
.kibbutzlotan.com; s/d, with breakfast 200/300NIS; ai s) If you want to take part in some of the
Wedged between Jordan and Egypt, and separated from the Israel of international headlines by 200km of desert, Eilat is a resort town where glitzy, ziggurat-like hotels line an artificial lagoon and glass-bottomed boats ply deteriorating coral reefs. Its founding fathers – convicts sent here in the 1950s to build the city – now mix with tie-dyed beach bums selling trinkets from India and weekend holidaymakers in search of sin. With an average winter temperature of 21°C, the town is heaving all year, but come summer the temperature rises and so does the sounds of shrieking 14 year olds in bikinis, soldiers on R & R and elderly Russian women who brook no age limit in the wearing of short shorts. The Miami-style scene is somewhat diminished by coarse and cluttered beaches, and for most visitors Eilat’s real appeal is in its surrounding desert mountains and canyons. Divers, snorkellers, sunbathers and anyone else searching for the Red Sea’s magical underwater should head posthaste for the Egyptian Sinai.
Middle East this is where to look. Perched on a cliff edge far above the Arava, Camel Riders is located at Shaharut, one of the most remote spots in this crowded country. About 60km north of Eilat and then another 22km off the main highway (Rte 12), it’s a Sinaistyle retreat where you can choose to sleep on a mattress in a main room with wall-towall Bedouin carpets, or in new mud-brick huts that are beautifully designed, capturing the awesome views and refreshing desert breeze. Managed by the charismatic Yonatan, this is a popular spot for Tel Aviv exiles with an artistic bent, who come to cool off in the mountain-side plunge pools, eat excellent Bedouin-inspired food (dinner 80NIS, breakfast 40NIS) or participate in monthly workshops such as yoga and creative writing. And as the name suggests, camel rides are on offer, from two hours (75NIS) to 14 days. If you’re coming by bus (No 392 between Eilat and Mitzpe Ramon), Yonatan will pick you up from the Shizzafon Junction. Kibbutz Lotan Guesthouse (x08-635 6935; www exciting eco-activities at Kibbutz Lotan, or even if you are just after a base for exploring the Arava region, this pleasant guesthouse is a lovely place to stop for a night or two. Located in the middle of one of the kibbutz neighbourhoods, the rooms are simply decorated with a kitchenette. Unlike other kibbutzim there is a quite a bit of interaction between guests and members, who will happily discuss local desert hikes, environmental issues, or just point you towards the dining hall. Neot Semadar Inn (x08-635 8180; Shizzafon Junction; mains 33-40NIS; h6.30am-9.30pm Sun-Thu, 6.30am-
اﻳﻼت
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x07 / pop 34,700
main shopping area, with the Shalom and Red Canyon malls on one side of HaTemarim and the older commercial centre across the street. The airport runway serves as the noman’s-land between the town centre and the hotel area. The hotels are dotted around a purpose-built lagoon and marina. Nearby are the most accessible beaches, known collectively as North Beach.
Information BOOKSHOPS
Steimatzky (Map p346; h9am-7pm Sun-Thu, 9am2pm Fri) Has branches in the bus station and on the ground floor of the Shalom Centre. Sells Lonely Planet guides to Jordan and Egypt.
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Orientation Eilat consists of a town centre, the hotelfringed lagoon and beaches, and the 5km coastal strip between the town centre and the Egyptian border. The massive Jordanian flag down the coast to the east marks the town of Aqaba; on clear days it’s possible to see King Hussein’s mansion. The backbone of the town centre is sloping HaTemarim Blvd. The bus station is off HaTemarim Blvd, with the main hostel area just to the north across Hativat HaNegev Ave. Downhill from the bus station is the
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HaDekel Beach
INFORMATION SPNI Field School...............1 A3 Port
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Aqua Sport......................(see 2) Coral Beach.......................2 A3 Dolphin Reef.....................3 A3 Kibbutz Elot.......................4 A1 3 Red Sea Sports Club..........5 A3 Siam Divers.....................(see 2) Snuba................................6 A4 8 Underwater Observatory 10 Marine Park...................7 A4 2 Village Beach.....................8 A3
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SLEEPING Orchid...............................9 A4 Reef Hotel.......................10 A3 SPNI Field School.............(see 1) EATING Last Refuge.....................(see 2) DRINKING Dolphin Reef...................(see 3) ENTERTAINMENT Village.............................(see 8)
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23/12NIS; h8.30am-5pm Sun-Thu, 8.30am-4pm Fri & Sat)
3.30pm Fri, 5.30-9.30pm Sat) This inviting roadside
JORDAN
Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve ﻳﻮﻃﻔﺎﻃﻪ בר יוטבתה-פארק חי
environmental theory into practice. They also have a ‘Green Apprenticeship’, a 10week intensive work and study experience. Complimenting the ecology program is the Holistic Desert Health Centre, which offers courses and sessions in Ashtanga yoga, massage, reiki, reflexology and watsu (water shiatsu), among other therapies. Check out the kibbutz website for ‘holistic holiday’ packages.
Rd
Buses between Eilat and Jerusalem pass the park turn-off, 2.5km from the park entrance. From there, it’s a long walk to anything of interest. This is one place where it really makes sense to hire a car.
T H E N E G E V • • E i l a t 345
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yim
Book accommodation online l o nate lonelyplanet.com lyplanet.com
Mizra
344 T H E N E G E V • • T h e A r a v a
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EMERGENCY
Police station (Map p346; x100) Located at the
E-Surf (Map p346;x634 4331; central bus station; per hr 14NIS; h10am-11pm Sun-Thu, 9am-4pm Fri, 5-11pm Sat) Internet café.
POST
MONEY
TOURIST INFORMATION
To change money, head for the many nocommission exchange bureaux in the old commercial centre off HaTemarim Blvd. The post office in the Red Canyon Centre also changes money. ATMs are widespread.
SPNI Field School (Map p345; x637 1127; eilat@spni .org.il) Just across the street from Coral Beach on the coastal road to Taba, in the Sinai. They have information on hiking and bird-watching in the area. Tourist information office (Map p346; x630 9111;
[email protected]; Bridge House, Yacht Marina; h8am-6pm Sun-Thu, 8am-2pm Fri) A helpful place with loads of maps and brochures.
10-6am Thu-Sat) This station is near the tourist information office at North Beach. INTERNET ACCESS
Capish (Map p346; x632 6977; New Tourist Centre; h24hr) Internet is available at this coffee shop.
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INFORMATION Capish........................................ 1 A2 E-Surf.....................................(see 33) Egyptian Consulate.....................2 B2 Police Station..............................3 C1 Post Office..................................4 B2 Steimatzky..............................(see 32) Steimatzky..............................(see 33) Tourist Information Office.......... 5 D3 Tourist Police.............................. 6 C3 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Desert Eco Tours.........................7 Israel Yam................................... 8 King's City.................................. 9 Kisuski.......................................10
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(Map p345; x630 0111; www.dolphinreef.co.il; South Beach; adult/child 46/32NIS; h9am-5pm Sun-Thu, 9am-4.30pm Fri & Sat), where visitors can observe dolphin
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Have you heard the one about the woman who married a dolphin? No, it’s not a bad joke – it really happened at the Dolphin Reef
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Red Rock Beach
Gulf of Eilat
Corrine Hostel...........................12 Eilat Guesthouse & Youth Hostel...................................13 Hotel Pierre...............................14 Nathan’s White House...............15 Royal Beach.............................. 16 Spring Hostel.............................17 Villa Kibel................................. 18
B1 B3 B1 B1 D3 B1 A2
EATING 32............................................ 19 D3 Co-Op Supermarket..................20 B1 Eddie’s Hide-A-Way..................21 B1 Ginger Asian Kitchen & Bar.......22 B3 La Cucina................................. 23 D3 Pizza Lek...................................24 B1 Regata...................................... 25 D3 Shibolim....................................26 B1 Spring Onion............................(see 5)
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DRINKING Three Monkeys Pub................. 27 D3 Underground Pub.....................28 B3 Unplugged..............................(see 28) ENTERTAINMENT IMAX Theatre...........................29 B3 Platinum................................... 30 D3 SHOPPING Red Canyon Mall......................31 B2 Shalom Centre.......................... 32 C2 TRANSPORT Arkia......................................(see 31) Car Rentals.............................(see 32) Central Bus Station....................33 B2 Israir.......................................(see 32) New Tourist Centre.................(see 28)
training, feed the dolphins and even snorkel or dive with them in their ‘natural habitat’. There is currently a group of eight bottlenose dolphins at the reef, several of which are the children of dolphins purchased from Russian and Japanese fishing interests and brought to the Red Sea in the early ’90s with the aim of eventually releasing the mammals into the open water. The management of Dolphin Reef likes to make it clear that it is the animals’ ‘choice’ to approach guided groups of snorkellers or divers, that it is not based on any reinforcement by feeding. Dolphin Reef is also actively involved in petitioning the government for official protection of wild dolphins and other marine life in the Red Sea. Admission includes the use of the lovely private beach, as well as a documentary film screening. There are floating piers and observations points from where you can view the dolphins. For 227NIS you can snorkel with the dolphins or do an introductory dive for 274NIS. Five-day PADI and SSI open-water courses are also available for US$450. Another feature of Dolphin Reef is the gorgeous Relaxation Pools (150NIS for 1½ hours including refreshments). Surrounded by lush greenery, the three pools (rainwater, sea water and Dead Sea water) are all heated and have underwater music, making for a rather blissful experience!
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You must make advance bookings to swim or snorkel with the dolphins as well as to use the relaxation pools. During the high season and holidays they recommend you book at least two weeks in advance. There’s also a strict cancellation policy. CORAL BEACH NATURE RESERVE
With over 100 types of stony coral and 650 species of fish, the Coral Beach Nature Reserve (Map p345; x637 6829; adult/child 23/12NIS; h9am5pm) is a utopia for snorkellers. A wooden
bridge leads from the shore to the beginning of the reef (which is over a kilometre in length), where you can follow several underwater trails marked by buoys. The reserve stretches from the Underwater Observatory to the Reef Hotel, and the entrance is opposite the SPNI Field School. Snorkelling equipment is available for hire and the beach has showers and lockers. There is also a 15-minute film screening, which is a good introduction to the Red Sea marine environment. UNDERWATER OBSERVATORY MARINE PARK
For as much aquatic action as you can handle without getting wet, head to the Underwater Observatory Marine Park (Map p345; x636 4200; www.coralworld.com/eilat; Taba Rd; adult/child 79/69NIS; h8.30am-5.30pm Sat-Thu, 8.30am-4pm Fri), south of
Coral Beach. Aside from standard aquarium features such as shark tanks, turtles and stingray pools there are highlights like the magical glassed-in observatory, 4.25m below the water’s surface, through which you can view the usually rich Red Sea marine life. In case the fish outside fail to put in an appearance there are plenty of captive specimens in the accompanying aquarium. There’s even a pitch-black room for viewing phosphorescent fish. Kids will get a thrill out of the petting pool and the regular feedings that take place between 11am and 3pm. The Oceanarium submarine simulator should be next on the list if you want to experience a virtual ride under the sea. It’s a true theme park–style attraction with jolting seats and a squealing audience. Slightly out of place, but fascinating nonetheless, is the Amazon exhibition, which has piranhas (fed daily at 3pm), anacondas and a weird-looking alligator-snapping turtle. For more sea-bed cruising jump on the Coral 2000 (adult/child 39/29NIS), which has
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48 windows for optimal marine-life viewing. The 35-minute tour leaves from the observatory at 11am and 1pm Monday to Saturday. KING’S CITY
It took four years and US$40 million to build this biblical theme park. King’s City (Map p346;x630 4444; www.kingscity.co.il; East Lagoon) is an opulent showcase for the stories of King Solomon and Queen Sheba among other monarchs. The attractions are high-tech and interactive featuring mazes, kaleidescopes, 3D films and a heart-thumping water ride. There are no less than six fast-food outlets on hand if all those Bible stories are making you hungry. Other than hanging around an air-conditioned mall the Red Sea is the best place to cool off with a range of fun activities to have you in a splash. For those who prefer dry land, nearby hikes offer a peaceful alternative to the beach scene. BEACHES
Eilat’s main beaches are less than impressive. North Beach (Map p346) is great for a drink in the sun, but considering it’s so cluttered and crowded, you’d be best to stick with the hotel pool. If that’s not an option head down the coast towards the Egyptian border. Village Beach (Map p345) is particularly pleasant, with free umbrellas, clean water for snorkelling and attentive waiters who will keep you hydrated all day long. Weekends can feel like a scene from MTV Spring Break with ex-army boys flexing their pecs and big-breasted girls sunning themselves on the pontoon, but during the week it’s a great place to chill out. Another good option is the free HaDekel (Palm) Beach (Map p345). Outside these seaside operations the coastline looks like a building site of stones, gravel and muddy furrows. Our advice for die-hard beach bums is to head for Taba and the rest of the Sinai. WATER SPORTS
Boating
A popular excursion from the main hotel area is the Israel Yam (Map p346; x637 5528, 050 531 0090; Yacht Marina; adult/child 60/40NIS), a glassbottomed boat that cruises between the
Egyptian and Jordanian borders, before heading to the Coral Beach Nature Reserve. It lasts two hours and operates at least three times daily. The underwater scenery is fairly spectacular and there’s an accompanying English-language commentary. For some fun in the sun, the Red Sea Sports Club (Map p345; x637 6569; www.redseasports.co .il; Ambassador Hotel, Coral Beach) offers scenic day trips on their cruiser to the beaches at the Taba border or to Coral Island off the Sinai Peninsula. There’s also swimming, snorkelling and water sports. The price (adult/child from US$28/32) includes a barbecue lunch. If you want to control the action then Red Sea Sports Club rents out small motor boats for US$40 per hour. If there is a need for speed, a skipper and speed boat is yours for US$140 per hour. For something more sedate, Aqua Sport (Map p345; x633 4404; www.aqua -sport.com; Coral Beach) has kayaks for US$10 per hour. Scuba Diving
Despite the enthusiastic PR, Eilat’s waters do not offer world-class diving. If you’ve dived in Asia or Australia you’re likely to be disappointed with the quality of the coral, which, due to the sheer volume of divers, has seen some inevitable damage. Serious divers should head to the nearby Sinai desert. However, there’s still underwater excitement to be had. The best thing about snorkelling and diving in Eilat is how close the marine life is to the shore. This accessibility makes it a great place for kids as well as for beginners wanting to do an introductory dive or open-water course. Two of the oldest dive companies in Eilat are Red Sea Sports Club and Aqua Sport. Aqua Sport (Map p345; x633 4404; www.aqua-sport .com; Coral Beach) offers an introductory scuba dive for US$45, a five-day PADI open-water course for US$295, daily shore dives for US$40, thrice-weekly boat dives (two tanks US$70) as well as one- to five-day Sinai excursions from US$95 to US$495. Red Sea Sports Club (Map p345; x637 6569; www .redseasports.co.il; Ambassador Hotel, Coral Beach) offers 3- to 6-day packages for certified divers from US$100, including a Red Sea Triangle package where you dive Aqaba, Eilat and the Sinai in one week (US$680 including all accommodation). They also offer standard courses, and have live-aboard cruises
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to the Strait of Tiran, Ras Mohammed and Gulf of Suez. The friendly Siam Divers (Map p345; x637 0581; www.siam.co.il; Coral Beach) is one of the best value, with the PADI open water going for US$200. For certified divers there are two guided dives a day, which are US$23 including all gear. There are live-aboards such as the three-day Sinai experience for US$370. All operators have great accommodation deals for divers who use their services, so if you’re interested in diving get in touch with the clubs first before locating a hotel. Snorkelling Snuba (Map p345;x637 2722; www.snuba.co.il; South Beach) is a guided underwater adventure for
beginners who have no proficiency with tanks but would love to see some of the aquatic sights. Guides take snuba divers to the Caves reef, considered one of the best coral reefs in Eilat. It costs US$40 and includes two hours of snorkel rental after the activity. At the dive centres you can hire snorkel equipment for around US$8 to US$10. Water-skiing & Parasailing
Both the dive centres organise waterskiing (US$28 for 15 minutes) and parasailing (US$30 for 10 minutes). At Kisuski (Map p346; x637 2088; www.kisos.co.il; Red Rock Beach)
you can rent all the other water toys you hadn’t thought of such as jet skis, jet boats, pedal boats, ski tubes and bananas. DESERT HIKES
Although overshadowed by the activities on the beach and underwater, there are some marvellous hiking possibilities in the Eilat region. Marked nature trails enable visitors to explore the colourful mountains and valleys just outside the town. When you go hiking in the desert be sure to abide by the safety guidelines: follow a marked path, take sufficient water, cover your head, beware of flash floods and avoid the Israel-Egypt border area and army installations – do not take photographs or hike at night near here. Mt Zefahot Circular Trail
This almost circular hike is within reach of nondrivers and is best enjoyed towards the end of the day. It involves about three hours of easy walking to give you a superb view
of the Gulf of Aqaba and the four countries whose borders meet here: Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Take bus No 15 from the central bus station and get off by the Texas Ranch (opposite Coral Beach). Follow the sign pointing to Wadi Shlomo and walk upstream along the dirt road for about 2km, ignoring the numerous side paths, until you see the concrete buildings on your left. Now vacant, they were used to quarantine animals. Go left along Wadi Zefahot and follow the green trail markers. You pass by a dry waterfall on your right, and after 300m the path forks with a black marked trail veering off to the right. Keep going straight ahead on the green marked trail for another 200m. It then turns to the left and starts to climb quite steeply. Head up this path and keep climbing for about 15 minutes to reach the Mt Zefahot summit at about 278m. From this vantage point, Sinai is visible to the south – for the Crusader castle on Coral Island – while across the gulf are the Jordanian port city of Aqaba and the Saudi border. To the northeast, the greenery of Kibbutz Elot and the reefs off Coral Beach can also be seen. Although the sunset can be beautiful from here, hikers are advised not to return after dark as the trail can be difficult to follow. The path continues down to bring you to the field school on the main road.
Tours A good choice for wilderness tours is the reputable Desert Eco Tours (Map p346; x637 4259; www.desertecotours.com; Zofit Centre, Neviot St), which does half-day to multi-day jeep, camel and hiking tours in the Negev, Sinai (St Katherine’s Monastery, p382) and southwest Jordan. Plan on spending about US$45/100 for a half-/full-day (plus any border taxes) trip.
Festivals & Events The Red Sea Jazz Festival (x1 599 525 354; www .redseajazzeilat.com) is an international fourday jazz festival held annually in the last week of August. Outdoor performances are staged around the Eilat Sea Port and cost between 130 and 180NIS a ticket. The festival’s legendary jam sessions are free and take place poolside at the Riviera Hotel each night.
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Sleeping As a resort town, the cost of hotel rooms in Eilat rises by about 25% or more on weekends, and 25% to 50% (or more) in the months of June and August. Reserve ahead or you’ll be out on the street, or avoid the place altogether at peak holiday times, particularly Passover and Sukkot. BUDGET
Hostels
[email protected]; 106 Almogin St; dm/s/d/tr 40/100/120/ 150NIS; a) A tightly run ship, this hostel is
one of the best budget options in town as the queue of young Israelis at reception can attest. The warren of super-clean rooms is nothing to get excited about, with low ceilings, little light and a dire lack of floor space, but the bustling family atmosphere more than makes up for it, as do the ample kitchen and laundry facilities. The efficient staff can advise on dive courses (as can most of the guests) and there’s a pretty outdoor setup with views of the Jordanian mountains. Spring Hostel (Map p346; x 637 4660; www .avivhostels.co.il; 126 Ofarim St; s 150-175NIS, d 180-220NIS; ais) When the communal areas of a
hostel are so flash – stylish lounge setting, pool table, kitchen and a slick lap pool on the first floor – it cuts like a knife to see poky but clean rooms with tiny windows and an overriding smell of cigarettes. The curt reception from the management on the day we visited doesn’t help either. Corinne Hostel (Map p346; x637 1472; 127 Retamim St; dm/s/d 45/50/200NIS; a) Eilat’s oldest hostel is an atmospheric place and a quiet escape from the blaring city centre. The double and dorm rooms in the main block are in the basement, bomb shelter–style, but they are still light-filled and cool. Out the back, small wood bungalows are topped with wooden reindeer cut-outs, as if Santa
had just arrived in Eilat. There’s also a colourful tiled kitchen, cable TV and good common area for meeting other travellers. Nathan’s White House (Map p346; x637 6572, 0507 262 532; Retamim St; r per person 100NIS; a) Not so much white as exposed fake brick, this friendly hostel has five small apartments that sleep up to four people. They are recently renovated – improvements were ongoing at the time of research – and have neat kitchenettes, futon beds, modern bathrooms, TV and the usual depressing lack of light. There is a pleasant outdoor courtyard filled with half-naked Israelis and plans to put in a bar. Eilat Guesthouse & Youth Hostel (Map p346; x637 0088;
[email protected]; Mizrayim Rd; dm/s/d US$20/ 35/60;ai) Nothing out of the ordinary as
far as Israeli youth hostels go – modern and immaculately clean – but in Eilat that stands out a mile, as do the comfortable rooms with fridge and the good views out over the gulf from some of the balconies. The location, just south of the New Tourist Centre, is also handy for the better beaches. The main problem is that it generally attracts huge groups of school kids, not exactly the sort of place you want to laze around with other travellers discussing the price of beer in Cairo. Camping
Camping is illegal on most of Eilat’s beaches and it’s a law that is enforced. Exceptions are the areas towards the Jordanian border and north of the port. These beaches are rocky and unshaded and if that is not enough to turn you off, there’s also a high theft rate and a bit of a rodent problem to boot. Those who wish to pay for a rat-free, amenity-served camp site should head for the Coral Beach area. SPNI Field School (Map p345; x637 1127;
[email protected]) has a shaded camp site that is open year-round. Cost is 40NIS per person. It has clean bathrooms and showers, and a basic cafeteria. MIDRANGE
The tourist office has a comprehensive list of all private rooms and apartments. Villa Kibel (Map p346; x/fax 637 6911; www .villakibel.co.il; 18 Peres St; ste US$70-118; a) This is a friendly and quiet private home divided into a collection of comfortable holiday flats with kitchenettes and cable TV. South African owners Russell and Michelle Kibel have a range of apartments large and small to cater
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to all tastes and numbers of guests. Some of the flats are wheelchair accessible. They even offer a 13-bed house for 760NIS. The rooms tend to fill up, so bookings are highly recommended. Russell will happily pick you up from the bus station or airport if given notice. Hotel Pierre (Map p346; x632 6601; www.eilat
-guide.com/pierre; 123 Ofarim Lane; s/d, with breakfast US$50/80; a) For something quick and
easy try this well-managed place in a quiet laneway about ten minutes’ walk from the beach. It’s friendly and unassuming and the French management are charming to say the least. The 34 small but comfortable rooms all have fridges, phones and cable TV and there’s a lobby bar. Reef Hotel (Map p345; x636 4444; www.reefhotel .co.il; s/d, with breakfast US$111/130; as) The hotel brochure doesn’t lie when it says the Reef, between the Village and Coral Beaches, is on one of the nicest stretches of sand in Eilat. There’s also good snorkelling, a huge pool, a gym and an unpretentious summer-holiday atmosphere all year round. The comfortable rooms, all with balcony, are modern and spacious. If you’re going to be hitting the southern beaches every day this is a greatvalue and really laid-back place to stay. Orchid (Map p345; x636 0360; www.orchidhotel.co .il; Coral Beach; d/tr, with breakfast from US$130/180; ais) Definitely the most architectur-
ally interesting of the Eilat hotels, the Orchid is set up like a Thai island beach resort with bungalows clinging to the hillside and a tropical pool dotted with palm trees. Some of the more expensive units have a loft area that is perfect for families. A golf cart runs guests up and down the hill and they also have free use of bikes, great for riding down the coast to the different beaches. There’s a restaurant and spa on site – Thai, natch! TOP END
If you enjoy the over-the-top luxury of a five-star hotel, Eilat has plenty to choose from. There are more than 40 complexes along North Beach and on the road to Taba, with more being built every day. Unfortunately, despite the marble and the glitz, the shorts-and-thongs ambience is all wrong. As one harsh tour operator put it, ‘these are five-star hotels in a three-star resort’. If you want to stay for more than a day or so, check the holiday brochures at home
first, since inclusive deals might well be cheaper than booking privately. Royal Beach (Map p346; x636 8888; www.isro tel.co.il; North Beach; s/d US$344/406; ais) ‘A holiday beyond your imagination’ is the theme for this gargantuan hotel complex, which has 363 rooms and purports to be one of the most luxurious in Eilat. Despite opening in the early ’90s it manages to not feel dated with a vast glass lobby, a tastefully decorated terrace for sunset drinks and no less than three swimming pools, with waterfalls and underwater tunnels. Other than the private beach, there are a lot of green areas for relaxing in the sun. Herod’s Vitalis Spa (x638 1500; www.herods.co.il; North Beach; d from 1380NIS; asi) Indulge in the dramatic opulence of Herod’s Palace next door, then retreat to this boutique hotel within a hotel to enjoy personal service and an exceptional range of spa treatments. Accepting guests only 18 years or older, you can happily enjoy the mineral pool and hot and cold waterfalls toddler-free. As a health and lifestyle resort that is part of the Starwood Luxury Collection, there are plush rooms with Jacuzzi, a gorgeous roof garden for treatments and a juice bar and restaurant serving ‘spa cuisine’, just in case you were worried about a felafel ruining the detox.
Eating Shibolim (Map p346; x632 3932; Elot Ave; mains 1430NIS; hbreakfast & lunch Sun-Fri) For 26NIS Shibolim serves up the sort of breakfast you’ll dream about for days to come. This rustic bakery makes a variety of interesting breads and pastries, a few of which will turn up on your plate along with home-made jams, tasty salad and dips. Coffee comes with a sample of their biscuits and the service is as sweet as the yummy range of cakes. Spring Onion (Map p346; x637 7434; Bridge House; mains 35-60NIS; h9am-3am) This is a popular two-storey dairy and vegetarian place beside the lagoon bridge in the hotel area. In addition to a great Israeli breakfast (38NIS), you’ll find fruit shakes, salads, pizza and fish dishes. The huge portions should tide you over for most of the day. Regata (Map p346; x636 2293; Promenade, North Beach; mains 45-70NIS; hlunch & dinner) Unless you want to deal with a snarling maître d and an hour-long wait, don’t even consider turning up to this colourful Italian trattoria on
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There seems to be an idea in Eilat that a shed, air-con and a flea-ridden mattress a hostel doth make. These can be found behind every mixed business in town and unless you book ahead during the high season they may be your only option. Travellers are often greeted on arrival at the bus station by hostel and private room touts who have been known to fight over prospective guests. Be sure to see any accommodation before deciding to stay there. Arava Hostel (Map p346; x 637 4687; arava
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the weekends without a booking. During the rest of the week it’s a popular place for wood-oven pizzas, big bowls of pasta and plates of fish that you can eat outside or in the inviting multi-level dining room. Ginger Asian Kitchen and Bar (Map p346; x637
leather banquets and a wraparound bar, this is where the beautiful people come to nosh on late-night Japanese gyoza (dumplings) and sip Asian-infused cocktails. Food crisscrosses the Far East, from Thai curries to Indonesian noodle dishes and seafood tempura. La Cucina (Map p346; x636 8932; Promenade, North Beach; mains 75-85NIS; hlunch & dinner) Eat with the angels at this elegant Italian restaurant under the Royal Beach hotel with its heavenly murals, mood lighting, smooth suede furniture and bougainvillea-draped terrace. Decoration aside, the food is very good, with highlights being the wonderfully thin pizzas and fresh pasta dishes. Deserts such as lemongrass consommé with passionfruit are a refreshing change and certainly worth saving room for. Last Refuge (Map p345; x637 2437; www.hamiflat .co.il; Coral Beach; mains 80-150NIS; hlunch & dinner) If you’re planning on a seafood dinner while you’re in Eilat, locals and returning Israelis have been wholeheartedly recommending this cosy but kitsch fish restaurant for over 20 years. Try the catch of the day grilled over the charcoals or the spicy crab speciality, or tuck into seafood soups a Bostonian would be impressed with. Order ahead for specials such as lobster; in fact, ring ahead anyway, especially if you want a table on a Friday night. Eddie’s Hide-A-Way (Map p346; x 637 1137;
68 Almogim St; mains 90NIS; hdinner Mon-Fri, lunch & dinner Sat) For more than 30 years Eddie
has been hiding in the back streets of Eilat making really good steaks and turning out inventive dishes such as delicate Shanghai fish with spicy soy paste. Vegetarians are not excluded, with an excellent meat-free lasagne on the menu as well as soups, and a mouth-watering stuffed mushroom dish. The intimate dining room is great for romantic dinners, the sort of place you can easily sit over a bottle or two of wine. The entrance to the restaurant is on Elot Ave. A number of small restaurants, cafés and shwarma stands can be found in the New
Tourist Centre, opposite the IMAX theatre, as well as the food court inside the Red Canyon Mall. If a sandwich is sufficient – and it probably will be given Eilat’s appetite-busting temperatures – try the co-op supermarket (Map p346; cnr Elot Ave & HaTemarim Blvd), or the one in the Shalom Centre. For really good takeaway pizza, head to Pizza Lek (Map p346; x634 1330; HaTemarim Blvd).
Drinking Three Monkeys Pub (Map p346; x636 8800; Promenade; h9pm-3am) The beating heart of Eilat’s nightlife can be found at this wannabe English pub, which has 12 types of beer on tap (whether they can pour them is another question) and enough fruity cocktails to keep the sunburnt punters happy. Sit out on the sand under the fairy-lit palm trees, until you are drunk enough to think that the live cover band is good enough for a boogie. Underground Pub (Map p346; x 637 0239; www.underground-pub.com; New Tourist Centre; hnoon4am) A travellers’ favourite, pub grub, easy
music and nightly live entertainment including a popular Wednesday-night karaoke party. Cheap beer (9NIS until 9pm) fuels a lively crowd. There are several outdoor pool tables and live sports on the big screen inside. Unplugged (Map p346; x632 6299; New Tourist Centre; h7pm-3am) Next door to the Underground Pub, this place has a main bar plus a popular outdoor tented area that attracts rowdy young things pretending to be drunk, and sleazy soldiers who commandeer the picnic tables with impressive MTV rip-off dance moves. While it would be an OK place to puff on a water pipe and relax on the couches, the music is so loud it makes chatting with friends a distinct impossibility. Dolphin Reef (Map p345; x637 1846; Dolphin Reef; h11am-late) For something with more of a tropical flavour head south to this thatchedroof beach bar, where you can drink cocktails on the sand and enjoy great sunsets over the Gulf of Eilat.
Entertainment IMAX Theatre (Map p346; x634 8080; www.imax eilat.co.il; admission 55NIS; h4-11pm Sun-Thu, 11am5pm Fri, 9pm-midnight Sat) For a family-friendly activity, or if the temperatures reach unbearable heights, take cool respite in the pyramid-shaped IMAX theatre.
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Village (Map p345; x637 5410; Village Beach; h8am-late) After a big Friday night, the action
gets started early with a beach party gearing up around 11am on Saturdays. It’s cheesy but lots of fun, with a sandy dance floor, a DJ playing Israeli rap and staff hosing everyone down just in case they get too hot, hot, hot. Platinum (Map p346; x636 3444; Antibes Rd; admission 60-100NIS; h11pm-6am) Located in King Solomon Hotel, this has been the most popular club in town for the last few years. Monday is Hebrew music only, Thursday is reserved for 25-and-overs, and on Friday the club hosts a gay party.
goes from the bus station to the Taba border (stopping at Coral Beach).
Getting Around The town centre is walkable, but you’ll need a bus or taxi for locations along the Taba road. The hourly bus No 15 connects the central bus station with the Egyptian border at Taba (6.40NIS) from 8am to 6pm Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 3pm Friday and 9am to 7pm Saturday. To reach the Rabin border crossing into Jordan, you’ll have to get a taxi (25NIS). CAR
Getting There & Away See p364 for details on how to cross the border from Eilat to Petra (Jordan). AIR
Step outside of Eilat’s municipal airport (Map p345; x637 3553) and you are already downtown. Both Arkia (Map p346; x638 4888; Red Canyon Mall) and Israir (Map p346; x634 0666; Shalom Centre) fly several times daily between the municipal airport and Tel Aviv (from US$50), and to Haifa three times per week (from US$80). Ovda Airport (VDA; x08-637-5880) is about 60km north of Eilat. It serves occasional charter flights from Europe as well as Arkia and El Al flights but its distance from town means it’s not the most convenient landing post. BUS
The central bus station (Map p346; x636 5120; HaTemarim St) offers service to Tel Aviv (65NIS, five hours), with buses departing every hour from 5am to 10pm, with an additional overnight service at 1am. The last Friday bus is at 3pm and the first Saturday bus at 11.30am; this bus also stops in Be’er Sheva (55NIS, three hours). To Mitzpe Ramon (45NIS, 2½hours), buses run more or less hourly on weekdays and at least twice on Saturday. To Jerusalem (65NIS, 4½ hours), there are four to five buses per day plus one leaving at midnight. On Saturday the first bus departs at 4.30pm. There’s also a service from Eilat to Masada (55NIS, four hours, four daily). All buses pass by the Timna National Park, Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve and the Yotvata visitors centre. There are no direct buses from Eilat to Cairo. Bus No 15
You can rent a car by calling any of the following: Budget (x371 063) Europcar (x637 4014) Hertz (x637 6682) Reliable (x637 4126) Thrifty (x637 3511) TAXI
Eilat’s taxis can be an inexpensive and comfortable way to get around, especially when there are two or more of you. Although distances are short, much of the town is on a hill and, worn out by the heat, you could well decide to take a smart Mercedes ride rather than walk. Fares are roughly 6NIS per kilometre; a taxi from the town centre to Taba is 28NIS.
AROUND EILAT Eilat is surrounded by incredible landscape due to the Great Syrian–African Rift, which terminates here with the Arava Valley. The result is a desert environment with glorious colours and a huge variety of flora and fauna. Of the Negev’s 1200 recorded plant species, only 300 exist in this southern, more arid, area. These include palms, acacia, tamarisk, pistachio and the very rare horseradish tree. Animals found here include gazelles, wolves, foxes, ibexes and Israel’s largest bird, the almost extinct lappet-faced vulture. There are also many archaeological sites in the area that show that ancient people managed not only to live here, but also to dig copper mines in these harsh surroundings. Hikers will want to head for the Eilat Mountains, but be sure to pick up a copy of the 1:50,000 SPNI Eilat Mountains hiking
THE NEGEV
THE NEGEV
2517; Park Ave; www.gingereilat.com; mains 58-72NIS; hlunch-late) A slick restaurant with black
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from HaYoash to the Egyptian border. In the early 1990s the Dalai Lama walked part of this route, lecturing to a small collection of adherents atop one of its upper crests. Get an early start and carry at least 3L of water per person. Further north, the 600m-long Red Canyon, a slot canyon 1m to 3m wide and 10m to 20m deep, is readily accessed on foot via a 1.5km walking track from the car park. It makes a great short hike. If you’d prefer to take to the mountains under an alternative form of transport, Camel Ranch (x08-637 0022; www.camel-ranch.co.il in Hebrew; Nakhal Shlomo; h9am-1pm & 4-8pm) organises 90-minute (98NIS per person) and four-hour (180NIS per person) camel treks from its base, less than 2km inland from the Eilat–Taba road.
THE NEGEV
THE NEGEV
map (82NIS), which is sold at the SPNI Field School in Eilat. Any of the following places is accessible on a 38NIS to 50NIS taxi ride from Eilat. The small spring and 30m waterfall at Ein Netafim (hrunning Apr, May, Oct & Nov), which attract wildlife with their perennial water, lie less than 1km off the main road. From here, hikers can follow the Israel National Trail to the spectacular Shehoret Canyon, 15km away; make arrangements with a tour operator to pick you up at the trailhead at the finish. Near the mouth of Shehoret Canyon lie the impressive Amram Pillars, also along the Israel National Trail, where there’s an official camp site (no water). An excellent six- to seven-hour hike will take you through the spectacular Nakhal Gishron (part of the Israel National Trail)
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The Gaza Strip ﻗﻄﺎع ﻏﺰة
רצועת עזה
For a place so frequently in the news, it’s hard to believe that the whole of the Gaza Strip occupies a sliver of land just 45km long and less than 10km wide, along the shimmering Mediterranean coast. There are, however, some 1.4 million people packed into this space, in a conglomeration of eight refugee camps and three towns including the sprawling Gaza City.
Gaza’s history, though, is anything but bleak. In its past incarnations it was a highly coveted area with rich natural assets and a population that leant itself to arts, sports and progress under a succession of fiercely dominating forces. You might not immediately recognise them today, but vestiges of Gaza’s heritage, though well hidden, do remain. Look beyond the poverty and rubble, and you’ll find traces of an illustrious history that spanned three millennia, and though current conditions are dire, Gaza itself has seen it all before. It’s believed that the city has been captured, overthrown, contested and rebuilt more than any other city in the world, a cycle in which it remains firmly caught. So why go to Gaza at all? It’s dirty, it’s crowded; it can be dismal, depressing and dangerous. The answer is simply because it’s here that you can find the human spirit at its most resilient. Take, for example, the 2006 World Cup; directly after the bombing of Gaza’s only electricity plant, many Gazans immediately came up with creative schemes in order to watch the next match when power remained sporadic. Similarly, despite the destruction of basic infrastructure in air strikes, Gaza City entrepreneurs continue to open new restaurants on the seashore. In addition, most Gazans are friendly, welcoming, and more than willing to point the way to places of interest. A visit to Gaza, therefore, for a whole spectrum of reasons, is certain to be one you won’t quickly forget.
THE GAZA STRIP
THE GAZA STRIP
Statistics paint a bleak picture of the tiny, turbulent area, which, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is experiencing a period of ‘de-development’. Unemployment stands at 38%, whilst 78% of the population lives below the poverty line, existing on less than US$2 per day. The average Palestinian wage earner supports eight people, but earns five times less than in 2000. In one of the most densely packed camps, Jabalia, almost 107,000 people live in an area of less than 2 sq km. Over 30% of Gaza’s adults (as well as a high number of children) suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. On top of this, some statisticians predict that the population will double in the next fifteen years, stretching Gaza’s thin resources even further.
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WARNING Despite the Israeli disengagement from Gaza in August 2005, the Gaza Strip remains an intrinsically unstable place. A broad offensive, to try to prevent Gaza militants from shooting Qassam rockets into Israel, broke out in the northern summer of 2006, spurred by the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit. This led to a wave of civilian deaths, and to continued unrest in the region. Most countries’ foreign offices advise against all nonessential travel to the Gaza Strip, and there’s no doubt that you should think extremely carefully before attempting to visit. The political situation remains volatile, and foreigners of various nationalities are kidnapped with worrying regularity, though so far they’ve been released unharmed. Raids by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and Israeli Air Force often inadvertently result in civilian casualties; several of the foreigners injured or killed in Gaza during the last few years, including UK film director James Miller, were victims of Israeli army mistakes. It should, however, also be taken into account that Gaza doesn’t compare to Iraq or Afghanistan in terms of its track record of danger to foreigners. Forbes.com produces an annual list of ‘Most Dangerous Destinations’ and in 2006 this did not include the Palestinian Territories. Indeed, according to Forbes, Papua New Guinea, Haiti, Pakistan and Burundi are all, perhaps surprisingly, much more risky.
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Gaza’s power to attract conquerors stemmed largely from its importance as a commercial port. Its deepwater harbour connected trade routes between Egypt, Africa, Central Asia and Arabia, was one of the best trade routes on the road between Babylon and Persia, and was stationed on the Frankincense Trail from western Arabia and Yemen. Not only goods, but also people arrived in large quantities at Gaza’s shores; Christian pilgrims travelled via Gaza to reach Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth, whilst Muslim pilgrims attending the Haj in Mecca made their way through Gaza from North Africa, often stopping off to visit the Gaza City tomb of the prophet Mohammed’s great-grandfather, Hashim
(see p360). The second major resource with which Gaza was blessed was fertile farmland, which offered up cereal crops, vegetables and fruit such as figs, dates and oranges in abundance. Perhaps surprisingly, during the Byzantine era Gaza’s wines were also highly prized, being traded as far away as France. By the time Alexander the Great arrived in 332 BC to conquer what had already passed through the hands of the Philistines, the kingdom of David and Solomon, and the Persian ruler Cambyses, Gaza was well established as a departure and entry point for exotic goods such as spices, gold, silk, perfumes, frankincense, and slaves. It took Alexander two months to penetrate 0 0
THE GAZA STRIP
10 km 6 miles To Ashkelon (15km); Tel Aviv (55km)
There are two main border crossings from Israel into Gaza: the Karni Crossing for goods, and the Erez Crossing for people. Currently, it’s very hard for anyone but aid workers, diplomats and journalists to enter, but if you’re determined to try, your best bet is to visit the Erez Crossing in advance and apply for a permit in person. Once you arrive, make your way to the VIP office to the left of the actual checkpoint, ensuring that you have with your passport and preferably a more convincing reason for visiting Gaza than simply curiosity. Then, ask for a civilian entry–permit form. The soldiers on the desk may try to convince you that no such thing exists, but persevere – at the time of writing, at least, it still did. You will have to wait a few days to be granted permission. Bear in mind that this does not guarantee you entry to Gaza; on the day of your visit, you’ll have to turn up and try your luck, which is dependent on the IDF’s discretion. To get to the Erez Crossing itself, either take a sherut (service taxi; 50NIS per person; see p143) from the ranks opposite Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem, or from Tel Aviv head south by train to Ashkelon (see p181), from where you can hop on a southbound bus from Ashkelon to Yad Mordechai junction, from which you’ll have to jump into a taxi (10NIS, five minutes) for the last 5km to Erez. From the other side of the crossing, it’s
about 10km to Gaza City; taxi fares will depend on how busy or deserted the checkpoint is, but you should be able to bargain down to about 30NIS or 40NIS, or less if it’s quiet. Optimists hope that at some point in the not-too-distant future, Gaza’s Yasser Arafat International Airport will once again be open for trade. Inaugurated in 1998 with much fanfare and state-of-the-art equipment, it was closed in 2001 after being damaged by Israeli air strikes. Perhaps one day, however, the unlikely-sounding Palestinian Airlines will once again take to the skies.
GAZA CITY
ﻏﺰة
Security Border
Yad Mordechai Junction 4
Beit Lahiya Beach Camp
Jabalia Camp
Rimal
Erez Crossing Beit Hanun
Sderot
Gaza City 250
Mediterranean Sea
4
Tell Um Amer Al-Nusairat Camp Deir el Balah Camp
עזה
34
Karni Crossing
25
To Be'er Sheva (20km)
Bureii Camp 232
Mughazi Camp
Netivot
x08 / 469,000
History
‘A city so rich in trees it looks like a cloth of brocade spread out upon the land,’ wrote 14th-century Syrian scholar, Al-Dimashqi. Though the exact meaning of the name Gaza has been obscured in the depths of time, translations include ‘the treasure’, ‘the chosen place’ and ‘the ruler’s prize’. Throughout its turbulent history, Gaza has indeed always been considered a treasure for invaders and emperors, who have consistently sought control of its magnificent agricultural and maritime resources. As far back into antiquity as 1500 BC, an inscription on the Temple of Amun at Karnak noted that Gaza was ‘flourishing’, its attractions and allure lasting some 3400 years, until around the beginning of the 20th century.
242
Khan Younis Camp
No Crossing
234 232
Khan Younis
To Ofaqim (5km) 4
GAZA STRIP
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Rafah Camp Rafah Rafah
THE NEGEV
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Sufa Barrier Rafah Border Crossing 232 222
EGYPT
The Gaza Strip
THE GAZA STRIP
THE GAZA STRIP
Getting There & Away
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its ramparts, which were fiercely guarded by an alliance of Arabs and Persians. After succeeding, he put to death 10,000 men as punishment for their resistance, and Gaza continued to change hands regularly – and bloodily – until the arrival of the Romans in 63 BC. Under Roman rule, the city went from strength to strength. The Emperor Hadrian founded a famous wrestling stadium; the Gaza mint was in full swing, churning out new Roman coins; and a 500-man senate governed the city’s affairs. Even later, in the 6th century, when Bishop Porphyrius, under the Emperor Constantine, forced Gazans’ conversion to Christianity and burned down the famous Temple of Marna 0 0
GAZA CITY
1 km 0.5 miles
A
B
1
14
10
To Roots Restaurant (100m) 3
15 12 Er-Rashid
11
Rimal
St
ar a l-M
16
13
An-Nasser St
INFORMATION Police Station.......................................................... 1 A4 UNRWA.................................................................2 A2
ukhta r St
Al-Wah ida St
Omar al-M
3
Om
Al-Majdal St Al-Azhar University 2 Islamic University Al-Azhar St 2
Gamal Abdul Nasser St
THE GAZA STRIP
ukh ta
r St
Beach Camp
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Arts & Crafts Village ..............................................3 Gold Market........................................................... 4 Great Mosque........................................................ 5 Hammam al-Samara............................................... 6 Mosque of Said Hashim......................................... 7 Napoleon's Citadel................................................. 8 St Porphyrius Church.............................................. 9
A1 A4 A4 A4 A4 A4 A4
SLEEPING Adam Hotel..........................................................10 Al Quds International Hotel..................................11 Al-Deira Hotel.......................................................12 Marna House........................................................13 Palestine Hotel......................................................14
B1 B1 B1 B2 A1
Palestine Sq
7 5
4
9
Al-Shajaria Sq
4 6
8
1
252
To Khan Younis (23km); Rafah (31km)
Gaza City
Salah ad-Din St
To Erez Crossing (10km)
EATING Al Salam Restaurant..............................................15 B1 Delice Café...........................................................16 B2
T H E G A Z A S T R I P • • G a z a C i t y 359
RIDING A MODERN ARC A current problem facing Palestinians is the near impossibility of movement between Gaza and the West Bank. For a Palestinian businessman to attend a meeting in Ramallah, for example, there’s not much chance of getting a permit to do the two-hour car journey direct. Instead, many Palestinians travel from Gaza City across the Rafah border checkpoint into Egypt, and then by car across Sinai and the Suez Canal to Cairo. From Cairo, they fly to Amman in Jordan, then travel overland across the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge into the West Bank. They must then negotiate numerous checkpoints to get to Ramallah. One solution to this problem has recently been offered by the nonprofit Rand Corporation (www.rand.org), which recently proposed a 225km-long communications and transport solution called the ARC. The ARC would consist of a high-speed rail line, a toll road, an aqueduct, an energy network and a fibre-optic cable line linking the main Palestinian towns in the West Bank and Gaza. Its route would run in an arc from Jenin in the north through Ramallah, Nablus and Hebron, and then on to Rafah, Khan Younis and Gaza City, thus linking the main cities of the West Bank and Gaza in just 90 minutes. The corporation’s analysts believe that this would not only spur investment and regeneration in Gaza, but that it may also help to ease overcrowding by redirecting population growth more easily to the West Bank and have the potential to employ 100,000 Palestinians for a period of five years. The only drawback? At around US$6 billion to construct, it’s unlikely the cost could be easily borne by the average Palestinian taxpayer.
RECENT EVENTS
WWI, however, heralded the biggest blow to Gaza’s economical and cultural significance. As the British air force under General Edmund Allenby pounded Gaza whilst taking Palestine from the Turks, many residents fled and historic buildings were reduced to rubble. Then, in 1927, a huge earthquake finished off the damage done by the war. Gaza was under British Mandate administration until 1948, when, with the creation of the State of Israel, Palestinian refugees teemed into the area, quickly swelling its population from 35,000 to 170,000 in just months. Between 1948 and 1967 Gaza was administered by Egypt, during which it again grew rapidly, and in 1967 it was occupied by Israel following the Six Day War. During the 1970s, Israeli settlers moved in, and then in 1987, the first intifada was born in Gaza’s backstreets and camps. In 1994, Gaza City became the seat of government for the Palestinian Authority (PA), following the 1993 Oslo Accords (see p37 for more details). In August 2005, former prime minister Ariel Sharon’s controversial disengagement plan saw the removal of some 8000 Israeli settlers from Gaza’s 21 Jewish settlements. According to the PA, this prime development land, much of which is still covered in the 80,000 tonnes of rubble left behind by the
settlements’ demolition, will all eventually be put to public use.
Orientation & Information Gaza City is based around the long Omar al-Mukhtar St, which runs north to south from the sea, all the way to the main Salah ad-Din St, which takes you out of town. At the southern end of Omar al-Mukhtar, the town’s main focus is Palestine Sq, around which most of the sights are clustered. At the opposite end, the Rimal (Sands) area of town has the swishest houses, the city’s beaches, and some of its nicest restaurants and hotels. In between the two, Gaza City’s mostly badly built apartment blocks spread for around 2.5km, whilst directly to the east of Rimal is the optimistically named, but dismal, Beach refugee camp. There are a number of things to see in Gaza City, but opening hours, entrance fees and even the state of the structures themselves are all very much subject to change and, unsurprisingly, there’s no tourist office. Your taxi driver, hotel receptionist or host will therefore likely be the best source of up-to-date information; otherwise, just drop by the places of interest and see whether there’s anyone around. Most shops and services are closed on Fridays, as are mosques to non-Muslim visitors while Friday prayers are in session.
THE GAZA STRIP
Ὀ Ὀ
Mediterranean Sea
to replace it with a church, the city continued to shine. A school of rhetoric developed, libraries and bathhouses were built and the wine trade, replacing the diminishing spice trade, blossomed. In ensuing centuries, Gaza once again passed through a variety of hands, and in AD 1100 the Crusaders descended, demolishing its remaining mosques, refortifying its citadel and building a huge church that now forms part of the Great Mosque. Just 60 years later, Saladin (Salah ad-Din) took the city, only to be replaced by Richard the Lionheart in AD 1197, who destroyed Gaza’s castle and city walls, which were never rebuilt. During the 14th century, Mamluk rule came to Gaza, although an attack of plague swept through its streets in the 1340s, reducing its citizenship to a handful. The Mamluks constructed khans (caravan hostels intended to protect trade, also known as caravanserai) across the region, and even though Gaza City’s historic khan was demolished during the 1960s, the remnants of the khan at Khan Younis are still standing (p362). In 1516, Ottoman Empire rule superseded the Mamluks, and though sea trade declined, Gaza’s agricultural economy grew strong. In 1660, Gaza’s facilities were even compared to those of Paris, though by the arrival of Napoleon in 1799 – who stayed for just three days before heading on to his Egyptian Campaign – Gaza’s economy had begun to decline due to heavy taxation and Bedouin raids.
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Sights & Activities GREAT MOSQUE
Also known as Al-Omari Mosque or Jama’a al-Akbar, Palestinian tradition relates that the Great Mosque (hclosed to non-Muslims Fri) was built on the site of the biblical Temple of Dagon, which Sampson pulled down on the faithful Philistines and himself. Subsequently, a number of other religious buildings were built on the same spot, including a 12th-century Crusader church dedicated to St John the Baptist. Some parts of this church remain and have been incorporated into the current mosque, including the western façade with a beautiful marble doorway, and a number of carved flower column capitals. Damaged in the British shelling of Gaza in 1917, the mosque was subsequently restored in the 1920s by the Islamic High Council, and remains one of Gaza City’s most prominent buildings. It’s still in daily use, but you should be able to enter if there are no prayers in progress. The narrow, covered gold market passage, running alongside the southern edge of the Great Mosque, was built in AD 1476 by prominent Gazan judge Sheikh Shams alDin-al-Himsi, and originally formed part of a much bigger covered market. The rest of the market was destroyed during WWI, but today this short passageway is still the place where all spouses-to-be come to pick out jewellery. Sadly, due to recent food shortages in Gaza, the gold market has also started to play host to elderly Gazans, selling off family heirlooms in the hope of raising some sorely needed extra cash. NAPOLEON’S CITADEL
Local legend has it that this imposing building was built by 13th-century Mamluk sultan Zaher al-Baibars (r 1260–1277), as an impressive house for his Gazan wife, whom he married when he was still a soldier, passing through Gaza to fight the Crusaders. What’s for sure, though, is that in 1799, Napoleon, during his Egyptian Campaign, set up camp in Gaza and established his base here. During the Ottoman Empire Napoleon’s Citadel was then the governor’s house, and during the British Mandate it served as a police station. In its most recent incarnation it became a girls’ school, though it has recently
been restored with UNDP funding, to be turned into a museum that will house Gaza’s archaeological artefacts from the Neolithic to the Roman and Byzantine eras. ST PORPHYRIUS CHURCH
The still-functioning Greek Orthodox St Porphyrius Church was built in the 6th century by Bishop Porphyrius, though much of the current building dates from Crusader and 19th-century additions. Porphyrius himself, who oversaw the closure of Gaza’s pagan holy sites and reputedly ordered the destruction of the Temple of Marna, brought about an end to Graeco-Roman worship in Gaza when his imperial forces turned on the city’s inhabitants, employing a few hefty clubs to persuade them to comply. The church still serves Gaza’s small Christian community of around 1500 people. If it’s locked, you should be able to get hold of the key from the priest who lives above the school opposite the church. Porphyrius himself is buried in the Byzantine graveyard surrounding the church, close to its northern wall.
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A HELPING HAND Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) are vital in Gaza, and come in a wide variety of shapes and forms, some locally run and staffed and others international. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP; www.undp.ps) estimates that NGOs currently provide 60% of Gaza’s primary health-care services, 90% of rehabilitation and disability centres and 95% of preschool education, and manage 42% of hospitals. They contribute to every aspect of Gazan life, from the largest organisations such as United Nations Reliefs & Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA; x08-677 7333; www.unrwa.org; Gamal Abdul Nasser St) to smaller concerns dedicated to specific missions, such as the Qattan Centre for the Child (www.qattanfoundation.org), which provides Gaza’s children with creative and learning facilities. A number of Gaza’s NGOs provide possibilities for volunteering, though these opportunities can depend on the political and security situations. Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights (www.aldameer.org) offers internships, particularly suitable for those with a legal background, ranging from one to six months. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (www.palestinercs.org) also has volunteering opportunities, especially for people with medical training. Also happy to accept volunteers is the controversial International Solidarity Movement (www .palsolidarity.org), which advocates ‘direct action’, and welcomes international volunteers to work on what it calls ‘resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles’. Tom Hurndall, killed by Israeli gunfire, and Rachel Corrie, crushed to death by a bulldozer, are sadly the organisation’s two best-known volunteers. If you’re interested in finding out about a particular type of NGO, Middle East NGOs Gateway (www.mengos.net) offers a searchable list, news and information on current events in the sector. The Palestinian NGO Network (x08-284 7518; www.pngo.net) is another excellent point of contact, also holding information on current vacancies with various NGOs in Gaza, and further across the West Bank.
HAMMAM AL-SAMARA
The last remaining of five bathhouses in Gaza City, Hammam al-Samara (hmen 5amnoon, women noon-3pm) is a gorgeous Mamlukera bathhouse dating back even beyond the 14th century, when, according to a plaque in the lobby, it was restored by the governor Sangar ibn Abdullah. It has managed to retain its vaulted ceilings and inlaid marble tiled floors, and is still heated by a series of wood-fired ovens and aqueducts. Because of ongoing restoration work, opening times may change, but if open, it’s a great place for a leisurely steam-clean with the locals. MOSQUE OF SAID HASHIM
Situated in Gaza’s Daraj quarter, the popular Mosque of Said Hashim (Jaffa St; hclosed to non-Muslims Fri), off the northern side of AlWahida St, was built in 1850 under orders from Ottoman Sultan Abdul Majeed, using masonry from mosques and older buildings destroyed by Napoleon’s troops. Its name refers to the Prophet Mohammed’s greatgrandfather, Hashim, a prominent merchant who died as he was passing through Gaza, and whose tomb rests in the mosque’s northwestern corner. This is one of Gaza’s
biggest and most attractive mosques, and, like the Great Mosque, you should be able to look in when there’s no prayer in session. ARTS & CRAFTS VILLAGE
A beautiful white-painted adobe complex, the Arts & Crafts Village (x284 6405; www.gazavillage .org; Gamal Abdul Nasser St) is where traditional Palestinian handicrafts, such as weaving, embroidery, copper work and woodwork, are kept alive. The village runs training courses and summer camps for children and workshops for adults, and regularly hosts local and international exhibitions. Its Abu Nawwas restaurant makes a pleasant place for a laid-back lunch accompanied by a bubbling nargileh.
Sleeping Accomodation in Gaza City is easy to come by, and the string of decent hotels along the sea front are where most foreigners choose to stay. Though these days they rarely – if ever – experience full occupancy, it’s nevertheless worth booking in advance, since many hotels can arrange a pick-up service from near the Erez crossing.
Palestine Hotel (x282 3355; E r-Rashid St; s/d US$50/60; a) Like many hotels on the city’s
sea-front road, the Palestine offers decent, clean rooms for reasonable prices, along with friendly service and a good location in the quieter, more upscale Rimal part of town. If the Palestine is full, the Adam and Al Quds International Hotels on the same strip both offer similar rooms and services at comparable prices. Marna House (x282 2624; Ahmed Abdel Aziz St; s/d $50/70 a) A great small hotel with extremely helpful staff, Marna House feels a bit like a home away from home, with an English library available for the use of guests. Rooms are comfortable and airy, with satellite TV and balconies, and rates include tax and breakfast. Al-Deira Hotel (x283 8100; Er-Rashid St; s/d US$90/ 100, plus service charge 8%; ai) Without question the best hotel in town, Al-Deira is a swish, stylish and tightly run place. Constructed from a traditional Gazan red brick, its architect, Rashid Abdel Hamid, also designed the Arts & Crafts Village (see left) nearby. Meals from its terrific restaurant can be delivered to your room (prices include breakfast). The
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beds are comfy, the showers are hot, there’s a good sea view from its balconies, and each room has wi-fi. Think Mediterranean cuisine and Gaza probably won’t spring to mind, but the region has its own particular style of cooking, characterised by fantastically fresh seafood and by a love for all things hot, hot, hot (achieved by liberal quantities of whole green chillies). Aside from the usual run of felafels, hummus and shwarmas (readily available from stands all over Gaza City), there are some particularly Gazan delights worth looking out for, including sumaggiya (slow-stewed beef with chard and chickpeas, and flavoured with dill, garlic, chillies and sumac seeds) and the veggie rumanniya (an unusual, delicious mixture of aubergine, lentils, tahini and pomegranate juice) dished up at the beginning of autumn. Delice Café (Sheikh Izz ed-Din-el-Qassam St; hSunThu) Catering to Gazans’ taste for sweet stuff, this patisserie is always busy and it’s a great place to stop for a quick pastry or two and a strong cup of black coffee. Al Salam Restaurant (behind Al-Deira Hotel; hlunch & dinner) Many locals swear that this is the place for fish and seafood. However, with restrictions sometimes imposed on fishermen, fish dishes may also be suspended temporarily from the menu. In that case, opt for one of the grilled chicken dishes, which are extremely tasty, too. Roots Restaurant (x288 8666; Cairo St; mains 40-100NIS; h11am-midnight) By far the most expensive upscale restaurant in Gaza, Roots is where important people dine on steak au poivre and chicken cordon bleu, though, since alcohol isn’t served, there’s no washing it down with a good vintage of anything other than Coke. Owner Basil Eleiwa and partners sunk US$1.1 million into Roots, which has a nice outdoor area for evening dining, and incorporates the Green Terrace Café, serving sandwiches, mezze and light lunches all day long in less formal surroundings.
ELSEWHERE IN THE GAZA STRIP Khan Younis
ﺧﺎن ﻳﻮﻧﺲ
חאן יונס
pop 165,200
Once a stopping point on the ancient trade route to Egypt, Khan Younis is primarily a market town and is Gaza’s second-largest
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urban centre, also incorporating the neighbouring Khan Younis refugee camp. Khan Younis’ colourful Bedouin market takes place every Wednesday, offering up everything from fresh fish and locally produced honey to clay cooking pots and embroidered linen. The remains of the ruined khan in the square nearby – from which the town got its name – date back to AD 1387, and were built by Mamluk official Amir Yunis ibn Abd Allah al-Nawrusi, cupbearer to Sultan Barquq. To get the 30km from Gaza City, your best bet is to hone your bargaining skills on a taxi driver.
Tell Umm Amer תל אום עמר ﺗﻞ ام ﻋﻤﺮ Located in Al-Nusairat village, 8.5km south of Gaza City, the ruins of this Byzantine site cover around two acres and are currently in the process of excavation. The site consists of a monastery and a group of church buildings, including a chapel, a burial crypt and a hammam; construction has been attributed to St Hilarion (b AD 291), a young Christian convert from Gaza. A number of beautiful mosaics (thought to date from the 4th and 8th centuries AD) decorate the floors, and though work on the site is ongoing, visitors are encouraged to drop by. To get there, take a taxi from Gaza City; a taxi should cost around 35NIS, though it’s best to ask your driver to wait while you look around, and negotiate a return fare.
Rafah
رﻓﺢ
רפיח
pop 269,600
Traditionally the gateway between Egypt and the Middle East, and now infamous for its subterranean network of smugglers’ tunnels, the main thoroughfare for arms-smuggling into the Gaza Strip, Rafah now encapsulates Gaza’s problems at their most acute. Rafah town and its adjacent refugee camp, which are no longer distinguishable from one another, have suffered heavily under Israeli military action in recent years; the UNRWA estimates that since September 2000, more than 1700 houses have been demolished by the IDF in Rafah, displacing over 17,300 people. Living conditions are dire, unemployment rife, and the border crossing to Egypt, though in theory crossable, remains only sporadically open, and is generally closed to all tourists, independent travellers and those on a tour. See p404 for more details.
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THE GAZA STRIP
THE GAZA STRIP
Eating
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Petra (Jordan) اﻟﺒﺘﺮاء If you only go to one place in Jordan, make it Petra. Hewn from towering rock walls of multicoloured sandstone, the imposing façades of its great temples and tombs are an enduring testament to the vision of the desert tribes who sculpted them. The Nabataeans – Arabs who dominated the region in pre-Roman times – chose as their capital a place concealed from the outside world and fashioned it into one of the Middle East’s most remarkable cities. Almost as spectacular as the monuments themselves are the countless shades and Neapolitan swirls formed in the rock. Petra is often called the ‘Rose-red City’, but even this hardly does justice to the extraordinary range of colours that blend as the sun makes its daily passage over the site. Few buildings in Petra are freestanding; the bulk were chiselled and bored out of the rock face. Until the mid-1980s, many of these caves were home to the local Bedouin and a handful of families still pitch their black goat-hair tents inside Petra, or even live in the caves. The site itself is huge and you need a couple of days to come to grips with the place. From Eilat, Petra is an easy two-hour journey, but don’t give in to a day tour. Budget for an extra night here – you’ll thank yourself for it later. There are tombs and carvings in every nook and cranny, which makes the place perfect for some off-the-beaten-track exploration.
HIGHLIGHTS Taking in traditional Bedouin music surrounded by hundreds of candles during the enchanting Petra by Night (p364) tour Escaping the crowds and exploring unexcavated tombs during a hike (p368) around Petra
Easing aching muscles with a Turkish bath in one of the Wadi Musa hotels such as Al-Anbat Hotel I (p370) Catching the first sight of the Treasury (p365) from the Siq, the cliché Indiana Jones moment you can’t help getting excited about
Petra
Wadi Musa
PE TRA ( JORDAN)
PE TRA ( JORDAN)
Drinking in the spectacular Petra sunset (and a cold beer) from the roof of the Mövenpick Hotel (p370)
364 P E T R A ( J O R D A N ) • • T h e A n c i e n t C i t y
FAST FACTS ON JORDAN Capital Amman Country Code x962 Petra Telephone Code x03 Language Arabic Money Jordanian dinar (JD), consisting of 1000 fils; JD1 = US$1.40, E£1.10, 6NIS Visas Most nationalities can get a two-week Jordanian visa free of charge at the Yitzhak Rabin (formerly known as Arava) or Jordan River border crossings. The Allenby/King Hussein Bridge border crossing does not issue visas. If you don’t have a visa while you are in Israel, organise one at the Jordanian embassy in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv. A multientry visa for stays between three and six months (JD20) also needs to be obtained at the embassy. For details see Visas for Egypt & Jordan, p404.
By far the easiest and cheapest way to cross into Jordan from Israel is by way of the Yitzhak Rabin (Arava) border crossing (x08-630 0555; h6.30am-10pm Sun-Thu, 8am-8pm Fri & Sat), which is a short taxi ride (25NIS) from Eilat. Once you cross over the easiest way is to take one of the taxis, normally waiting on the Jordan side, all the way to Petra (around JD40). However, the cheapest way is to take a taxi into Aqaba and then a local bus from Aqaba to Petra (JD1.75, two hours). Unfortunately, bus services are so irregular (about two per day with no fixed times) that it hardly seems worth it. Another option is the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge (x02-548 2600; h8am-6pm Sun-Thu, 8am-2pm Fri & Sat), which is easily accessible to/from Jerusalem (45 minutes), but you must have your visa organised beforehand. For more information about visas, see p404. Outgoing passenger fees are almost double what they are at Yitzhak Rabin (Arava). Bus Nos 963 and 961 depart from Jerusalem and stop on Rte 90, about 100m from the upper entry gate to the border crossing. The border crossing is four hours from Petra. From Amman, there are three JETT (x06566 4146) buses a week (three hours); a oneway ticket costs JD5.50. The buses leave at 6.30am from the Abdali Station in Amman, and the schedule is ‘flexible’, so check with
the JETT office for reservations. A taxi from Amman to Petra should cost about JD50. When it’s time to leave Petra, there are a few minibuses departing for Aqaba (two hours) between 6.30am and 3.30pm; for Amman between 5.30am and noon; and one to the resthouse at Wadi Rum (1½ hours) at 6am; all are JD5.
THE ANCIENT CITY History
Petra, the ‘Rose-red City’, was built in the 3rd century BC by the Nabateans, who carved palaces, temples, tombs, storerooms and stables from the rocky cliffs. From here they commanded the trade route from Damascus to Arabia, and through here the great spice, silk and slave caravans passed. In a short time the Nabateans made great advances. Their great success in commerce led to the development of skills: they mastered iron production, hydraulic engineering, copper refining, stone carving and sculpture. Archaeologists believe that it was several earthquakes, including a massive quake in AD 555 that forced the inhabitants to abandon the city.
Information The first stop for all visitors should be the Petra visitors centre (x2156029; fax 2156060; h6am-9pm year-round), just before the entrance. It houses a helpful information counter, the ticket office, a couple of shops, and toilets. The information counter is the place to arrange a guide (2½hr tour JD15, full-day incl Monastery or High Place of Sacrifice JD35). Tours are available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic. A magical way to see the old city is by experiencing Petra by Night (adult/child under 12 JD12/free), which starts from the visitors centre at 8.30pm on Monday and Thursday and lasts two hours. The tour takes you along the Siq (lined with hundreds of candles) as far as the Treasury, where traditional Bedouin music is played and mint tea is served. Tickets are available from a few travel agencies in town or from the Petra visitors centre. ENTRY TO SITE
Purchase tickets for entry to Petra at the ticket office (x2156029; fax 2156060; h6.30am5pm Oct-Apr, 6am-5.30pm May-Sep). Although tickets are not sold after the times specified here, you can remain in Petra after this time, usually until sunset.
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P E T R A ( J O R D A N ) • • T h e A n c i e n t C i t y 365
PETRA IN...
Two Days Start early with a good breakfast before heading to the visitors centre and arranging a guide for a full day of heavy ruin hopping, taking in the main sights such as the Treasury, Monastery and Qasr al-Bint, as well as the wonderful amphitheatre and Royal Tombs. When your legs feel like they are beginning to give way, make your way to a roof terrace – the Mövenpick is our choice – for a cold drink before focusing the cameras on a superb Petra sunset. If Petra by Night is on, follow the candles down the Siq for an evening of mint tea and Bedouin music or learn how to create a Jordanian dinner with the help of local women at Petra Kitchen. The next day, head back into Petra for some off-the-beaten-path hikes or arrange a horse-riding trip to Jebel Haroun. If there’s still time take a taxi out to Little Petra, not as dramatic as the main Petra site but picturesque and fun to explore. Round the day off with a drink in a 2000-year-old Nabatean rock tomb at the Cave Bar behind the Petra visitors centre.
Entry fees are currently JD21/26/31 for one-/two-/three-day passes. If you bring an international student card you can get a 50% discount. Multiday tickets are nontransferable; signatures are checked. Children under 15 are half price. Once inside Petra the only toilets are opposite the theatre at the back of Qasr al-Bint and at the two nearby restaurants, Basin Restaurant (run by the Crown Plaza Resort) and the Nabataean Tent Restaurant.
Sights There are over 800 registered sites in Petra, including some 500 tombs, but the best things to see are easy to reach. The Treasury (Al-Khazneh) is the first main monument you come to after the trek through the incredibly narrow 1.2km-long defile known as the Siq. The carved façade of the Treasury is the finest of all of Petra’s sites, and familiar to viewers of Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade. Although carved out of the solid ironladen sandstone, to serve as a tomb for the Nabatean king Aretas III, the Treasury gets its name from the story that the Egyptian Pharaoh hid his treasure here (in the urn in the middle of the second level) while pursuing the Israelites. Some locals clearly believed the tale because the 3.5m-high solid rock urn is pockmarked by rifle shots, the results of vain attempts to break it open. The date of the Treasury’s construction has been a subject of debate; estimates range from 100 BC to AD 200. Similar in design to the Treasury, the spectacular Monastery (Al-Deir) is far bigger (50m wide and 45m high) and just as
impressive. Built in the 3rd century BC as a Nabatean tomb, perhaps for King Obodas I, the Monastery gets its name from the crosses carved on its inside walls, suggesting that the building was used as a church in Byzantine times. It has towering columns and a large urn flanked by two halfpediments. The three-dimensional aspect of the upper level beautifully complements the lower façade, an element thought to be derived from Hellenistic influences. The courtyard in front of the Monastery was once surrounded by columns and was probably used for sacred ceremonies. The climb to the Monastery takes about 40 minutes, and is best started mid-afternoon when there is welcome shade along the way and the Monastery is at its most photogenic. The spectacular but uphill ancient rock-cut path of more than 800 steps follows the old processional route (when the building was used as a church) and is easy to follow. If you really don’t want to walk, donkeys (with a guide) can be hired for about JD3/5 one way/return. The trail to the Monastery starts from behind (to the northwest of) the Basin Restaurant. The path passes the Lion Tomb (Lion Triclinium), set in a small gully. The two lions that lent the tomb its name are weather-beaten, but can still be made out, facing each other at the base of the monument. Other interesting sites include Qasr al-Bint, one of the most important temples in the ancient city. One of the few free-standing structures in Petra, this temple was built in around 30 BC by the Nabateans, changed extensively for the Roman emperors and
PE TRA ( JORDAN)
PE TRA ( JORDAN)
Getting There & Away
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destroyed in about the 3rd century AD. It was almost certainly built as a dedication to the Nabatean god Dushara (and possibly the fertility goddess Al-’Uzza). Also make sure you see the 8000-seat amphitheatre, the colonnaded street, the Temple of the Winged Lions, the ruins of the Byzantine church with possibly the world’s oldest Byzantine mosaic, and the façade known as the Royal Tombs. Walk to the Royal Tombs (known as the ‘Urn’, ‘Corinthian’, ‘Silk’ and ‘Palace’) to examine their eroded façades and colourful interiors. LITTLE PETRA
Siq al-Barid (Cold Canyon) is colloquially known as Little Petra (admission free; hdaylight
P E T R A ( J O R D A N ) • • W a d i M u s a 367
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hr) and, hidden away in the centre of a
WADI MUSA
mountain it is beautifully preserved with a number of notable tombs to explore. It was thought to have served as an agricultural centre, trading suburb and resupply post for camel caravans visiting Petra. A 10-minute walk from Little Petra is the Ammarin Camp (x079 5667771, 2131229; www .bedouincamp.net; per person in tent JD12) in the Siq al-Amti next door. Accommodation is just a mattress in a Bedouin tent but there is a shower and toilet block. The camp offers guided hikes in the surrounding hills. Little Petra is 8km from the main entrance to Petra; a taxi for four people with a one-hour stop at the ruins will cost JD12 (return).
x03
وادي ﻣﻮﺳﻲ
Tourist police station (x2156441, 196; h8ammidnight) Opposite the Petra visitors centre. A few tourist police can be found inside Petra.
Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses) appears to have developed almost overnight around Petra. It’s a mass of hotels, restaurants and shops stretching about 5km down from ‘Ain Musa to the main Petra entrance. Central Wadi Musa is defined by the Shaheed roundabout – all the main services are found near here and this is the place to catch buses to Aqaba and Wadi Rum. It’s 2km downhill from the roundabout to the Petra entrance.
per hr JD2; h10am-late) Fastest ADSL connection in town. Just down from the Shaheed roundabout. Petra Internet Café (x2157264; alpetra@hotmail .com; per hr JD3; h9am-midnight) There’s a 50% discount for guests of most of the local hotels. Located up the hill from the Shaheed roundabout.
Information
MEDICAL SERVICES
EMERGENCY
The Queen Rania Hospital (located 5km from the Police roundabout on the road to Tayyibeh) is of a high standard and is open
INTERNET ACCESS
Orient Internet Café (
[email protected];
Police station (x2156551) In Wadi Musa, adjacent to
the Police roundabout.
PETRA
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HIKING TRAILS Wadi Muthlim to the Royal Tombs High Place of Sacrifice to Petra City Centre Umm al-Biyara Above the Treasury Wadi Siyagh Other Trails
40
42
Jebel Madbah
17
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Bab as-Siq 18
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E2 E4 C4 C4 F4 G2 C4 B3 C4 B1 H2 G2 H2 A1
Monumental Propylea............... 28 Mu'aisireh Tombs....................... 29 Nabataean Baths........................ 30 Nabataean Museum....................31 Nymphaeum.............................. 32 Obelisk Tomb & Bab as-Siq Triclinium............................... 33 Obelisks..................................... 34 Painted House............................ 35 Palace Tomb.............................. 36 Pharaun Column........................ 37 Qasr al-Bint................................38 Renaissance Tomb..................... 39 Roman Soldier's Tomb............... 40 Royal Palace............................... 41 Sacred Hall................................. 42 Sextius Florentinus Tomb........... 43 Silk Tomb.................................. 44 Street of Facades (Necropolis).... 45 Temenos.................................... 46 Temenos Gateway..................... 47 Temple of the Winged Lions...... 48 Tombs....................................... 49 Treasury (Al-Khazneh)................ 50 Turkmaniya Tomb...................... 51 Uneishu Tomb........................... 52 Unfinished Tomb........................ 53 Upper Market............................ 54 Upper Temenos......................... 55 Urn Tomb.................................. 56 Wu'ira (Crusader Castle)............ 57
G2 B1 G2 F1 H2 F4 D4 A2 D2 B3 F1 C4 C4 H1 E4 D2 D3 D4 G1 G1 G1 A3 E4 C1 D3 B2 G2 G2 D3 F2
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Dorotheos' House....................... 14 Eagle Monument........................ 15 Garden Tomb............................ 16 Garden Triclinium...................... 17 God Block................................... 18 Great Temple............................. 19 High Place of Sacrifice (Al-Madbah).......................... 20 Houses....................................... 21 Lion Monument......................... 22 Lion Tomb (Lion Triclinium)........ 23 Lower Market (Upper Terrace)... 24 Lower Temenos......................... 25 Middle Market........................... 26 Monastery (Al-Deir)................... 27
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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Al-Habis Museum........................ 1 Altar............................................. 2 Ampitheatre................................. 3 Az-Zantur..................................... 4 Blue Church................................. 5 Broken Pediment Tomb............... 6 Byzantine Church......................... 7 Christian Tombs (Moghar al-Nassara)................................8 Jebel 9 Columbarium............................... al-Khubtha Convent Group.......................... 10 Corinthian Tomb....................... 11 Crusader Fort............................. 12 Djinn Blocks................................ 13
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Edomite Village Ruins
To Snake Monument (600m); Jebel Haroun (Aaron's Tomb; 5km); Sabra (9km)
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TRANSPORT Bus Station.................................27 E4 EATING Al-Wadi Restaurant....................21 E3 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Main Entrance...........................12 A2
Wadi Musa
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Petra Zeman...............................22 C1 Sanabel Bakery.......................... 23 D3 Turkish Restaurant......................24 E3
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SLEEPING Al-Anbat Hotel II........................14 Amra Palace Hotel......................15 Mövenpick Hotel........................16 Petra Moon Hotel.......................17 Petra Palace Hotel......................18 Rose City Hotel...........................19 Valentine Inn..............................20
INFORMATION Arab Bank....................................1 E3 Arab Jordan Investment Bank.......2 B1 Cairo-Amman Bank.................(see 16) Housing Bank...............................3 E3 Jordan Islamic Bank......................4 E3 Main Post Office..........................5 E3 Orient Internet Café.....................6 E3 Petra Internet Café.......................7 E3 Petra Visitors Centre....................8 A2 Police Station................................9 E4 Ticket Office..............................(see 8) Tourist Police Station.................10 A2 Wadi Musa Pharmacy................11 E3
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The most professional agency in Wadi Musa for arranging trips inside Petra and around Jordan (including Wadi Rum and Aqaba) is Petra Moon Tourism (x2156665; www.petramoon .com), which has an office on the road to Petra. It can arrange horses to Jebel Haroun, fully supported (but expensive) treks to Dana
To Petra (2.5km)
a mini-plaza on the Shaheed roundabout. Petra visitors centre post office (h7.30am-5pm)
Tours
2
Main post office (h8am-5pm Sat-Thu) Located inside
Petra Kitchen (x/fax 2155900; www.petrakitchen.com; cookery class per person JD30) offers a nightly cookery course where travellers can learn from local women how to cook Jordanian dishes in a relaxed family-style atmosphere. The menu changes daily and the evening begins at 6.30pm (7.30pm in summer). Reservations are recommended.
1
POST
Courses
A
There are surprisingly few moneychangers in Wadi Musa, although many hotels will change money, albeit at a poor rate. The Housing Bank and Jordan Islamic Bank, up from the Shaheed roundabout, are good for money-changing; both have ATMs. The Arab Bank is down from the roundabout. Closer to the gate into Petra, the Arab Jordan Investment Bank, and the CairoAmman Bank in the Mövenpick Hotel, change cash and (usually) travellers cheques with a minimum of fuss. The banks are open from about 8am to 2pm Sunday to Thursday and (sometimes) 9am to 11am on Friday.
International telephone calls (around 800 fils per minute) can be made from private agencies along the main streets of Wadi Musa. A domestic call costs 150 fils.
PE TRA ( JORDAN)
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MONEY
TELEPHONE
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for emergencies without referral. The Wadi Musa Pharmacy is located near the Shaheed roundabout.
To Al-Wu'ira (1.5km); Siq al-Barid (Little Petra; 8km); Al-Beidha (8km)
Umm al-Biyara is the flat-topped mountain (1178m) to the southwest of the city centre. Qasr al-Bint to Umm al-Biyara (the Mother of Cisterns) offers some of the best views over Petra. It’s a fairly strenuous hike up hundreds of steps but the trail is easy to follow. From behind Qasr al-Bint, head up to the Pharaun Column and descend to the road that leads along Wadi Thughra to the Snake Monument. The path up the rock face starts from just to the left of the largest of the rock-cut tombs on the southeast face of the mountain – a jeep track leads up to the start of the steps. After a couple of minutes’ climbing you’ll pass an impressive ceremonial ramp. On top of the mountain are the ruins of a 7th-century-BC Edomite village, as well as several cisterns. There are also many unexcavated tombs along the base of the eastern cliffs. Guides can be hired from Petra visitors centre and travel agencies (pricey at JD25 to JD55 per day) or you can find a cheaper Bedouin guide inside Petra.
B
Umm Al-Biyara – three hours return
D
19
For dramatic and unusual views of the Treasury take the set of steep processional steps leading up the valley from about 150m northeast of the Palace Tomb. The stiff climb takes about 20 minutes and flattens out at a hill top Nabataean cistern. Continue south from the cistern along a less-obvious dirt path, down the dry wadi for another 15 minutes, and then down a small ravine, until you come to a dramatic position about 200m above the Treasury, with fantastic views of the mighty edifice; watch your step. Just before you get back to the cistern a tiny cleft in the rock to the left reveals worn steps that lead down a gully to a point next to the Urn Tomb. The trail isn’t all that clear but is do-able with some care. If you are not sure about it then take the main path back down the way you came up.
ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ὄὄὄὄ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ὄὄὄὄ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ὄὄὄὄ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ
Above the Treasury – 1½ hours return
F
Anyone with enough energy, time and enthusiasm, who wants to get away from the crowds, see some stunning landscapes, explore unexcavated tombs and temples and, perhaps, meet some Bedouin villagers, should pack an extra bottle of water and go hiking.
E
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(four to five days), hikes from Tayyibeh to Petra, and camel treks to Wadi Rum. Hiking guides cost around JD70 per day, horses JD40 per day.
Sleeping BUDGET
the hill (northeast of the Shaheed roundabout), but this place is well attuned to a range of budget travel needs, from transport information to laundry. Rooms are bright and clean, although the dorms are slightly cramped. While this is certainly not the place to come for service with a smile (when we visited we found staff to be downright rude), it continues to be the biggest (if only) backpacker hangout in town. This may have something to do with the spectacular buffet dinner (JD3), which is served with a cold beer and a gorgeous sunset view. Hidab Hotel (x2156763; www.hidabhotel.com; s/d JD12/18) This good-value option is worth the drive from town (it’s on the road to ‘Ain Musa), with friendly staff, comfortable rooms and great facilities such as a rooftop terrace perfect for puffing on a nargileh and enjoying a magical Petra sunset. The hotel was also putting in a new rooftop bar at the time of research. The Turkish bath here (JD10 for guests and JD15 for visitors) is highly recommended by travellers. Rose City Hotel (x2156440; fax 2014132; s/d, with breakfast JD13/18) There’s a polite welcome at this quiet place in the town centre, which offers great value and has friendly, efficient staff. The rooms vary a lot, but they are all clean and spacious with a fridge and small TV. Al-Anbat Hotel II (x2157200;
[email protected] .jo; s/d JD14/20) The cheaper of the two Anbats, the rooms here are quiet and well furnished, with clean but small private bathrooms. The double rooms at the front are the best choice. While it is pretty good value in the heart of Wadi Musa, the staff are a bit lackadaisical but also friendly. MIDRANGE
Unless specified otherwise, all the room rates include breakfast. Al-Anbat Hotel I (x2156265; www.alanbat.com; s/d JD14/22; is) Located on the road between ‘Ain Musa and Wadi Musa, this three-star
resort just keeps on growing up and out. The attractive rooms have high ceilings and come with satellite TV, and most have a balcony with views over Wadi Musa. Facilities include a Turkish bath (JD12 for guests) and a small pool (in summer). Breakfast costs JD2 and the good dinner buffets are JD5. Free transport to/from Petra is available. Campers (JD2.50 per person) can use a designated area, with showers and a kitchen, and there’s an area where you can pitch a tent or park a camper van. Al-Anbat is the Arabic name for the Nabataeans. Petra Moon Hotel (x2156220; www.petramoonhotel .com; s/d JD18/25; i) Up behind the Mövenpick Hotel, this is convenient for the entrance to Petra. The modern lobby with comfy couches and glass coffeetables lends a touch of class to what is otherwise a very clean, but modest little place. There’s some outdoor furniture for taking in the sunset, or just relaxing after a hard day’s ruin hopping. The helpful staff can advise on jeep tours. Amra Palace Hotel (x2157070; www.amrapalace .com; s/d JD25/40; is) The very comfortable rooms, satellite TV, heated outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, summer terrace and excellent Turkish bath (JD15 per person) push this a notch above anything else in Wadi Musa. Rooms at the front have the better views. Visa cards are accepted. TOP END
At all of the places listed here, there are some surprising bargains to be found online when business is quiet. Petra Palace Hotel (x2156723; www.petrapalace .com.jo; s/d JD39/45; is) With the feel of a topend hotel at a quarter of the price, this lovely place about 500m from the Petra entrance offers superb value and nice details like inroom hair dryers and a washing line. Some of the luxury rooms open out onto a terrace with a swimming pool and there’s a good restaurant and bar. There is a much more intimate feel here than at the big chain hotels. Credit cards are accepted. Mövenpick Hotel (x2157111; www.moevenpick -petra.com; d US$105; s) One hundred metres from the ticket office, this is the most luxurious place in town, and as stylish as you’d expect. For the price, it’s astoundingly good value. There are Mediterranean and buffet restaurants, a good bar, a swimming pool, a roof garden, the peaceful Burckhardt
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Library, a children’s playground and upmarket gift shops. Even the hotel brochure describes it as ‘posh’.
Eating & Drinking The main road through Wadi Musa is dotted with grocery stores where you can stock up on munchies and drinks for Petra. Or try the Sanabel Bakery (x2157925; h5ammidnight), which does a delicious range of Arab sweets and fresh bread. To find the bakery head downhill from the roundabout and take the main road on the left; it’s opposite the mosque. Al-Wadi Restaurant (x2157151; salads 750 fils, mains JD3-4; hlunch & dinner) On the Shaheed roundabout, this is the best place for a cheap feed. There’s a range of vegetarian dishes as well as local Bedouin specialities such as gallaya (meat and onions in a spicy tomato sauce) and mensaf (lamb), most of which come with salad and rice. All the dishes are big on sauce and taste basically the same, but the portions, for the price, are absolutely huge. Turkish Restaurant (x0777 447039; mains from JD3; hlunch & dinner) The English menu is in no way extensive, but the Turkish twist makes it a little more inspiring than the run-of-the-mill cheapies. Attentive staff turn out fresh salads and dips, an excellent mixed grill and tasty shwarma. The restaurant is just off the Shaheed roundabout. Petra Zeman (x0777 993913; mains from JD5; hlunch & dinner) The newest restaurant on the block, Petra Zeman has a good selection of dishes on the menu, but it’s the Bedouin specialities, including mensaf and the chicken
© Lonely Planet Publications P E T R A ( J O R D A N ) • • W a d i M u s a 371
and rice maqlubbeh (sometimes called ‘upside down’) that are the standouts. Located 500m east of the main entrance to Petra. Mövenpick Hotel (x 2157111; buffet lunches JD12.50, buffet dinners JD16.50; hlunch & dinner) If you need a splurge, look no further than the blow-out buffets at this luxury hotel. For lunch, try Al-Saraya Restaurant downstairs, followed by a famous Mövenpick ice-cream sundae. Head up to Al Ghadeer Restaurant on the rooftop from 4pm for live Arabic music, sunset drinks and a mouth-watering barbecue buffet. Cave Bar (x2156266; behind the Petra visitors cen-
tre; small beer from JD2.500, cocktails JD4, plus taxes 26%; hnoon-11.30pm) If you’ve never been to a
bar in a 2000-year-old Nabatean rock tomb (and we’re guessing you haven’t!) then a drink here is a must. The seats are actually inside the tombs; if that’s a bit creepy for you, there’s also pleasant seating outside. The cocktails are imaginative and the ambience classy, except when the music suddenly deviates from traditional Bedouin to Crazy Frog on full blast.
Shopping Made in Jordan (x 2155700; www.madeinjordan .com; h8am-11pm) The best-quality crafts and
gifts in Jordan come from various NGO projects, most of which are represented in this excellent shop. Products include olive oil, soap, paper, ceramics, table runners, jewellery from Wadi Musa, and individual pieces from Jordanian women artists. The fixed prices are high, as is the quality; credit cards are accepted.
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PE TRA ( JORDAN)
PE TRA ( JORDAN)
Valentine Inn (x 2156423; valentineinn@hotmail .com; dm/s/d JD4/8/10; i) It’s a bit of a slog up
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Sinai (Egypt)
Sinai
HIGHLIGHTS Climbing the 3750 Steps of Repentance to greet the dawn from the summit of Mt Sinai (p382) Taba
Enjoying the simple life at one of the rustic camps (opposite) between Taba and Nuweiba
Wasting away the day with an apple sheesha and a book at one of Dahab’s beach-side cafés (p381)
Nuweiba
Mt Sinai Dahab Wadi Gnai
Red Sea
Tamad
Ras an-Naqb
East Delta Bus Co runs several bus services from Taba. The 10am bus goes down the coast to Nuweiba (E£12, one hour), then inland to St Katherine’s Monastery (E£25, four hours). Buses travel to Cairo (E£55 to E£60, six to seven hours) at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 4.30pm. For Sharm el-Sheikh (E£35, 3½ hours) there are buses at 9am and 3pm,
The overwhelming majority of travellers to Sinai enjoy their visits without incident. However, because of the peninsula’s unique position between cultures and continents, its occasionally tumultuous history, its mountainous terrain and – in more recent times – its masses of tourists, Sinai has traditionally had a higher security profile than other parts of the country. Before making your travel plans, it’s worth checking your embassy’s travel advisory to get an update on the situation. When travelling in the interior carry your passport at all times and be mindful that some roads are closed to foreigners. Road signs to this effect should be heeded.
Taba National Monument
Ain Umm Ahmed
JORDAN
Mahash Nuweiba
Ain al-Furtega
Ras Abu Gallum Protectorate
St Katherine's Monastery
Mt Sinai (2285m)
Dahab
Gebel Katherine (2642m)
Wadi Gnai
of
Al-Milga
Aq a b a
66
Gu lf
Getting Around
Wadi Huweiyit
SAUDI ARABIA
Dahab Nature Reserve
Sharira Pass
Nabq Nature Reserve Nabq
n
If you’re travelling overland to or from Israel, there are two border crossing points, Taba and Rafah. However, Taba is the only one open to foreign travellers. For details on Taba itself, see p374; for border crossing details, see p404. There is also a fast ferry link between Nuweiba on the Sinai coast and Aqaba in Jordan. For details, see p405.
Fer
Ras Shaitan
ry
Pharaoh's Island
Coloured Canyon
Ti r a
Getting There & Away
Eilat
Taba Aqaba
SINAI
WARNING
Splashing out on a dive safari (p377) from Dahab or Nuweiba for glorious diving days and desert nights
ISRAEL
Ras Na`ama Nasrany Sharm Bay el-Sheikh
of
Between 1967 and 1982 the arid Sinai peninsula was occupied by Israeli forces but they were obliged to withdraw under the terms of the Camp David Agreement. In recent years Sinai has become the focus of much development and ‘reconstruction’, and tourism has brought great changes. The small villages of Dahab and Nuweiba have grown into sprawling beach-front tourist towns, and there is little of the coastline left without at least the beginnings of hotel construction. The Bedouin, the traditional inhabitants of Sinai, are now a minority in their native land. Marginalised by Cairo-based tour operators and a suspicious and aggressive police force, they have little means to resist all this change.
ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Ὀ ὈὈ Ὀ
Capital Cairo Country code x20 Sinai code x069 Language Arabic Money Egyptian pound (E£), consisting 100 piastres (pt); US$1 = E£5.72, €1 = E£7.20 Visas If you are entering Sinai from Israel and only intend to visit the eastern coastal resorts from Taba down to Sharm el-Sheikh, no Egyptian visa is required – you will just need a 14-day pass, which is issued at the border. For details, see p404.
ts
Sinai’s stunning desert and marine environment offers so much more than lazy days on the beach. The region has some of the most spectacular diving in the world but it isn’t even necessary to don expensive scuba gear to appreciate the underwater life; a face mask and snorkel will do. Other highlights include adventurous desert hikes, camel safaris, close-up encounters with traditional Bedouin culture and following pilgrims’ roads to biblical sites such as St Katherine’s Monastery, one of the oldest surviving churches in the world.
50 km 30 miles
St ra i
Wedged between Africa and Asia, Sinai is a region of stark beauty. Red-brown mountains fill the southern interior, surrounded by relentlessly dry desert plains that metamorphose into many-hued panoramas under the rays of the morning and evening sun. Most visitors head to the wonderfully laid-back resorts on the Red Sea coast, with their white-sand beaches fringed with teeming coral reefs.
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SINAI
FAST FACTS ON EGYPT
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Coming face to face with the incredible Red Sea marine life – some of the most exotic in the world – by stepping off the beach at Wadi Gnai (p381)
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lonelyplanet.com
Tiran Island
RED SEA
Ras Mohammed National Park
stopping at Nuweiba (E£10, one hour) and Dahab (E£21, 2½ hours). To Nuweiba only, there’s another bus at 2pm. Peugeot taxis and minibuses function as service taxis but are really expensive. You’re much better off getting the bus. To Nuweiba they charge E£50 per person, to Dahab E£70, to Sharm el-Sheikh E£120 and to Cairo E£100 to E£120.
TABA TO NUWEIBA The stunning coastline between Nuweiba and Taba is fringed with aqua-blue waters and rimmed by chains of low, barren mountains. While there are a few pristine spots left, much of it is lined by a string of ‘tourist villages’ in various stages of completion,
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interspersed with simple beach camps consisting of reed huts, an eating area and a very mellow ambience. While tourism is suffering greatly in Nuweiba and Dahab due to the political turns of recent years, this strip of coast continues to attract travellers, particularly adventurous young Israelis who ignore government warnings and venture here for some precious fun in the sun. Unless otherwise noted, all the camps charge between E£10 and E£20 per person for a very basic hut with mattresses on the floor and shared facilities. The only way to reach the camps is by service taxi or bus. Buses (see Getting Around, p373) will drop you at any of the places, although you’ll probably have to pay the full Taba– Nuweiba fare (E£12).
Taba
ﻃﺎﺑﺎ
x069
This busy border crossing between Egypt and Israel is open 24 hours. There’s a small post and telephone office opposite the New Taba Beach Resort in the ‘town’, along with a few shops. You can change money at the 24-hour Banque Misr booth in the arrivals hall, and there’s an ATM just outside the border. The Taba Hilton will usually change travellers cheques, and you can also change money at the small exchange booth in the customs and passport control building, or at one of the moneychangers down by the bus stand. When you exit the arrivals hall, the bus station is a 10-minute walk straight ahead on the left-hand side of the road. For information on getting to/from the border see p404.
Ras Shaitan
رأس اﻟﺸﻴﻄﺎن
x069
This rocky point (its name translates as Satan’s Head) jutting into the gulf 3km north of Maagana Beach came tragically into the world spotlight in 2004 when it was targeted as part of the series of terrorist bombings that hit the Taba Hilton. Since then the pace of life has returned to normal, and it’s one of the most popular beach areas on the Taba–Nuweiba strip. Easily one of the most popular camps on the whole of the peninsula, Ayyash Camp (x012 760 4668, 010 525 9109; www.ras-satan.com; huts per person E£20) attracts musicians from
around the region (both Arab and Israeli) who come to jam on the beach or in the small recording studio. Owned by a local Bedouin, it’s in a beautiful setting on a wide stretch of sand and has a special atmosphere – the sort of place where people come for a holiday and never leave. Each hut has its own shaded balcony with shared facilities and no electricity. Most taxi drivers will try and drop you off at Castle Beach (x012 739 8495; d E£80; a), a pleasant place just north of Ayyash Camp near the ras (headland). It’s one of the few midrange camps – accommodation is in comfortable bungalows, and there’s a beachside restaurant. Camel and jeep treks can be organised for a minimum of four people.
Mahash
ﻣﺤﺎش
x069
Continuing south, the next cluster of camps is in the Mahash area, about 20km north of Nuweiba on an attractive stretch of beach. Basata (x350 0480/1; www.basata.com; camp sites per person US$7, huts per person US$12, 3-person chalet US$58) means ‘simplicity’ in Arabic and this
clean, ecologically minded settlement reflects its name with organically grown produce and recycling for rubbish. There are simple huts sharing facilities, pleasant chalets with electricity and private bathroom, a large camping area, a kitchen and bakery. The ambience is very laid-back and family friendly with a New Age twist. Rock Sea Camp (x012 796 3199; www.rocksea.net; huts from US$12) is a peaceful camp run by an easy-going German family on a lovely curve of beach north of Nuweiba. The 20 straw huts and wooden bungalows are attractively fitted out and not right on top of each other. The restaurant has a diverse menu and a great position so close to the water you can actually see the fish darting through the reef.
NUWEIBA x069
ﻧﻮﻳﺒﻊ
Turquoise waters edged by fine, sandy beaches and barren, rugged mountain chains on both sides give Nuweiba one of the most attractive settings among Sinai’s resort towns. However, its centre-less layout (stretched randomly over about 15km), its lack of ambience and its comparatively low-key diving scene mean that it has never managed to attract the cult following of nearby Dahab.
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Nuweiba has been badly hit by the lack of Israeli tourists since the outbreak of the second intifada and the spate of recent bombings in the Sinai. It is very, very quiet these days, although the Tarabin area continues to attract a trickle of visitors. However, this lack of crowds gives Nuweiba its own appeal, and it makes a reasonable stop if you’re working your way up or down the coast.
Orientation Nuweiba is divided into three parts. To the south is the port, with a bus station, banks and a couple of scruffy hotels. About 8km further north is Nuweiba City, a small but spreadout settlement with a variety of accommodation options, a small bazaar and several cheap places to eat. About a 10-minute walk north along the beach is Tarabin, with an unbroken stretch of bamboo-and-concrete huts lining the shoreline.
Information EMERGENCY
Tourist police Nuweiba City (x350 0231; near Nuweiba Village hotel); Nuweiba Port (x350 0401) INTERNET ACCESS
Al-Mostakbal Internet Café (x350 0090; Nuweiba
City; per hr E£6; h9am-3am) MEDICAL SERVICES
Nuweiba Hospital (x350 0302; Nuweiba City) Just off the main highway to Dahab, and to be avoided except in dire emergencies. MONEY
Neither of the banks at the port will handle Jordanian dinars. National Bank of Egypt Nuweiba Port (h8.30am-2pm
Sun-Thu); Nuweiba Village (h9am-1pm & 7-9pm Sat-Thu, 9-11am Fri) Both branches have an ATM. POST
Main post office (Nuweiba City; h8.30am-2.30pm Sun-Thu)
TELEPHONE
Telephone centrale (Nuweiba City; h24hr)
Activities WATER SPORTS
Underwater delights are the feature attraction, and while not as dramatic as those at other resorts on the Gulf of Aqaba, the
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dive sites tend to be less crowded, with an impressive variety of marine life. The best snorkelling is at the Abou Lou Lou House Reef just south of town (it’s just off the jetty, which is on the private beach used by the hotels in Nuweiba City south of Tarabin). Divers sometimes head to Ras Abu Gallum Protectorate (p377) or other offshore destinations – many of which are also fine for snorkellers – though most diving here is shore-based. Check at local dive clubs for further information about sites and excursions, such as Emperor Divers (x352 0695; www .emperordivers.com; Hilton Nuweiba Coral Resort), which offers full-day diving for €45 and open-water diving with a PADI certificate for €295. The Hilton Nuweiba Coral Resort (x352 0320) has the best selection of water-sport equipment, including kayaks. CAMEL & JEEP TREKS
Nuweiba is one of the best places in Sinai to arrange camel and jeep safaris into the dramatic mountains lining the coast. One of the most popular is the trip to Coloured Canyon, between St Katherine’s and Nuweiba. The canyon derives its name from the layers of bright, multicoloured stones that resemble paintings on its steep, narrow walls, and is magnificently beautiful, although unfortunately it has become very overvisited in recent years. The canyon is about 5km off the main road; 4WDs can be driven to within 100m of it. Another popular destination is Ain alFurtega, a palm-filled oasis 16km northwest of Nuweiba, and easily accessible by regular car. Mayat el-Wishwashi is a large cistern hidden between two boulders in a canyon. It used to be the largest cistern in Sinai, but now has only a trickle of water, except after floods. Nearby is Mayat Malkha, a palm grove fed by the waters of Mayat elWishwashi and set amid colourful sandstone, accessible by camel or on foot only. Wadi Huweiyit is an impressive sandstone canyon with lookouts giving panoramic views over to Saudi Arabia. It is accessible by 4WD and camel. Ain Hudra (Green Spring) is where it is believed Miriam was struck by leprosy for criticising Moses. Famously beautiful, it is an easy day trip by 4WD, or a longer trip by camel. The picturesque Ain Umm Ahmed is the largest oasis in eastern Sinai, with lots of palms, Bedouin
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houses and a stream that becomes an icy river in the winter months. It can be visited by camel or 4WD. Basata is a good place to find a reliable Bedouin guide. The efficient Abanoub Travel (x 352 0201;
[email protected]; Mizena) uses local Bedouin and offers camel treks for about US$4 per day, including food. Jeep treks can also be arranged.
Sleeping The hotels near the port are poor value and not recommended. It’s better to head up to the camps of Tarabin or the hotels of Nuweiba City. NUWEIBA CITY
The best way to reach some of these listings is to jump in a taxi as the city is very spread out. Amon-Yahro Camp (x350 0555; www.amonyahro .net; per person E£20) A good, simple camp with huts, on raised concrete platforms, overlooking the beach. All have electricity and bathrooms, and there’s a restaurant. Fayrouza Village (x350 1133; fayrouza@sinai4you .com; s/d US$10/14) This comfortable place is well located on the beach at the edge of Nuweiba City and in front of a reef. It has simple but spotless huts, all with fan, electricity, window screens and good beds. The shared bathrooms have hot water, and the restaurant serves up filling, tasty meals. They can also help you organise reasonably priced camel and jeep safaris to surrounding attractions. If you’re arriving in Nuweiba by bus, ask them to drop you at the hospital, from where it’s a 10-minute walk down to Fayrouza (walk towards the beach and it’s the second street on your left). Habiba Village (x350 0770; www.sinai4you.com /habiba; huts US$21, with private bathroom & air-con US$65) This small hotel has a selection of
double huts, overpriced air-con rooms and a beachfront restaurant. If you’re after quiet, it may not be the best choice as many of the rooms are near the restaurant area. TARABIN
New Soft Beach Camp (x010 364 7586; www.soft beachcamp.com; s/d E£15/20; i) This camp has one of the best settings, at the quieter end of Tarabin near the dunes. It has the usual simple huts, communal outdoor showers
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that are generally reliable (except when the garden is being watered) and a decent restaurant. Moonland Camp (x350 1229; 2- to 3-person huts E£10) Another decent choice, though the compound is somewhat closed in and set back from the beach. Accommodation is in a collection of huts, all with fan, and there’s hot water in the communal showers. It’s a few minutes’ walk north of Soft Beach at the southern end of Tarabin. Saraya Beach Resort (x350 1230; huts per person with/without air-con E£20/15, 4-person r with bathroom & air-con E£150; a) A popular and well-run
place with a choice of double or triple huts, or a block of rooms. It’s north of Moonland in the heart of Tarabin.
Eating Most people tend to eat at their camp but in Nuweiba City you have a choice of several small eateries, including Dr Shishkebab (x 350 0273; Bazaar, Nuweiba City; dishes E£10-50; h7am-11pm), which offers a generous spread
of ta’amiyya, salad, fried aubergine and hummus with all meals; the daood basha (meatballs in a rich tomato sauce) and rice is particularly tasty. Although famous for meat dishes, it also serves cheap vegetarian meals and breakfasts. For something different check out the surprisingly good Chinese and Korean fare at Han Kang (x350 0970; Nuweiba City; dishes E£2050), a small, spotless restaurant, just down from and on the opposite side of the street from Nuweiba Village hotel.
Getting There & Away BOAT
There is a ferry service to Aqaba in Jordan. Schedules and prices vary so it is always better to stop in at the ticket office at the harbour in Nuweiba a day or so before you want to leave. See p405 for details. BUS
East Delta Bus Co (x352 0371; Nuweiba Port) has buses to Cairo (E£55, seven to eight hours) leaving at 9am, 11am and 3pm and going via Taba (E£12, one hour); and to Sharm elSheikh (E£21, three hours) via Dahab (E£11, one hour) at 6.30am, 8.30am, 10am and 4pm. There is an inconvenient connection from Nuweiba to St Katherine’s Monastery via Dahab departing at 8.30am (E£21).
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S I N A I ( E G Y P T ) • • R a s A b u G a l l u m P r o t e c t o r a t e 377
DESERT DWELLING Trekking through the desert or a going on a ‘dive safari’ to the beautiful Ras Abu Gallum are definite highlights of a trip to the Sinai. But when choosing who to go with, we recommend trying to find a Bedouin – or at least someone who works with a Bedouin – because many Bedouins are excluded from the tourist industry, which tends to be dominated by migrants from the Nile Valley. Centre for Sinai (x364 0702; www.centre4sinai.com.eg) is one outfit that tries to promote knowledge of the local culture as well as showing visitors the sights, and its website is a good place to look for guides. Man & the Environment Dahab (MATE; x069-364 1091; www.mate-dahab.com) is an environmental education centre that helps arrange treks with Bedouin guides. In Dahab Nesima Dive Centre (x069-364 0320; Nesima Resort, Mashraba) uses local guides for its excursions, and Desert Divers (x069-364 0500; www.desert-divers.com) is owned by Said, the first Bedouin in Dahab to learn to dive. If you are after a base for immersing yourself in the beauty of the Southern Sinai then try the Bedouin-owned Al-Karm Ecolodge (x069-347 0032; www.stkparks.gov.eg; Sheikh Awaad; camping/r per person E£25/75), in a remote wadi near the small settlement of Sheikh Awaad. It offers simple rooms, solar-heated shared showers, a kitchen and tranquility; bring your own bedding. To get here, follow the track from Tarfa village, which is about 20km from St Katherine’s on Wadi Feiran road. If you aren’t with a local, call the St Katherine’s Protectorate (x069-347 0032/33) for directions, and it can arrange for someone to meet you. Once at the lodge, the local Bedouin can help you arrange hiking and camel treks.
دﻫﺐ
RAS ABU GALLUM PROTECTORATE راس اﺑﻮ ﺟﻠﻮم
DAHAB
The starkly beautiful Ras Abu Gallum Protectorate covers 400 sq km of coastline between Dahab and Nuweiba, mixing high coastal mountains, narrow valleys, sand dunes and fine gravel beaches with several excellent diving and snorkelling sites. There is a designated camping area and several walking trails in the protectorate and you can hire Bedouin guides and camels through the ranger house at the edge of Wadi Rasasah. While still beautiful, the area has become an extremely popular destination, overflowing at times with day trippers from Sharm el-Sheikh and Dahab. Local Bedouin have caught on, and have even started charging visitors to use the very basic toilet facilities. The most popular destinations within the protectorate include Bir el-Oghda, a now-deserted Bedouin village, and Bir Sugheir, a water source at the edge of the protectorate. Dive centres and travel agencies in Nuweiba and Dahab offer camel and jeep excursions to Abu Gallum, often as part of a diving safari. The protectorate can also be reached by hiking in from north of the Blue Hole near Dahab.
With its golden beaches, rugged mountain backdrop and smooth fusion of hippie mellowness and resort chic, Dahab has become one of Sinai’s most popular coastal destinations. Unlike most of Egypt’s other resorts, it’s also a place where independent travellers are still the rule rather than the exception, and it offers a wide array of accommodation and diversions catering to all tastes and budgets. Dahab (the name means ‘gold’ in Arabic, after the area’s sandy coastline) long had a reputation as being the Koh Samui of the Middle East. But in recent years it has grown up and while the banana pancakes remain, they now coexist with internet cafés, Italian restaurants and upscale hotels. The once chilled-out beach-front area is now lined by a paved path, and you’re just as likely to see New Age families strolling along as hardcore overland travellers.
x069
Orientation There are two parts to Dahab: the small and newer area of Dahab City, with a smattering of resort hotels and the bus station; and Assalah, which is north along the beach, and was originally a Bedouin village. Assalah is divided into Masbat and Mashraba.
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0 0
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2
3
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Desert Divers.............................12 Eel Garden.................................13 Embah Safari..............................14 Fantasea Dive Centre.................15 Ruins..........................................16
SLEEPING Alf Leila.....................................17 Bedouin Lodge...........................18 Bishibishi Garden Village............19 Blue Beach Club.........................20 Hilton Dahab Resort..................21 Inmo Hotel................................22 Mirage Village............................23 Penguin Village..........................24 Sunsplash...................................25 Swiss Inn Golden Beach Resort...26
C
D
28
EATING Carm Inn................................... 27 D2 Eel Garden Stars.........................28 D1 Leila's Bakery...........................(see 17) Nirvana Indian Restaurant..........29 D2 Tarbouche.................................30 C2
13
15
20 23
DRINKING Furry Cup.................................(see 20) Rush..........................................31 C2
Assalah
Fanah St
17
30
8
D2 D1 D2 D1 C3
27 14 29
Lighthouse Reef
f
1
B
400 m 0.2 miles
To Canyon & Blue Hole Dive Sites (6km)
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INFORMATION Banque du Caire..........................1 C4 Call Centre...................................2 C2 Commercial International Bank (ATM)......................................3 C4 Dahab Hospital............................4 A5 Dr Sherif Salah.........................(see 21) Download.Net.............................5 C3 Main Post Office......................... 6 A6 National Bank of Egypt (ATM).....7 A6 National Bank of Egypt (ATM).....8 C2 Police...........................................9 C3 Tourist Police............................. 10 A6 Western Union..........................11 C2
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Masbat starts roughly at the lighthouse at the northern end of Assalah and is made up of a stretch of ‘camps’, hotels and laid-back restaurants among the palm trees, as well as a busy little bazaar. In the centre of Masbat, just north of Red Sea Relax Terrace Restaurant, is a bridge, which makes a convenient landmark and is a good place to find taxis. To the south, starting roughly at the ruins (currently off limits as an excavation site), is the slightly more staid Mashraba, named after the freshwater springs that apparently exist around the beach.
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Information
Dahab Bay
Masbat
Bridge
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EMERGENCY
Police (x364 0213/5; Masbat) Near Ghazala Supermarket. Tourist police (x364 0188; Dahab City) Felopater Internet Cafe (per hr E£4; h10am-10pm)
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To Sharm el-Sheikh (85km); Nuweiba (87km); Mt Sinai (125km); St Katherine's Monastery (125km)
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OTHER WATER SPORTS
DIVING
Hilton Dahab Resort and Swiss Inn Golden Beach Resort (both located on the lagoon south of town) have windsurfing centres, and the bay there is excellent for it. Windsurfers can also be rented at the northern
MONEY
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Banque du Caire (Sharia Al-Mashraba, Mashraba;
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Gulf of Aqaba
h9am-2pm & 6-9pm Sat-Thu, 9-11am & 6-9pm Fri) Near Inmo Divers. Western Union (x364 0466; just north of Bamboo House Hotel, Masbat; h8.30am-2pm & 6-10pm Sat-Thu, 3-10pm Fri) POST
Main post office (Dahab City; h8.30am-2.30pm) Post boxes are also outside Ghazala Supermarket, Masbat, and next to Red Sea Relax Terrace Restaurant, Masbat. TELEPHONE
In addition to the telephone centrale and cardphones, you will find numerous call centres along the beachfront in Assalah where you can dial internationally for E£7 per minute. Call centre (Masbat; per min E£7; h10am-3pm & 6-9pm
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Dahab City
most camps/hotels have their own dive centres, consider safety over bargain prices (choose your club carefully, as some places have less than stellar reputations when it comes to safety standards). Talk to other travellers about their recommendations. Dahab has recently become a mecca for European freedivers. Excellent conditions and depth have seen various international records broken in the area, and several companies offer everything from beginners’ ‘deep snorkelling’ courses to week-long freediving yoga seminars. Speak to Desert Divers or see Lotta Ericson (www.lottaericson.com), a qualified freediving trainer and international competitor who runs Island Divers.
Sat-Thu, 3-9pm Fri) Just north of Western Union.
Dahab Hospital (x364 0208; Dahab City) Dr Sherif Salah (x012 220 8484) Local doctor recom-
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mended by most hotels; office at the Hilton Dahab Resort.
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are Fantasea Dive Centre (x364 1373; fax 364 0483; www.fantaseadiving.net; Masbat) and Desert Divers (x364 500; www.desert-divers.com; Masbat). While
The reefs off Assalah are often strewn with litter, but if you can ignore this, the reef at the northern end of Mashraba has table corals and impressive fish life. Also worthwhile are the reefs off the southern end of Mashraba, just before the lagoon; Lighthouse Reef, a sheltered snorkelling site at the northern tip of Assalah; and the popular Eel Garden, just north of Assalah, where a colony of eels lives on the sandy sea bed. About 6km further north are the Canyon and Blue Hole dive sites. Despite their intimidating reputation as danger zones for careless divers, the tops of the reefs are teeming with life, making them fine snorkelling destinations when the sea is calm. It’s easy to find half-day tours to both sites (and just pay for rental, about E£50 or E£60), but watch for hidden ‘extras’ such as overpriced drinks and gear-minding fees at some of the cafés around the Blue Hole. Many dive centres also organise dive safaris to the Ras Abu Gallum Protectorate (p377). Although most cater to divers, some will also take snorkellers along. You can hire snorkelling gear from all the dive centres and many other places in Masbat for about E£25 to E£40 per day.
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Other than just lounging around, diving is the most popular activity in Dahab. There are several dozen dive clubs, offering a full range of diving possibilities. Two favourites
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end of Dahab Bay, although the wind tends to be gusty here. Kitesurfing is also starting to take off in Dahab, although offshore winds limit the areas where it can be done. Check out the internet for more information as lots of European companies run courses.
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there’s a pleasant restaurant and a beachside lounging area. Owner Anita encourages a personal atmosphere with guests all eating together. If you are thinking of staying for a while check out the special weekly halfboard prices. Bedouin Lodge (x364 0317; www.bedouin-lodge-da hab.com; Mashraba; s/d from E£73/103; a) One of the few Bedouin-run places in town, this has the feel of a small hotel, with more upscale rooms than the nearby camps – all with private bathroom and some with balconies that have views of the water. There’s also a dive centre and a pretty good restaurant, which is known for its large portions. The compound is at the southern end of the boardwalk.
a communal balcony with sun beds. Guests get a key to the whole house, which gives the place an intimate feel. The only drawback is the hotel’s position, which is on a main road quite far back from the beach. Blue Beach Club (x364 0411; www.bluebeachclub .com; Assalah; d US$35; a) Owned by a university professor, this pretty hotel is on a windy stretch of beach at the northern end of Assalah. The 20 newly renovated rooms sit amid excellent facilities such as a rooftop yoga studio, horse stables and an Arabic language centre that offers two- to fourweek courses, where you study in the morning and lounge around the freshwater pool for the rest of the day.
BUDGET
MIDRANGE
Eating
If you’re looking at accommodation before you arrive, check out www.dahab.net, an excellent commission-free online booking service with a good selection of hotels and activities. Penguin Village (x364 1047; www.penguindivers
Inmo Hotel (x364 0370; www.inmodivers.de; Mashraba;
Leila’s Bakery (x364 0594; Fanar St, Masbat; dishes E£12-15; h7am-7pm) Away from the beach, this traditional German bakery turns out mouth-watering cheesecake and oldfashioned pastries that go very well with the espresso coffee. Salads and sandwiches are also served in the small garden. Eel Garden Stars (x069 640 780; Assalah; dishes E£15-40) The sort of café that you got to for breakfast and find yourself still hanging around in the late afternoon. The best thing about this attractive beachside place is its easy access to the Eel Garden snorkelling site – that and the good food. See if you still float after a bowl of the mahshi (rice with onion, tomato, cinnamon and herbs) by renting a mask and snorkel (E£15) from the restaurant. Eel Garden Stars is about 300m north of the lighthouse. Nirvana Indian Restaurant (x364 1261; Masbat; dishes E£20-50) Dahab’s best Indian food, including an impressive vegetarian selection. The chefs are more than happy to make any dish as spicy or mild as you like. Popular with English backpackers who can be found spending whole days sipping chai in the cushion area. Carm Inn (x364 1300; Masbat; dishes E£25-65) This waterfront place describes itself as ‘seven kitchens in one’, but whatever cuisine it’s channelling, it tastes great to us (and the local dive instructors who turn up in droves). The varied Western, Indian and Indonesian menu features all fresh ingredients and includes some inventive vegetarian and fish dishes. The mellow surroundings offer a hint of the South Pacific, with hanging plants and
HORSE RIDING
If you want to go riding, just wait on the beach in Mashraba for one of the Bedouin who walk up and down with horses for hire. Rates start at about E£20 per hour. You can also ask around the camps. Blue Beach Club (x364 0411; www.bluebeachclub.com; Assalah) can arrange horses for E£80 per hour.
Sleeping
.com; Mashraba; dm/s/d E£10/24/30, with private bathroom E£40/60, with air-con E£50/80; ai) This agreeable
place offers some of the best-value accommodation in Dahab. Sitting behind a cluster of palms in a relatively quiet setting on the waterfront in Mashraba, it has a whitewashed block of simple, clean rooms and knowledgeable staff who can help you organise jeep and camel safaris. The beach restaurant is an especially pleasant place to sit and read a book for a couple of hours, or you could organise a dive through the popular dive centre. Bishbishi Garden Village (x0693 640 727; www
.bishbishi.com; Sharia Al-Mashraba, Mashraba; s/d/tr with fan E£25/35/45, with private bathroom & air-con from E£60/80/120; a) Consistently popular with
the young backpacker crowd, this sprawling place is a street away from the beach but makes up for it with cheerful staff, huge family rooms and lots of cushion areas to relax with all your new mates. Jimmy, the cowboy hat–wearing owner, can arrange ‘anything, anywhere’ including jeep safaris, diving excursions and buses to the border. Sunsplash (x 364 0932; www.sunsplash-divers .com; Mashraba; bungalow E£50, s/d with private bathroom from E£60/120; a) A friendly German-run dive
centre set on its own at the southern end of Mashraba, with a quiet beachfront location and your choice of bungalows or simple but comfortable rooms. All are spotless, and
s/d ‘backpacker’ US$18/25, d US$45, with air-con, private bathroom & balcony US$58; as) With colourful
rooms, domed ceilings and attractive furniture, this well-run, family-friendly hotel mainly caters to people on diving packages from Europe, especially Germany, although it does take in stray travellers if there’s room. Rooms have a fan, most have a bathroom, some have air-con and the best ones have balconies overlooking the beach. There are a few mountain bikes for guests to use and childcare can be arranged, as can camel/dive safaris. Mirage Village (x 364 0341; www.mirage.com .eg; Assalah; s/d E£125/221; a) A good choice if you’re looking for the laid-back ambience of a camp, but with some comfort. Simple but stylishly designed with rooms – all with fly screens and bathroom – set around a courtyard, plus there’s a cushioned waterside seating area and a restaurant. Mirage offers a whole host of activities such as trips to St Katherine’s Monastery and Bedouin dinners in the mountains. The hotel is just north of the lighthouse area. Alf Leila (x364 0595; www.dahab-a-different-way .com; Fanar St, Masbat; small/large d US$32/45; a )
Dahab has needed a boutique hotel for a long time, and Alf Leila has filled the gap with this tasteful B&B set around a Moroccanstyle courtyard complete with plunge pool. The eight rooms are uniquely decorated in a myriad of colours, each with an Arabesque touch such as copper bowl sinks and gorgeous tiling. Some of the larger rooms have discreet kitchenettes and all have access to
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interesting decoration – a wonderful escape from the sometimes noisy promenade. Tarbouche (x010 657 7625; Masbat; dishes E£50) Order before midday if you want to experience a delicious three-course feast in the home of local identity Yasser Tarbouche, a chef from Cairo. The exclusively Egyptian dishes are all carefully prepared and come with a range of fresh salads and a soup. Ask if the goat is available. Tarbouche is in a little street behind Jay’s restaurant. Look for the electrical tower.
Drinking Dahab is fairly quiet at night; however, it has a small selection of lively bars, some of which turn into discos if the atmosphere is right. Furry Cup (x364 0411; Blue Beach Club, Assalah) One of the most popular spots in town, and the bar of choice for many of Dahab’s diving instructors, Furry Cup has cushioned chairs, a lively atmosphere and good music. Happy hour is daily from 6pm to 8pm. Rush (x069 3641 866; Masbat) Probably the closest to a real club atmosphere, Rush is big with locals who come to check out the Italian DJs from Sharm, who play every Friday night. There’s a large garden out the back, which is nice to relax in with a late-night beer.
Getting There & Away East Delta Bus Co (x364 1808; Dahab City), with its new station in Dahab City, well southwest of the centre of action, has buses to Nuweiba (E£11, one hour) leaving at 8.30am and 10.30am. The 10.30am bus continues on to Taba (E£22, two hours). There is a 9.30am bus to St Katherine’s Monastery (E£16, 2½ hours).
WADI GNAI x069
وادي ﺟﻨﺎء
About twenty minutes south of Dahab is the beautiful protected oasis of Wadi Gnai. If you’re after some sun, sea and solitude, consider staying on this gorgeous beach, which is generally empty aside from the occasional four-wheel drive filled with divers racing towards the nearby dive sites. For accommodation, stay with Tariq and Giorgia at El Beit (x010 229 4153; giorgipsyj@libero .itl; s/d with breakfast E£90/140), an old sandstone home that it has turned into a lovely guesthouse. The three rooms here are extremely
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comfortable with large beds and tasteful decoration. There’s not much to do, but that’s the attraction. Go snorkelling right outside the house, rent a kayak (E£70 per hour) or let Giorgia, an Italian, fatten you up with her excellent home cooking. Otherwise, try Full Moon Café (x020 258 5870; s/d E£10/15), where tepees meet the South Pacific, with interestingly designed huts and a breezy cushion area complete with hammocks and pool tables. The food is cheap and cheerful and the kitchen super clean. Both Full Moon Café and El Beit offer good food (phone ahead for El Beit) and there are various shacks along the beach serving Egyptian standards. Tariq from El Beit and the owner of Full Moon, Hashem, will pick you up from Dahab if you call ahead. Otherwise, you can only get to Wadi Gnai on a tour or diving trip.
ST KATHERINE’S MONASTERY & MT SINAI x069
Sinai’s rugged interior, with desolate mountains, wind-sculpted canyons and wadis, is a region of breathtaking beauty. This isolated backdrop is also where you will find ancient remains sacred to all the world’s major monotheistic religions.
St Katherine’s Monastery دﻳﺮ ﺳﺎﻧﺖ ﻛﺎﺗﺮﻳﻦ Tucked into a barren valley at the foot of Mt Sinai, the ancient St Katherine’s Monastery (
[email protected]; admission free; h9am-noon Mon-Thu & Sat, except religious holidays) has been a place of pilgrimage since the 4th century. It traces its founding to about AD 330, when the Roman empress Helena had a small chapel and a fortified refuge for local hermits built beside what was believed to be the burning bush from which God spoke to Moses. Today St Katherine’s is considered one of the oldest continually functioning monastic communities in the world, and its chapel is one of early Christianity’s only surviving churches. It’s also a Unesco World Heritage site. Although much of the monastery is closed to the public, it is possible to enter the ornately decorated 6th-century Church of the Transfiguration, with its nave flanked by massive marble columns and walls covered in richly gilded icons and paintings.
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Don’t miss the Monastery Museum (adult/ child under 12/student E£25/free/10), which has recently been magnificently restored and features many of the monastery’s artistic treasures, including some of the spectacular Byzantine-era icons from its world-famous collection.
Mt Sinai
ﺟﺒﻞ ﺳﻴﻨﺎء
Rising up out of the desert and jutting above the other peaks surrounding the monastery is the towering 2285m Mt Sinai, which is known locally as Gebel Musa. Although some archaeologists and historians dispute Mt Sinai’s biblical claim to fame, it is revered by Christians, Muslims and Jews, all of whom believe that God delivered his Ten Commandments to Moses at its summit. The mountain is easy and beautiful to climb, and – except at the summit, where you’ll invariably be overwhelmed with crowds of other visitors – it offers a taste of the serenity and magnificence of southern Sinai’s high mountain region. There are two routes up the mountain, both of which take the climber at least two hours. The camel trail is the easier route. The trail is wide, clear and gently sloping as it moves up a series of switchbacks, with the only potential difficulty – apart from sometimes fierce winds – being gravelly patches that can be slippery on the descent. The alternative path to the summit, the taxing 3750 Steps of Repentance, was laid by one monk as a form of penance. If you want to try both routes, it’s best to take the path on the way up and the steps on the way back down. If you get tired of tramping up the uneven trail there is no shortage of Bedouins who will take you to the top on a donkey or camel for about E£60. Dress warmly – even in summer it’s freezing at the top. At the summit you can rent blankets but it’s best to take a good jacket. A torch is also handy and these are available to rent. The best time to climb is before dawn so you can enjoy the spectacular sunrise, but some people recommend a late-afternoon climb for the sunset.
Sleeping & Eating Half-board includes bed, breakfast and dinner. There are supermarkets and a row of identical restaurants – serving huge portions
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of not terribly great food – around the bus stop. Monastery Guesthouse (x 347 0353; fax 347
0543; St Katherine’s Monastery; dm per person halfboard US$20, s/d/tr with private bathroom & half-board US$32/54/69) This simple guesthouse just next
to the monastery has comfortable rooms with heaters and blankets to keep out the mountain chill, and a pleasant patio area with views towards the mountains. Meals are filling and tasty, and management will let you leave your baggage in one of the rooms while you hike up Mt Sinai.
Getting There & Away There is one bus a day leaving Dahab at 9.30am for St Katherine’s. The bus for Dahab departs at 1pm. You can also reach St Katherine’s from Taba (E£25, four hours). The monastery is about 3.5km from the village of Al-Milga (which is where buses from
Dahab will drop you). From there most could easily walk or pick up a service taxi. Service taxis usually wait at the monastery for people coming down from Mt Sinai in the morning, and then again around midday when visiting hours end. A lift to the village costs E£10 to E£15 per person. You should plan on spending approximately E£30/45 per person to Dahab/Sharm el-Sheikh. The easiest way to get to Mt Sinai is to pick up a tour in Dahab or Nuweiba. These tours generally leave at midnight for the two-hour drive to the base of the mountain, in time to make your way up to the summit for the spectacular sunrise. Consider walking down in the morning, visiting the monastery and then returning to the beach. Tours run daily and cost from US$40. Try Embah Safari (x3641 690;
[email protected]; Masbat) in Dahab.
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Accommodation in Israel and the Palestinian Territories is varied and caters to all budgets. We order our listings according to prices based on a double room in high season (July and August). Budget listings, under US$55 (250NIS), include guesthouses, some hostels and a few mediocre hotels with basic facilities. Midrange accommodation costs between US$55 and US$120 (250NIS to 520NIS) and consists of three-star hotels, boutique hotels and most Christian hospices. Top end, over US$120 (520NIS), includes hotels that are four stars and up. Note that accommodation costs are seasonal. July and August is considered the high season, as well as holiday weeks such
Daily (except Saturday) Englishlanguage newspapers include Ha’aretz (www.haaretzdaily.com) and the Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com). In East Jerusalem, you can pick up the weekly, Palestinian-produced Jerusalem Times. The Jerusalem Report is a biweekly magazine covering current affairs. Tel Aviv’s best station for English- and Hebrew-language rock music is 102FM. In Jerusalem, English news can be heard at 10pm on 88.2FM. English news and music is played sporadically on 100.7FM (Tel Aviv), 98.4FM (Jerusalem), 97.2FM (Haifa) and 94.4FM (Tiberias). The shortwave BBC World Service (1323 kHz) broadcasts news in English, as does the Voice of America (1260 kHz). Israel National Radio is streaming on the web at www.kol-israel.com. For Palestinian music, listen to Angham Radio (www .radioangham.com in Arabic). Israel’s three public TV channels feature plenty of English-language programming with Hebrew subtitles. These are supplemented by the Arabic-language Jordan TV. Nearly all hotels and guesthouses also have cable TV, which carries CNN, Sky and BBC World. The predominant video format in Israel is PAL. Electric power is 230V, 50Hz AC. The sockets are designed to accommodate two- and three-pin, round plugs (European standard). Israel, the West Bank and Gaza all follow the international metric system.
as Passover. In resort areas, such as the Galilee and Eilat, prices go up on weekends.
B&Bs
All over Israel you’ll find accommodation in private homes or cabins (known as zimmers), ranging mostly from US$25 to US$80 for a single or double. Facilities vary from
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simple rooms with shared facilities to selfcontained studio apartments with kitchenettes and cable TV. You’ll find them by looking for signs posted in the street or check the website of the Home Accommodation Association (www.bnb.co.il). Tourist offices will also keep a list of B&Bs in their city.
Bungalows
Down Sinai way backpackers will delight in the sometimes ramshackle but always cheap huts scattered along the beaches. They are incredibly basic – a palm frond shelter with a floor of carpets and cushions for about E£60 per person. You’ll find most of these in Nuweiba.
Camping
Camping grounds (with amenities such as running water, shower blocks and electricity) are found all over Israel, but they don’t offer the sort of cheap alternative most people would expect; in fact, hostels cost only a bit more. On a few public beaches, you can pitch a tent free of charge, but not on the Dead Sea shore, much of the Sea of Galilee or the Mediterranean coast north of Nahariya. Wilderness camping is possible in many places along major hiking tracks (except in national parks), but water may not be available, especially in the Negev region.
Hostels & Guesthouses
Israel has an extensive network of roughly 30 official HI hostels, all of which are clean and well appointed. In most cities and towns, however, private guesthouses charge one third to half the prices of the official hostels and they’re generally more amenable for socialising – but also louder. For more on HI hostels, contact the Israel Youth Hostels Association (Map pp86-7; x02-655 8405; www.iyha.org .il; Binyanei Ha’Umah Conference Centre, 6th fl, PO Box 6001, Jerusalem 91060; h8.30am-3pm Sun-Thu, 9am-noon Fri).
The most basic guesthouses will charge US$6 to US$7 per night for a dorm bed, while cleaner places with more facilities might charge US$8 to US$10. The cheapest places tend to be in East Jerusalem. A double room in a backpacker-orientated guesthouse starts at around US$30.
Hotels
In the midrange category, for a European standard hotel room with reasonable facilities, expect to pay around US$65 to US$120 for a double room. An Israeli breakfast (yogurt, cheese, toast, vegetables and a fried egg) is sometimes included with the room. You don’t get any better service with topof-the-range hotels, which are often soulless and filled with package tour groups from the USA and Europe. Room rates usually start from around US$120 and you can expect a full breakfast plus other amenities like a swimming pool and fitness centre. Many hotels in this range are kosher, which means you’ll have to deal with a few quirky restrictions, for example the swimming pool will have separate hours for men and women; guest services will be limited during Shabbat; and the elevators (during Shabbat) will automatically stop on every floor. All hotels and guesthouses listed in this book will have private bathrooms unless stated otherwise.
Kibbutz Guesthouses
In a bid to diversify their income, quite a few kibbutzim have turned to the guesthouse concept. They fit mostly into the midrange category and facilities may include swimming pools, beach access, and renowned dining and guest activities. The Kibbutz Hotels Reservations Office (Map p162; x03-560 8118; www.kibbutz .co.il; 41 Montefiore St, Tel Aviv) publishes a booklet listing all of its hotels, restaurants and camp sites, with prices, amenities and a map.
ACTIVITIES
Israel is a miniature playground in the Middle East. Popular activities include horse riding in Netanya (p186), kayaking in the Upper Galilee (p266), 4WD trips in Mitzpe Ramon (p341) and hiking in Yehudiya Nature Reserve. Such activities in the Palestinian Territories are limited or nonexistent. Other possible activities in Israel include the following listings (overleaf).
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Archaeological Digs
Israel’s 5000 years of settled history, much of it now underground, will keep archaeologists busy for years to come. You can join a dig at a few locations; one of the most popular for tourists is at Tel Maresha (p147). For this and other digs you pay for a day to join. For more options see p399.
Hiking
With its broad range of terrain, Israel offers a wealth of superb hiking opportunities. The most popular areas include Maktesh Ramon (p339), the Wilderness of Zin (p336), Ein Gedi (p316), the Eilat Mountains (p349) and the Yehudia Nature Reserve (p267). For guidelines and quite detailed route information, visit the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or any of its field schools around the country (see Green Teams, p78). The SPNI also sells detailed sectional hiking maps (60NIS, laminated 82NIS). Long-distance hikers may want to attempt all or part of the Israel National Trail, which rambles for over 1200km through Israel’s least populated and most scenic areas, from Tel Dan in the north to Taba in the south. This remarkably varied and beautiful route is marked with red, white and blue blazes. Kidnappings and robberies of hikers have occurred in wilderness areas of the West Bank. The only area considered safe for hiking is Wadi Qelt (p305). For an armchair read, check out Walks in Palestine: Including the Nativity Trail (2002), written by Nabeel Kassis.
Water Sports
Travel agents like to hype Eilat as an oasis in the desert, but if you’ve come looking for paradise you’ll be let down by the crowds and brash commercialisation of the place. The beaches at Bat Yam (p164), Tel Aviv (p164), Netanya (p186) and Hof HaCarmel (near Haifa; p201) are somewhat less busy. These, along with the Sea of Galilee, all offer ample opportunities to swim, windsurf and sail. At Eilat you can try parasailing and water-skiing. While many privately owned beaches along the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, and the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts
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charge admission fees (or are restricted for military reasons), some remote beaches are accessible to the public free of charge. Eilat is Israel’s major scuba-diving and snorkelling spot, but if you’re headed for the world-class reefs of Sinai, it’s hardly worth a stop. An alternative is to dive amid the underwater ruins of Herod’s city at Caesarea (p213).
BUSINESS HOURS
Israeli shopping hours are 9am to 6pm (or later) Sunday to Thursday, and 9am to 3pm Friday, with some places opening after sundown on Saturday. Banks are open Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8.30am to 12.30pm and 4pm to 5.30pm; Monday and Wednesday from 8.30am to 12.30pm and Friday from 8.30am to noon. Post offices open 7am to 6pm Sunday to Thursday and 7am to noon on Friday. Many internet cafés are open 24 hours except during Shabbat. Most bars open their doors around 7pm and close with the last customer. Clubs don’t open until after midnight; in Tel Aviv and Eilat most are open seven days a week, while in Haifa and Jerusalem they only open on weekends. For standard opening hours of cafés and restaurants, see p68. Reviews in this book do not include business hours unless they differ from these standards. Bear in mind that in most parts of the country, things grind to a halt during Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, which starts at sundown on Friday and ends one hour after sundown on Saturday. In Jerusalem and most other parts of the country, businesses close down around 3pm on Friday. In this book we might state that a certain place is open from 8am to 2am except Shabbat. This translates to 8am to 2am Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 4pm Friday and 8pm to 2am Saturday. In largely secular Tel Aviv, most shops and offices close at around 2pm on Friday afternoon, but at the same time street markets and cafés spring to life. In fact, Friday is the biggest night out of the week. In predominantly Muslim areas – East Jerusalem, Akko, Jaffa, the West Bank and Gaza – businesses are closed all day Friday but remain open on Saturday. Christianowned businesses (concentrated in Nazareth, Bethlehem and the Armenian and
D I R E C T O R Y • • C h i l d re n 387
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Christian Quarters of Jerusalem’s Old City) are closed on Sunday. In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, curfews imposed by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) can cause businesses to close early; see our warning (p286) for details.
CHILDREN
Travel in Israel shouldn’t be too rough on children as distances are short and roads are in good nick.
Practicalities
Baby food and nappies are readily available in shopping centres, but if any special medicines are needed its best to bring what you need from your own country, as labels are often in Hebrew. Kid-friendly hotels and resorts can be found in the zimmers and kibbutz accommodation in the Galilee area. For more tips, see p69 and Lonely Planet’s Travel with Children by Cathy Lanigan.
Sights & Activities
Many of Israel’s museums and historic sites are geared for children as much as they are for adults, complete with learning centres, games and activities. Notable attractions aimed at kids include the National Museum of Science (p198) in Haifa, the multimedia adventure at Caesarea (p212) and Mini Israel (p146) in Latrun. Public parks are common in Israeli cities, as are activity centres like miniature golf, bowling alleys and movie theatres. There are also plenty of national parks for active trips and short hikes. In winter, a trip to Mt Hermon for skiing is a must. If the kids are still bored, a trip to the beach works every time. The tense situation in the West Bank – and the checkpoints between towns – makes places like Hebron and Nablus less kid-friendly.
CLIMATE CHARTS
Israel and the Palestinian Territories experience warm, cloudless days throughout the year and although it can get uncomfortably hot in some areas there is always somewhere in the country offering cool respite. The climate charts overleaf will give you an indication of the best months to travel. For more on when to go, see p17.
COURSES
Some Israeli universities operate programs for foreign students in Hebrew, Arabic and Middle Eastern studies. Participants don’t necessarily need to speak Hebrew, but may be required to study it as part of their curriculum. The biggest schools in the country offering programs for foreigners include the University of Haifa (x04-824 0111; www.haifa.ac .il; Mt Carmel, Haifa), Tel Aviv University (x03-640 8111; www.tau.ac.il; Ramat Aviv 69978, Tel Aviv) and the Hebrew University (x02-588 2819; www.huji.ac.il; Mt Scopus, Jerusalem).
Birzeit University (www.birzeit.edu), 7km north of Ramallah, runs both beginners’, and advanced courses in Arabic language and literature for US$650 per course. Travellers wishing to learn Hebrew will probably want to look for an ulpan – a language school catering mainly to new Jewish immigrants – but will have to find one that also welcomes nonimmigrant students; for information see Courses under Jerusalem (p128), Tel Aviv (p166) and Haifa (p201). Most programs cost under 500NIS per month. Tourist information offices also carry a list of ulpanim in their respective city. For those who prefer not to study too hard, there are also kibbutz ulpanim, where you can take on study in a rural atmosphere and work at the same time. The website www.kibbutzprogramcenter.org is an excellent source of information.
CUSTOMS
Israel allows travellers to import duty free up to 1L of spirits and 2L of wine for each person over 17 years of age, as well as 250g of tobacco or 250 cigarettes, plus gifts of no more than US$200 in value. Animals, plants, firearms or fresh meat cannot be imported. Video, computer or diving equipment may need to be declared on arrival, and a deposit paid to prevent its sale in Israel (however, this regulation is rarely applied).
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
Is it safe? This is the question you’ll hear endlessly from friends and family back home when you announce your intentions to travel to the Holy Land. The truth is that fatal car crashes in your home country probably outnumber terrorist-related deaths in Israel. So while there is an inherent risk in any travel these days, your chances of getting caught
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386 D I R E C T O R Y • • B u s i n e s s H o u r s
DEAD SEA
Average Max/Min
417m (1368ft)
Temp
°F
in
40
104
30
20
Rainfall
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JERUSALEM
mm
°C
8
200
86
6
68
4
10
50
0
0
°C
in
40
104
8
200
150
30
86
6
150
100
20
68
4
100
2
50
10
50
2
50
0
0
0
0
0
J F MAM J J A S O N D
Rainfall
TEL AVIV
0
Average Max/Min
49m (?ft)
Temp
mm
J F MAM J J A S O N D
J F MAM J J A S O N D
Average Max/Min
13m (43ft) Temp
Rainfall
°F
J F MAM J J A S O N D
EILAT
Average Max/Min
759m (2490ft)
Temp
Rainfall
°F
in
mm
°C
°F
in
40
104
8
200
40
104
8
200
30
86
6
150
30
86
6
150
20
68
4
100
20
68
4
100
10
50
2
50
10
50
2
50
0
0
0
0
0
0
°C
0
J F MAM J J A S O N D
J F MAM J J A S O N D
HAIFA
in
40
104
30
20
Rainfall
TIBERIAS
mm
°C
8
200
86
6
68
10
0
0
J F MAM J J A S O N D
J F MAM J J A S O N D
Average Max/Min
9m (30ft) Temp
°F
°C
Average Max/Min
-212m (-696ft)
Temp
mm
Rainfall
°F
in
40
104
8
200
150
30
86
6
150
4
100
20
68
4
100
50
2
50
10
50
2
50
0
0
0
0
0
0
J F MAM J J A S O N D
J F MAM J J A S O N D
up in an act of terror in Israel are extremely low. Still, it’s always a good idea to play it safe, plan ahead and get advice from locals on the ground. The following sections are an overview of issues to consider. Travel in the Palestinian Territories offers considerably more risk. For specific details on travel in these areas, see our warnings, p286 and p356.
Security Measures
For obvious reasons Israel has some of the most stringent security policies in the world. Suspiciously parked vehicles are towed and/ or destroyed by police; abandoned parcels or packages are blown up; and streets, markets and public facilities are spontaneously closed at the vaguest rumour of a threat. When entering bus or rail terminals, shopping malls, and just about everywhere else, your bags will be searched – and in some cases Xrayed. You will also be checked with a metal
J F MAM J J A S O N D
mm
0
J F MAM J J A S O N D
detector or body search and probably asked the question: ‘Do you have a gun?’ Flashing a foreign passport can quicken the process. Roads into most West Bank towns are fixed with army roadblocks where you’ll need to show a passport and answer questions about your reason for travel. Similarly, new arrivals at Ben-Gurion airport should be prepared for lengthy questioning and bag searches. As annoying as they may be, such measures have thwarted countless terrorist attacks and aren’t likely to be relaxed any time soon.
Terrorism & Military Action
Suicide bombers in Israel and IDF attacks in the West Bank and Gaza have been a part of life for 20 years and there are still no signs of letting up. In Israel there has been a noticeable drop in suicide attacks since 2005. This is due to the end of the second intifada, coupled with heightened security in
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Israel. Despite this you need to remain vigilant of suspicious people (or packages), especially when travelling by public bus. If you are travelling in remote areas of the Golan you also need to be wary of land mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO); see p263 for details. Register with your embassy for updates by email and pay attention to news in the local media. There is much less security in the Palestinian Territories. Bear the following in mind when travelling in the Territories: Foreign passports are an advantage at checkpoints and will almost always get you into the West Bank (but not Gaza). Kidnapping of foreigners is a frequent danger, especially in Gaza. Fortunately, most are released without harm. Don’t wear any outward signs of Judaism, such as a kippa, or you might be mistaken for an Israeli settler. Israeli soldiers use night-vision goggles so if you are walking near a checkpoint or the Separation Wall at night you will be spotted and possibly targeted if you are deemed a threat. Activism can be dangerous business in Israel. Some activists who have confronted the IDF have been injured or killed, as was the case with 23-year-old Rachel Corrie, who was killed by an IDF house bulldozer in Gaza; see www.rachelcorrie .org for details.
Theft
Theft is as much a problem in Israel and the Palestinian Territories as it is in any other country, so take the usual precautions: don’t leave valuables in your room or vehicle and use a money belt. In hostels, it’s GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ADVICE The following government websites offer travel advisories and information on current hot spots. Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (x06-6261 3305; www.dfat.gov.au) British Foreign Office (x0870-606 0290;
www.fco.gov.uk)
Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs
(x1 800 267 6788; www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca) US State Department (x202-647 5225; http://travel.state.gov)
D I R E C T O R Y • • D i s c o u n t C a r d s 389
wise to check your most valuable belongings into the front-desk safe. On intercity buses, it’s fine to stow large bags in the luggage hold, but keep valuables with you inside. Crowded tourist spots and markets are obvious haunts for pickpockets, so stay aware of what’s happening around you.
DISCOUNT CARDS
A Hostelling International (HI) card is useful for obtaining discounts at official HI hostels and an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) entitles bearers to a 10% student discount on Egged buses, a 20% discount on Israel State Railways and reductions on admissions to most museums and archaeological sites. Having said that, many places offer student discounts only to those studying in Israel, and cards issued by individual universities may not be recognised. Some museums and sights offer discounts to senior travellers.
EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
Israeli Embassies & Consulates
Following are the Israeli embassies and consulates in major cities around the world. Note: there is no Israeli embassy in Lebanon or Syria. Australia (x02-6273 1309; http://canberra.mfa.gov.il;
6 Turrana St, Yarralumla, Canberra, ACT 2600) Austria (x01-4764 65000;
[email protected]; 20 Anton Frakgassewien, Vienna, 1180) Canada Montreal (x514-940 8500; http://montreal.mfa .gov.il in French; Suite 2620, 1155 Blvd Rene Levesque Ouest, Montreal, PQ H3B 4S5); Ottawa (x613-567 6450; http://ottawa.mfa.gov.il; 50 O’Conner St, Ottawa, Ont K1P 6L2) Egypt Alexandria (x03-544 9501; 10 Sharia Mena, Kafer Abdou); Cairo (x02-761 0545; fax 761 0414; 6 Sharia ibn Malek, Giza) France Paris (x01 40 76 55 00; http://paris.mfa.gov.il in French; 3 rue Rabelais, F-75008 Paris); Marseille (x04-91 53 39 90; fax 04-91 53 39 94; 146 rue Paradis, Marseille F-13006) Germany (x30-8904 5500; http://berlin.mfa.gov.il in German; Auguste Victoria St 74-75, D-14193 Berlin) Ireland (x01-230 9400; http://dublin.mfa.gov.il; Carrisbrook House, 122 Pembroke Rd, Ballsbridge, Dublin) Jordan (x06-552 4686;
[email protected] .il; Maysaloon St, Rabiya, 11195, Amman) Netherlands (x070-376 0500; cons@hague .mfa.gov.il; Buitenhof 47, 2513AH Den Hague) New Zealand (x04-472 2368; israel-ask@ israel.org.nz; 111 The Terrace, Wellington)
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South Africa (x012-470-3500; publicaffais@pretoria
.mfa.gov.il; 428 Kings Hwy, cnr Elizabeth Grove, Lynnwood, Pretoria) Switzerland (x031-356 3588; http://bern.mfa.gov.il in German, French & Italian; 32 Alpenstrasse, Bern) Turkey (http://ankara.mfa.gov.il) Ankara (x312-446 3605; 85 Mahatma Gandhi St, Ankara); Istanbul (x212317 6500; Yapi Kredi Plaza, C Blok K7) UK (x020-7957 9500; http://london.mfa.gov.il; 2 Palace Green, London W8 4QB) USA (www.israelemb.org) New York (x212-499 5400; 800 Second Ave, New York NY10017); Washington, DC (x202-364 5500; 3514 International Dr NW, Washington DC 20008) Israel has nine consulates in the USA – the listed contacts can provide details.
Embassies & Consulates in Israel
Jerusalem may be Israel’s capital, but the vagaries of international politics have led most diplomatic missions to locate in Tel Aviv; some also maintain consulates in Jerusalem, Haifa and/or Eilat. Most diplomatic missions are open in the morning from Monday to Thursday, and some for longer hours. The only Middle Eastern countries with diplomatic representation in Israel are Jordan, Egypt and Turkey. There is no Lebanese or Syrian embassy in Israel. Australia Tel Aviv (Map p150; x03-695 0451; www
.australianembassy.org.il; 37 Sha’ul HaMelekh Ave, 64928) Austria Tel Aviv (x03-612 0924; www.austrian-embassy .org.il; Beit Crystal, 6 Hachiilason St, Ramat Gan, 64928) Canada Tel Aviv (Map p150; x03-636 3300; fax 636 3380; 3 Nirim St, 67060) Egypt Eilat (Map p346; x08-637 6882; 68 HaAfroni St, 88119); Tel Aviv (Map p150; x03-546 4151; fax 03-544 1615; 54 Basel St, 64239) France Jerusalem (Map pp114–15; x02-625 9481, fax 02-625 9178; 5 Paul Émile Botta St, 91076); Tel Aviv (Map p160; x03-520 8300; fax 03-520 8340; 112 Herbert Samuel Esplanade, 63572) Germany Tel Aviv (Map p150; x03-693 1313; www.tel -aviv.diplo.de in German & Hebrew; 3 Daniel Frisch St, 64731) Ireland Tel Aviv (Map p150; x03-696 4166; fax 696 4160; 17th fl, 3 Daniel Frisch St, 64731) Jordan Tel Aviv (x03-751 7722; fax 03-751 7712; 14 Abbe Hillel St, Ramat Gan, 52506) Netherlands Tel Aviv (x03-752 3150; fax 03-752 3135; www.netherlands-embassy.co.il; 14 Abbe Hillel St, Ramat Gan, 52506) New Zealand Tel Aviv (Map p150; x03-695 6622; fax 03-695 6622; 3 Daniel Frish St, 64731) South Africa Tel Aviv (Map p156; x03-525 2566; fax 03-525 3230; www.safis.co.il; 16th fl, Dizengoff Tower, Dizengoff Centre)
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Switzerland Tel Aviv (Map p150; x03-546 4455; fax
03-546 4408; 228 HaYarkon St, 63405) Turkey Tel Aviv (Map p150; x03-524 1101; fax 524 0499; 202 HaYarkon St, 63405) UK Jerusalem (Map pp86–7; x02-671 7724; fax 02-532 5629; 19 Nashashibi St, 97200); Tel Aviv (Map p150; x03725 1222; fax 527 1572; 192 HaYarkon St, 64505) USA Jerusalem (Map p110; x02-628 7137; fax 02-625 9270; 27 Nablus Rd, 94190); Haifa (Map p196; x04-853 1446; fax 03-853 1476; 26 Ben-Gurion Ave, 35023); Tel Aviv (Map p160; x03-519 7575; www.usembassy-israel.org .il; 71 HaYarkon St, 63903)
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
The specific dates of Jewish festivals may vary from year to year. For the latest dates, ask at tourist offices. January
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D I R E C T O R Y • • G a y & Le s b i a n T r a v e l l e r s 391
Jacob’s Ladder Festival (www.jlfestival.com; Sea of
Jaffa Nights (Jaffa) Month-long festival of music and
Galilee) Draws artists and folk musicians from around the world, often held at Nof Ginosar. See p250. Abu Ghosh Vocal Music Festival (Abu Ghosh, near Jerusalem) Held inside two different churches, this is a predominantly liturgical repertoire with music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Jerusalem International Book Fair (x02-629 7922; www.jerusalembookfair.com; Jerusalem) Biennial event that attracts 1200 publishers from more than 40 countries. Israel Festival (www.israel-festival.org.il; Jerusalem) Two weeks of art, music, dance and theatre held in different venues around the city. Golden Calf Festival (Ein Hod) Held at the end of Passover, Israel’s version of the Burning Man Project. Go to http://ein-hod.israel.net and follow the links to the festival. International Judaica Fair (Jerusalem) Displays of Jewish art, manuscripts and books. The five-day gathering is held bi-annually.
entertainment (see p184).
International Marathon (www.tiberias-marathon.co.il; Tiberias)
June
Jazz Festival (www.jjf.org.il; Jerusalem) Israeli and internaFebruary
tional jazz performances at different venues around the city.
Dead Sea Half-Marathon (Dead Sea) Foot race from
Palestine International Festival for Music & Dance (Ramallah) Music and dance festival organised at
Ein Gedi Spa to Masada and back.
the Popular Art Centre. March
Boombamela Festival (www.boombamela.co.il; Net-
July
zanim Beach, Ashkelon) Held annually in March or April. Naked bodies painted rainbow colours, beach bonfires, bongo drums, art and hedonism. It’s one of the wildest parties in the Middle East. Lettuce Festival (Artas, West Bank) Festival to honour the Palestinian farmer. Singing, dancing and handicrafts. Located south of Bethlehem near Solomon’s Pools. Jerusalem Half-Marathon (http://hmarathon.jerusalem .muni.il; Jerusalem)
Voice of Music in the Upper Galilee (Kibbutz Kra Blum) Chamber music festival. Jazz Festival (http://jazzfest.co.il; Tel Aviv) Three-day Latin festival held in the first week in July, featuring food, music and dancing. Held in HaYarkon Park. Karmi’el Dance Festival (www.dancefest.karmiel.israel .net; Karmi’el) Hosts more than 100 professional dance troupes from around the globe and attracts up to 200,000 people. Includes classical, ultramodern and folk dancing. Jerusalem Film Festival (www.jff.org.il; Jerusalem) Very prestigious events sponsored by the Cinematheque. International Street Theatre (Bat Yam) Lots of public art, music and dance. White Night (Tel Aviv) Night-long program of theatre, music, dance and art. Museums stay open all night and an outdoor fair is held on Rothschild Blvd.
Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition (www.arims.org.il; Tel Aviv) Scheduled for 2008. April
Ein Gev Music Festival (Ein Gev, Galilee) Ballet and orchestra music.
Haifa International Youth Theatre (Haifa) Theatre and street performances by Jewish and Arab companies.
August May
Klezmer Dance Festival (Tsfat) Dubbed the ‘Jewish
African Hebrew Israelite Festival (Dimona) Music,
Woodstock’, you can hear Yiddish tunes and such oddities as jazz played on a shofar (ram’s horn). See also p281. Red Sea Jazz Festival (www.redseajazzeilat.com; Eilat) Four-day music fest that draws around 40 performers and thousands of jazz enthusiasts. See p349. Jerusalem Arts & Crafts Fair (Jerusalem) Arts, crafts and food fair, plus nightly concerts. Nights of Love (Arad) Music and dancing to Israeli pop.
sports and entertainment showcasing the lifestyle of the African Hebrew Israelites. Shantipi New Age Festival (Kibbutz Lehavot Haviva, Pardesh Hanna) Short for Hindu Shanti and Native American Tipi, this is a great New Age gathering with lots of dancing, playing in the mud and free love. Bring your own tent.
September
Bereshet Festival (Sea of Galilee) A spiritual Bohemian gathering with lots of live music, dancing and bonfires. It’s usually by the Sea of Galilee but you’ll need to ask around as the locations change. Sea of Galilee Crossing (Kibbutz Ha’on) A 4km swim across the sea (no walking allowed). Hilulim Wine Fest (Rishon LeZion) Wine-tasting extravaganza. October
Fringe Theatre Festival (Akko) Drama, comedy and dance festival.
Haifa International Film Festival (www.haifaff.co.il; Haifa) Independent films held at the Cinematheque. Love Parade (www.loveparade.co.il in Hebrew; Tel Aviv) Beachside festival with lots of dancing and outrageous costumes. International Poets Festival (Jerusalem) Held biannually in odd years. Wine & Song Festival (Zichron Ya’acov) Wine tasting and live music. Sagol Love and Meditation Fest (Dor Beach; www .sagol.org) Dozens of activities and workshops for the alternative crowd. Location may change. November
Olive Harvest Festival (Bethlehem) Olive farmers and locals gather in Manger Sq for dancing, singing and displays of local olive products. December
Hanukkah-Christmas-Ramadan Festival (Haifa) A mixed marriage of celebrations involving art and music. Liturgical Festival of Choral Music (Jerusalem; www .jso.co.il) Sponsored by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.
GAY & LESBIAN TRAVELLERS
Israel is home to an open and lively gay scene and there are no laws against homosexuality. The biggest gay scene is in Tel Aviv which has a handful of gay hangouts, and plenty of rainbow-coloured flags fluttering over the streets. The resort town of Eilat is also gay friendly, although the scene is mostly Israeli tourists. Haifa and Jerusalem have small gay communities. Ultraorthodox Jews and Muslims are opposed to homosexuality so it’s appropriate to be circumspect in religious neighbourhoods. Local organisations are based in Tel Aviv (see p167) and Jerusalem (see p129).
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Gay culture is nonexistent in the Palestinian Territories and many gay Palestinians have taken refuge in Israel (although this has become increasingly difficult with tight border controls). There are an estimated 300 to 600 gay Palestinians living (legally and illegally) in Israel. To better understand the difficult plight of gay and lesbian Palestinians, click on www.global gayz.com/g-palestine.html.
HOLIDAYS
Pesah, the major holiday period, can grind the country to a halt, shutting down transport, stores and restaurants. There are lots of other holidays throughout the year that cause things to slow for a day or two (eg Sukkot), although tourist sites and museums generally remain open. On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, most facilities are closed. Dates of Jewish holidays may vary from year to year, as they’re based on the Jewish lunar calendar. The website of the Orthodox Union (www.ou.org/chagim) has links to a calendar of Jewish holidays. Note that the Jewish day begins with sundown and ends at sundown the following day so a holiday technically begins the day before what is listed on a calendar. The Muslim calendar is also lunar but it does not have a leap year so the holidays tend to drift across the seasons and can fall at any time of the year. Note that different Christian denominations also celebrate holidays on different days.
Jewish & Christian Holidays January
Eastern Orthodox Christmas 5-6 January Armenian Christmas 19 January Tu Bishvat (Arbour Day) The new year for trees; different types of fruit and nuts are eaten and trees are planted. March/April Purim The Feast of Lots commemorates the Persian Queen Esther’s deliverance of her Jewish subjects from the despicable secular politician, Haman. Kids and adults alike dress up in costume and enjoy an evening of revelry. This is the time for the typically nondrinking Israelis to atone; according to tradition they get so plastered that they can’t distinguish between ‘bless Mordechai’ and ‘curse Haman’. Good Friday A Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus. Easter Sunday Celebrated first by the Roman Catholics and Protestants and about two weeks later by the
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Armenian and Eastern Orthodox churches, Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus on the third day after the crucifixion. When times are calm, Catholic pilgrims throng Jerusalem’s Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City, while many Protestants gather at the Garden Tomb for religious services. Pesah, the Feast of Passover Celebrates the Jewish Exodus from Egypt. On the first and last days of this weeklong festival, most businesses (including shops and markets) are closed and public transport shuts down; on other days of the festival, businesses may open for limited hours. Passover dinner, or Seder, consists of several prescribed dishes, each commemorating a different event, and during the entire period, bread is replaced with matzo, an unleavened wafer up to 1m in diameter. Omer (Pesah to Shevuot) A Lent-like period solemnly commemorating the various trials of the Jewish people. Soldiers Memorial Day Commemorates fallen soldiers in various Israeli conflicts. Armenian Holocaust Memorial Day 24 April Mimouna A North African Jewish festival. Eastern Orthodox & Armenian Good Friday Takes place two weeks after the Protestant and Catholic Good Friday. Eastern Orthodox & Armenian Easter Falls two weeks after the Protestant and Catholic Easter. International Women’s Day Celebrated by Palestinians on 8 March. Land Day (30 March) A Palestinian day of protest against the Israeli government’s takeover of Palestinians lands. Palestinian Prisoners Day (17 April) Palestinians remember their countrymen locked in Israeli jails. May
Yom HaSho’ah, Holocaust Day (22nd day of Omer) Sirens signalling two minutes of silence sound in memory of the six million Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust. Special services take place at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Lag B’Omer Sports matches and bonfires and a permissible feast on the 33rd day of Omer commemorate the 2ndcentury break in the plague that killed Rabbi Akiva’s students (in some years, it may fall in late April). Children build bonfires and the religious visit the rabbi’s grave in Meron near Tsfat. Yom HaAtzma’ut (Independence Day; 14 May) Commemorates 14 May, 1948, when Israel became an independent state. The day before, Yom Hazikaron, is a memorial day dedicated to soldiers lost in Israel’s various conflicts. For Palestinians, this day is called Al-Naqba, the Catastrophe. On Independence Day there are parades and picnics everywhere. Labour Day (1 May) Day for Palestinian workers to celebrate their accomplishments. June
Liberation of Jerusalem Day (4 June) A commemoration of the reunification of Jerusalem in June 1967. Jerusalemites
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RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY DATES
Jewish Holidays
Holiday
2007
2008
2009
2010
Purim Passover Rosh HaShanah Yom Kippur Hanukkah
4 Mar 3 Apr 13 Sep 22 Sep 5 Dec
21 Mar 20 Apr 30 Sep 9 Oct 22 Dec
10 Mar 9 Apr 19 Sep 28 Sep 12 Dec
28 Feb 30 Mar 9 Sep 18 Sep 2 Dec
Holiday
2007
2008
2009
2010
New Year Prophet’s Birthday Ramadan Begins Eid al-Fitr Eid alAdha
20 Jan 31 Mar 13 Sep 13 Oct 20 Dec
10 Jan 20 Mar 1 Sep 1 Oct 8 Dec
31 Dec 9 Mar 22 Aug 20 Sep 27 Nov
7 Dec 26 Feb 11 Aug 10 Sep 16 Nov
Holiday
2007
2008
2009
2010
Orthodox Easter Western Easter
8 Apr 8 Apr
27 Apr 23 Mar
19 Apr 12 Apr
4 Apr 4 Apr
Islamic Holidays
Christian Holidays
parade through town to the Western Wall for dancing and singing. Shevuot (Pentecost) Seven weeks after Pesah, this day celebrates the delivery of the Torah to Moses on Mt Sinai. Observant Jews stay up all night to study the Torah and it is customary to eat dairy products. Celebrations are held on kibbutzim. In Jerusalem, the Western Wall is very crowded just before dawn.
Temples’. Observant Jews fast and read the biblical Book of Lamentations.
Sukkot (Tabernacles Festival) People erect homemade sukkotim (shelters) in commemoration of the 40 years that the ancient Israelites spent in the wilderness after the Exodus. The sukkotim walls are constructed of plywood with a roof of loose branches (so the sky is visible from inside); these sit on apartment balconies, gardens and even in hotels and restaurants. Simhat Torah (Rejoicing the Torah) Falls seven days after Sukkot and concludes the annual cycle of reading the Torah. Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day This day honours the assassinated prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin; sometimes held in November.
September
November
Rosh HaShanah The ‘Head of the Year’ (Jewish New
Palestinian Independence Day (15 November) Marks
Year); prayer services begin on the eve of the holiday.
the signing of the Palestinian declaration of independence (signed in 1988).
August
Tish’a BeAv A commemoration of the ‘Destruction of the
October
Yom Kippur Known as the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur ends the 10 days of penitence, which begin on Rosh HaShanah. The observant spend 25 hours in prayer and contemplation, confessing sins and abstaining from food, drink, sex, cosmetics (including soap and toothpaste) and animal products.
December Hanukkah Also called the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple after the triumphant Maccabean revolt against the Seleucids. Each night for a week, families light a candle on a menorah (a seven-branched candelabra) and exchange gifts.
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HACKTIVISM While Gaza and the West Bank are notorious battlegrounds, another front has opened that is causing just as much havoc to ordinary civilians. But on this field the tanks have been replaced by viruses and the Qassam rockets by worms – the war in cyberspace may require less hardware, but it does level the playing field. The cyberwar began in earnest during the second intifada, when pro-Israeli hackers attacked websites belonging to Hamas and Hezbollah, rendering them unusable, while pro-Palestinian hackers managed to take down the Israeli government website and even the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. One of the biggest incidents of ‘hacktivism’ occurred in June 2006, not long after Israel invaded Gaza to start a new military offensive in the strip. In response to the invasion, pro-Palestinian hacktivists systematically shut down more than 700 Israeli web domains and replaced them with a message: ‘Hacked by Team-Evil Arab Hackers. U kill Palestinian people, we kill Israeli servers.’ Some of the targets were high-profile websites including Bank Hapoalim and Rambam Medical Centre.
a tourist until Israeli military forces arrive on the scene.
Claim your refund from Bank Leumi in the departure lounge at Ben-Gurion airport.
MAPS
Moneychangers
Tourist offices in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are well endowed with free city and country maps, most of them in English, although smaller towns may only have Hebrew-language maps. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI; see p78) sells 1:50,000 topographical hiking maps for around 80NIS per sheet.
MONEY ATMs
Christmas Commemorating the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, Christmas is celebrated by Catholics and Protestants on 25 December, while the Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate it on 7 January and the Armenians on 19 January. When things are calm on the West Bank, the event to attend is the Christmas Eve (24 December) midnight mass on Bethlehem’s Manger Sq outside the Church of the Nativity. Note that space inside the church is reserved for observant Catholics who hold tickets (distributed free at the Christian Information Centre in Jerusalem’s Old City).
Islamic Holidays Islamic New Year First Day of Muharram. Gifts and cards are exchanged on this day. Prophet’s Birthday Celebrated on 12 Rab’ al-Awal (the date given in the Muslim calendar). Ramadan Ninth month of the Muslim calendar. Muslims fast during daylight hours. Nothing is allowed to pass through the lips, and that includes water. Most Palestinians adhere to the rules although it is not as strict as in some Islamic nations. If you find yourself in a Muslim area during this time do your best not to eat or smoke in public during daylight hours. Eid al-Fitr Marks the end of Ramadan. After prayers, sessions at a mosque friends and family typically visit each other and give the greeting ‘Eid Mubarak!’ (Happy Eid!) Eid al-Adha The commemoration of Allah saving Ibrahim (Abraham) from sacrificing his son, Isaac. This marks the end of the Haj. Sheep are usually sacrificed at this time.
INSURANCE
Hospital visits in Israel can be expensive and theft is not unheard of so it’s a good idea to take out a travel insurance policy before leaving home. In addition to the usual coverage of sickness or theft, try to tailor your policy to your specific needs eg make sure the policy includes scuba diving if you plan to partake in this activity. See p411 for more details.
Worldwide coverage to travellers from over 44 countries is available online at www .lonelyplanet.com/travel_services.
INTERNET ACCESS
Most destinations in Israel and the Palestinian Territories have internet cafés, which typically keep very long hours and charge anywhere from 12NIS to 30NIS per hour. Visitors carrying laptops can find wi-fi hot spots all over the country. Wi-fi in cafés is usually free, while most upscale hotels charge a fee. To sign up for your own ISP account, contact the well-known Netvision (x04-856 0660; www.netvision.net.il/services). Throughout this book we include a computer symbol for hotels that have public internet access; this may or may not be a paid service. For relevant web resources, see p20.
LEGAL MATTERS
Israel has no formal constitution because religious leaders refused to recognise a nonreligious document as the law of the land. Instead, the ‘basic laws of Israel’ were drafted over a period of 30-plus years (1958–1992). Some religious laws prevail, particularly in regard to marriage – civil marriages are not permitted in Israel. If you’re arrested a court assigns a lawyer to speak on your behalf. In case of arrest there’s little that you or your embassy can do for you until the court system plays itself out. An independent court system exists in the Palestinian Territories, but Israeli and Palestinian police will cooperate on investigations. Palestinian police are not permitted to arrest tourists but can detain
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ATMs are widespread and Visa cards are accepted almost everywhere. Bank Leumi accepts Visa and several other bank cards, but with MasterCard or a home Cirrus or Plus format ATM card, you’ll have to use Bank HaPoalim.
Cash
The official currency is the new Israeli shekel (NIS), known simply as the shekel (or shekelim in the plural). Rates at the time of printing are found on the inside front cover. For a sample of general costs, see p18. The shekel is divided into 100 agorot. Coins come in denominations of 10 and 50 agorot (actually marked ½ shekel) and one and five NIS, and notes in 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200NIS. The Palestinian Pound only exists in theory and shekels are the main form of currency in the Palestinian Territories. To make things easier for travellers, most top-end hotels, HI hostels, car-hire companies and airlines quote their rates and accept payment in US dollars, and paying in US dollars will save you the 17% value-added tax (VAT). Euros are also widely accepted by moneychangers. Prices in this book are quoted in shekels except in cases where the proprietor quotes prices in dollars or euro. Tourists who pay in foreign currency are exempt the VAT, tourists paying in local currency are entitled to a refund on most items purchased in shops that are registered with the Ministry of Tourism (there’ll be a sign in the window or at the register). Purchases must be wrapped in sealed, partially transparent plastic, and the original invoice must be legible without opening the parcel.
Exchange rates vary little from place to place, but banks may charge a 4% commission. The best deals are the independent exchange bureaux common in most cities and towns, which usually do not charge a commission. Also see the inside front cover for exchange rates.
Tipping
Until recently, tipping wasn’t an issue in Israel or the Palestinian Territories, but these days, restaurant bills arrive with a 10% to 12% addition for service, or a notice that service is not included. Note that taxi drivers do not expect tips – they’re usually content just to overcharge.
Travellers Cheques
Travellers cheques may be changed at most banks, but commission charges can be as high as 20NIS, regardless of the cheque amount; instead use a no-commission exchange bureau or the post office. Post offices also operate instant Western Union international money transfer services.
POST
Letters and postcards to North America and Australasia take seven to 10 days to arrive; to Europe it’s a bit less. Incoming mail takes three or four days from Europe and around a week from other places. Small postcards to anywhere in the world cost 1.40NIS, while large postcards and airmail letters are 1.90NIS to Europe and 2.30NIS to North America. Note that the American Express offices in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv will receive mail for card holders or travellers-cheque customers.
SHOPPING
Israel and the Palestinian Territories have an array of crafts, souvenirs and local products to take home; some of it is of fine quality, while the bulk is tourist kitsch. Places to shop include everything from multilevel malls to historic Arab bazaars. The best deals are in diamonds, jewellery and handmade crafts. But if you are travelling elsewhere in the Middle East, Arab crafts will be cheaper in neighbouring
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countries (where most of it originates). Armenian ceramics, available mainly in Jerusalem, are nice take-home products and you can purchase personalised tiles or plates starting from US$10. In northern areas you can pick up wines at wineries (also sold at wine shops everywhere). Of course, at the Dead Sea you’ll find Ahava Dead Sea skin-care products (there is a Kibbutz Mitzpe Shalem, see p320) at moderate prices. In Palestinian areas you’ll find locally produced olive wood carvings and olive oils, plus water pipes in all shapes and sizes. In Gaza City the place to go is the Arts & Crafts Village (p361), which contains copper work, embroidery and weaving. Other gift ideas include the Wissotzsky Magic Tea Box, a selection of 80 tea bags sold in an attractive wood box (around US$25); a shofar, lithographs, paper cuts and CDs of klezmer music. For Judaica, the best selection is in Jerusalem, and you can find some excellent hand-crafted products. Note that Judaica sold in the Old City bazaar is usually a knock-off and certainly not kosher. The Old City is great for buying ‘Super Jew’ T-shirts and various trinkets but bargain hard for everything. Some shops in the Old City sell antiques but remember that it’s illegal to export antiques without a written export permit (which the shop can provide if they are legit). Trendy areas with boutique shops sporting the latest fashions are found in most cities, although all the top designers are based in Tel Aviv. If you are looking for a ‘Middle Eastern experience’ visit one of the open-air markets such as Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda Market (p116). If you’ve forgotten anything, you can pick up many locally produced items at Ben-Gurion airport before flying home.
TELEPHONE
SOLO TRAVELLERS
Phone Cards
There is a small backpacker market in Israel and the Palestinian Territories and you’ll find guesthouses and youth hostels with dorm rooms in most areas. Guesthouses are also good places to find other travellers to share the cost of a hire car or inquire about tours. Travel in the Palestinian Territories can be safer in numbers, Solo women travellers see p398.
Costs
Standard rates (14NIS per minute) to anywhere in the country, including local calls, apply between 7am and 7pm. Between 7pm and 7am and on weekends, calls cost considerably less. Note that hotels charge US$1 per minute or more for local calls; if you plan on making a few calls it may be cheaper to bring a mobile phone and buy a SIM card. If you have computer access, you can make phone calls using Skype (www.skype.com) anywhere in the world for around US$0.02 to US$0.07 per minute. Just set up an account and load it with money. Most computers at internet cafés and guesthouses will have Skype software on their computers. Skype allows you to have multiple phone numbers so you can get an Israel number and one in your home country, allowing you to receive voice mail when you are offline.
Mobile Phones
Mobile phones are extremely popular in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and most foreign providers operate here (but it may be worth checking with your provider before you leave home). In Israel, Nokia, Pelefon, Cellcom and Orange all offer both fixed-line (local user) and pay-as-you-go services. Pelefon allows phone rentals for a charge of 12NIS per day. A minimum charge is 185NIS, which allows about three hours of domestic talk time and free incoming calls. If you have your own phone, the best deal is with Cellcom, which sells a SIM card for 46.80NIS. Calls run around 1.20NIS per minute. With Orange, SIM card purchase and activation costs 109NIS. Note that throughout this guide numbers starting with three digits are usually for mobiles. Local and international calls can be made from cardphones, which are found at post offices and other public places. The bestvalue telephone cards are sold at post offices, but are also available from lottery kiosks and newsstands. A 20NIS international card allows you to talk for 60 minutes (standard cost to places such as the UK, USA or Australia).
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Phone Codes
The country code for Israel and the Palestinian Territories is x972, followed by the local area code (minus the zero), then the subscriber number. Local area codes are given at the start of each city or town section. The international access code (to call abroad from Israel and the Palestinian Territories) is x001 with national communications provider Bezeq.
TIME
Israel is two hours ahead of GMT/UTC, eight hours behind Sydney, two hours ahead of London, seven hours ahead of New York and ten hours ahead of San Francisco. Israel operates on daylight savings time from late March until early September. When the daylight savings times do not match the aforementioned cities, subtract one hour. To compare with world time zones see pp446-7.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Nearly every main city in Israel has a tourist office, and in the case of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, multiple offices. These will send you off with maps and more brochures than you can carry. Some also organise city walking tours. The Ministry of Tourism (www.visitisrael .gov.il) has a branch tourist information office in Tel Aviv; see p154. In the Palestinian Territories you’ll find a tourist office only in Bethlehem (www.peacecentre.org). The best source of online info for the Territories is www.thisweekinpalestine.com.
TRAVELLERS WITH DISABILITIES
Recent laws in Israel require that all hotels have at least one room available for wheelchair users, and many tourist sites such as museums and historic sites can accommodate people with disabilities. Some nature areas also have trails that are partially wheelchair accessible, such as Tel Dan and the Hula Valley. The Palestinian Territories are less well equipped and getting around is made more difficult by road checkpoints, which are usually crossed on foot; lines for these can be long and crowded and sometimes require moving over and around barriers. For information on accessible facilities, contact Access Israel (x04-632 0748, 054-287702; www.access-israel.com); its comprehensive web-
site contains details on what is and what is not accessible. The Yad Sarah Organisation (Map pp80-1; x02-
624 4242; www.yadsarah.org; 124 Herzl Blvd, Jerusalem)
lends wheelchairs, crutches and other mobility aids free of charge (a deposit is required). You may also want to look for the guidebook Access in Israel & the Palestinian Authority (www.accessinisrael.org), by Gordon Couch, which provides the lowdown for travellers with mobility restrictions. Another excellent resource is Access Unlimited: Your Guide to Israel (2003; www.access-unlimited.co.il), by Judith Bendel. This book provides details on tourist sights and facilities nationwide, always with an emphasis on disabled travellers. Another handy item is the Wheelchair Friendly Guide to the Jewish Quarter. To get a copy contact Pnina Mossek at the Moross Community Centre (Map pp90-1; x02-628 3415; 20 Misgav Ladakh St, Jerusalem).
VISAS
With a few exceptions, visitors to Israel and the Palestinian Territories need only a passport that’s valid for at least six months from the date of entry. Nationals of most Central American and African countries (but not South Africa), India, Singapore and some ex-Soviet republics also require a preissued visa (US$17). Work visas (US$33) are issued by Israeli embassies to people with a letter from their employer in Israel. The employer must also receive approval from the Ministry of the Interior. Visas given at the border are valid for 90 days. But (importantly) you will be asked how long you plan to stay in Israel and what you state is generally what you get. So even if you don’t plan on staying the full three months, you might as well ask for it anyway. Kibbutz and moshav volunteers must secure a volunteer’s visa, which can be arranged with the assistance of the kibbutz or moshav. If there is any indication that you are seeking illegal employment you may be questioned by immigration officials and asked to provide evidence of a return ticket and sufficient funds for the intended length of stay. Those who can’t comply may find themselves on the next flight home. For visa information on Jordan and Egypt, see p404. For information on the implications of an Israeli stamp in your passport, see p402.
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Visa Extensions
To stay more than three months, visitors must apply for a visa through the Ministry of the Interior Tel Aviv (HaKira; Map p150; x03-736 2534;
3rd fl, Tel Aviv Government Complex, Kaplan St); Jerusalem (Map pp114-15; x02-629 0222; 1 Shlomzion HaMalka St); Eilat (Map p346; x08-637 6332; HaTemarim Blvd); there
are offices in most cities and towns. Join the queue by 8am or you could be waiting all day. You’ll need 145NIS for the visa extension (plus 75NIS if you take the multientry visa option) and one passport-sized photo. You must also present evidence of sufficient funds for the extended stay. The Tel Aviv office is so backed up with applications that your first day of waiting in line is only to make an appointment to come back another day (usually one month later). For faster service try applying at a smaller branch office. Note that overstaying your allotted time elicits a fine of 135NIS per month – this can be sorted out at Ministry of the Interior offices or Ben-Gurion airport, but not at land borders. Travellers who overstay by just a few days report no hassles or fines.
WOMEN TRAVELLERS
Female travellers will feel as free and comfortable in Israel as they would in any Western country. Female solo travellers likewise report few problems when getting around. It’s important to bear in mind sensible travel advice, such as not hitchhiking alone, and other precautions one generally adheres to back home. Keep in mind regional dress codes. While tight-fitting, revealing clothing is common in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem fashions are conservative – a long-sleeved shirt, ankle-length skirt and head scarf are par for course (especially in the Old City and religious neighbourhoods). According to Jewish law women should not wear men’s clothing (and vice versa), which is why a skirt is more commonly worn than pants. Some female travellers adopt a method of wearing pants under a long skirt when visiting Jerusalem holy sites, religious neighbourhoods or Tsfat. Conservative dress is also the rule of thumb in all parts of the Palestinian Territories. But Palestinian men are generally very respectful towards women and travelling in the Territories seems to be hassle free compared with neighbouring Egypt and Jordan.
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Dress is a little more relaxed in Christian areas such as Bethlehem (Christian women show their shoulders when they dress up for special occasions). Arab Israelis are used to seeing revealing dress and are not so alarmed by tank tops and shorts.
WORK
It used to be the case that travellers could turn up in Tel Aviv and find plenty of casual work in bars and restaurants. But in 2006 authorities started cracking down on businesses that hire illegal workers and opportunities are now slim. Your best chances for gainful employment are through Tel Aviv guesthouses and restaurants near the beach. Guesthouses can help find you a job but only if you are staying there. If you do find work and find that you have been cheated by your employer, you can get free legal advice from Kav l’Oved (Map p162; x03-688
3766; www.kavlaoved.org.il; 3rd fl, 17 Yl Peretz St, Tel Aviv; h9.30am-4.30pm Sun, Tue & Wed, noon-6pm Thu).
Working legally requires a permit from the Ministry of the Interior and these aren’t easy to get. Most foreign workers are hired from abroad and have all their paperwork ready when they arrive in country. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to scour the classified ads for employment; check the Jerusalem Post and Ha’aretz.
Volunteering KIBBUTZ & MOSHAV VOLUNTEER WORK
Volunteering on a kibbutz has been a rite of passage for a couple of generations of travellers. By definition a kibbutz (plural kibbutzim) is a communal farm or rural project staffed by volunteers who are compensated with food, housing and a small stipend (about US$80 per month). The utopian ideals of its founders has all but disappeared, however, and many kibbutzim are little more than closely knit capitalist enterprises. Despite the changes, many kibbutzim still welcome foreign volunteers and joining one for a few months is a great way to make friends, learn some Hebrew and immerse yourself in the culture. Note that kibbutz volunteers must be between the ages of 18 and 32 and moshav volunteers 20 to 35. A lot of travellers hope to do a short stint for a couple of weeks, but the minimum period is two months and the maximum is six months. Work lasts eight
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KIBBUTZ EXPERIENCES Pure socialism may be a thing of the past but the following may give you some insight into modern kibbutz life.
Ramat Rachel Hotel (www.ramatrachel.co.il) This kibbutz is conveniently located near Jerusalem. Work in the hotel or health & spa centre, or in the archaeological park (see p386). The luxury hotel has an all-weather pool, tennis courts and probably the best food of any kibbutz in the country. Kibbutz Baram (www.baram.org.il in Hebrew) Has one of the biggest volunteer programs in the country. Fruit picking. Kibbutz Ein Gev (p257) Opportunities in tourism and grape picking. Kibbutz Ginosar (p254) Maintenance at the Yigal Allon Centre or work at the museum. Kibbutz Lotan (p344) Known for its holistic health program. You may end up in the kitchen or working in tourism. Kibbutz Manara (p265) Volunteer work at the on-site adventure camp. Kibbutz Yotvata (p345) One of the largest dairy farms in the country; volunteers milk cows. Merom Golan (p272) Wranglers might be assigned to work at the stables or act as trail guides. Sde Boker (p335) One of the most famous kibbutzim and the former home of David Ben-Gurion. Chicken pluckers wanted.
hours a day, six days a week, and usually includes agriculture (picking fruit), tourism (working in the kibbutz hotel) or working in the kibbutz kitchen or laundry room. Volunteers have access to most facilities, including the gym and pool. Kibbutzim show movies in the evening and have a pub. Tours of the area and activities are sometimes available on days off. The kibbutz will also provide medical insurance. On a moshav, which is a community of small, individually worked farms, the work is typically more strenuous and more interesting than on a kibbutz. It also pays better and allows more privacy and independence. Some volunteers organise a kibbutz stay through a kibbutz representative office in their own country. After collecting a basic registration fee (around US$50), the kibbutz representative will arrange flights and visas (individuals may make their own travel arrangements, which is generally cheaper). For information, contact the Kibbutz Program Centre (Map p160; x03-527 8874; www.kibbutz .org.il; 18 Frishman St; h8am-2pm Sun-Thu) in Tel Aviv, or their representative offices abroad as shown below. Canada
Kibbutz Youth Program (x800-463 8041; fax 418-
874-1959; Clement-Lockquell, St Augustin, Quebec G3A 1B3) New Zealand
Kibbutz Program Desk (x09-309-9444; fax 09-3732283; PO Box 4315, Auckland, 1020)
USA
Kibbutz Program Centre (x800-247 7852; www
.kibbutzprogramcenter.org; 21st fl, 633 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10017) ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIGS
Volunteers at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel (www.ramat rachel.co.il) can help excavate ruins that date back to the First Temple period. A one-week dig including food and accommodation on the kibbutz costs US$640 for one person or US$860 for two. The Tel Rehov Project (www .rehov.org) excavates an Iron Age site in the Beit She’an Valley in northeastern Israel. The dig is run by the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The season lasts for about six weeks in mid-summer. Volunteers work in three-week shifts. You can also do a ‘Dig for a Day’ program at Tel Maresha (see p147). OTHER VOLUNTEER OPTIONS
Al-Rowwad Center (x052 401 325; http://alrowwad .virtualactivism.net) This Bethlehem-based cultural centre runs computer training classes and English lessons for Palestinian students. Volunteers are encouraged to assist with ongoing programs. Hope Flowers School (x02-274 0693; www.mideast web.org/hopeflowers) This school, located near Bethlehem, hires volunteers who can teach, do maintenance or IT work. Volunteers receive free accommodation. Sar-el (x03-681-7442; www.sar-el.org) Israeli organisation that has three-week-long volunteer programs. Volunteers work at army bases, hospitals or retirement homes. They pay a registration fee and all expenses, while Sar-el pays for housing and meals.
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CLIMATE CHANGE & TRAVEL
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GETTING THERE & AWAY For most visitors, the arrivals hall of BenGurion airport is the first thing they’ll see of Israel and the Palestinian Territories. There are plenty of flights to Israel, including nonstop flights from the USA, Europe, South Africa and the Far East. There are land borders with Egypt and Jordan so it’s easy to slot a trip to Israel between those two countries if you are travelling through the Middle East. Unless you are a member of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) there is no getting between Israel and Lebanon, or Syria for that matter, and you’ll need to carefully consider your travel plans THINGS CHANGE... The information in this chapter is particularly vulnerable to change. Check directly with the airline or a travel agent to make sure you understand how a fare (and ticket you may buy) works and be aware of the security requirements for international travel. Shop carefully. The details given in this chapter should be regarded as pointers and are not a substitute for your own careful, up-to-date research.
if you are thinking of heading to either country or elsewhere in the Middle East; see p402 for details. For the intrepid there is also a ferry between Haifa and Cyprus. Flights, tours and rail tickets can be booked online at www.lonelyplanet.com /travel_services.
Entering Israel & the Palestinian Territories A frequent topic of conversation amongst travellers is the entrance procedures for Israel (a great source of annoyance for some and a breeze for others). Rigorous even at the best of times, you can expect a barrage of questions about your recent travels, your occupation, any acquaintances in Israel and possibly your religious or family background. If you are meeting friends in Israel it’s best to have their phone number handy. Anyone planning to work in Israel can expect delays. Travellers who have never been to Israel and have no affiliation with the country seem to get through fastest. The time all this takes varies depending on who is on duty; we’ve gotten through the border at Taba (Egypt) in 15 minutes, while Allenby Bridge (Jordan) took a couple of hours. A passport full of stamps from neighbouring Islamic countries will be circumspect, but having travelled to Arab or Islamic countries does not stop you from entering Israel. On the contrary, border guards are accustomed to meeting seasoned travellers and won’t be surprised to see eccentric stamps in your passport, provided you have an innocuous (and believable) reason for visiting those countries. One more tip: when immigration asks how long you plan to stay in the country, and you say ‘two weeks’, that is probably what they will write on your entry card. For the maximum time allowed, you should specifically ask for three months. For more on entering Israel, see p397.
AIR
Airports & Airlines Israel’s main gateway, Ben-Gurion airport (TLV; x03-972 3388; www.ben-gurion-airport.co.il), is
20km southeast of Tel Aviv and 50km west
Climate change is a serious threat to the ecosystems that humans rely upon, and air travel is the fastest-growing contributor to the problem. Lonely Planet regards travel, overall, as a global benefit, but believes we all have a responsibility to limit our personal impact on global warming.
Flying & Climate Change Pretty much every form of motor transport generates CO₂ (the main cause of human-induced climate change) but planes are far and away the worst offenders, not just because of the sheer distances they allow us to travel, but because they release greenhouse gases high into the atmosphere. The statistics are frightening: two people taking a return flight between Europe and the US will contribute as much to climate change as an average household’s gas and electricity consumption over a whole year.
Carbon Offset Schemes Climatecare.org and other websites use ‘carbon calculators’ that allow travellers to offset the greenhouse gases they are responsible for with contributions to energy-saving projects and other climate-friendly initiatives in the developing world – including projects in India, Honduras, Kazakhstan and Uganda. Lonely Planet, together with Rough Guides and other concerned partners in the travel industry, supports the carbon offset scheme run by climatecare.org. Lonely Planet offsets all of its staff and author travel. For more information check out our website: www.lonelyplanet.com.
of Jerusalem. An ultramodern US$1 billion international terminal, unveiled in 2004, it handles 16 million passengers a year. Only a handful of international charter flights touch down at Ovda Airport (VDA; x08637 5880), outside Eilat. The national flag carrier, El Al (LY; x03-971 6854; www.elal.co.il), once had a notorious reputation for nasty service and awful food. Recent changes have done away with the shouting stewards and the service is now remarkably congenial. Note that airport security is tight, especially on El Al services, and international travellers should check in at least three hours prior to their flight. If you are flying on El Al it’s possible to check your bags the night before your flight at the Arlosoroff bus terminal (Map p150; x695 8614; cnr Arlosoroff & AP Derakhim Sts; 4-9pm Sun-Thu, 11am-3pm Fri, 6-11pm Sat). At the time of writing no other airlines
offered this service, but it’s worth asking as policies do change. The same service is available from Jerusalem and Haifa; confirm the drop-off location with El Al. Airlines that fly to Israel: Air Canada (AC; x03-607 2111; www.aircanada.com) Air France (AF; x03-511 0000; www.airfrance.com) Alitalia (AZ; x03-971 1047; www.alitalia.it) American Airlines (AA; x03-795 2122; www.aa.com)
Austrian Airlines (OS; x03-511 6700; www.aua.com) British Airways (BA; x03-606 1555; www.british airways.com)
Cathay Pacific (CX; www.cathaypacific.com) Continental Airlines (CO; x03-511 6700; www
.continental.com) Iberia (IB; x03-516 3239; www.iberia.com) KLM (KL; x03-971 1138; www.klm.com) Lufthansa (LH; x03-513 5355; www.lufthansa.com) Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ; x03-516 5566; www .rj.com) South African Airways (SA; x03-510 2828; www .flysaa.com) United (UA; www.united.com)
Tickets The Israel Student Travel Association (ISSTA; Map p160; x521 0555; www.issta.co.il in Hebrew; 109 Ben Yehuda St, Tel Aviv) offers competitive fares,
though it’s worth getting quotes from other travel agents in downtown Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Alternatively, check around the hostels and nightspots for cut-price flight advertising. Last Minute Tickets (x 03-636 6808), on the second floor of the international terminal, has reasonably priced tickets to Europe (eg London one way for US$260), but you’ll pay well over the odds here for tickets to the USA or Australia. Otherwise,
TRANSPORT
TRANSPORT
CONTENTS Getting There & Away Air Land Sea Tours Getting Around Air Bicycle Bus Car & Motorcycle Hitching Local Transport Sherut (Service Taxi) Tours Train
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ISRAELI STAMP STIGMA Our mailbags are full of questions about the infamous ‘Israeli stamp stigma’. Here are a few frequently asked questions. Q: I’ve never heard of this Israel stamp business – what’s it all about? A: Middle East politics being what they are, evidence of a visit to Israel in your passport will bar you from entering a number of countries in the region, including Israel’s neighbours Syria and Lebanon. A: When you arrive in Israel or leave the country you can request that immigration not stamp your passport and they will oblige by stamping a separate piece of paper. However, if you are travelling overland the exit stamps from Egypt or Jordan will be a dead giveaway of your visit to Israel. As with Israel you can request the Jordanian and Egyptian border guards to stamp a separate piece of paper, which they will do. This is usually OK, but those missing stamps will bring unwanted suspicion. For example if you flew into Cairo and you are now standing on the Jordan–Syria border with only an Egypt entry visa – sorry, that’s not fooling anyone. Q: So my options are…? A: Flying into and out of Ben-Gurion airport is pretty safe. There won’t be any incriminating evidence left over in your passport. If you plan to go overland, enter and depart at the same border, provided you have a multiple entry visa (it will seem like you never left). Even better, put Israel and the Palestinian Territories at the end of your itinerary, visiting countries like Syria and Lebanon before you go to Israel. Q: For which countries in the Middle East is an Israel stamp no problem? A: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey and Jordan don’t care at all. Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Oman are probably OK as long as you don’t go flashing the stamp in the face of the consular. Q: For which countries in the Middle East is it a problem? A: Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Yemen.
you can book a flight online through the El Al website. Other online booking websites include Sidestep (www.sidestep.com) and Orbitz (www.orbitz.com). Note that a departure tax of US$13 and a security tax of US$2 to US$8 (depending on the airline) are included in ticket prices. INTERCONTINENTAL (RTW) TICKETS
Intercontinental tickets allow you to buy a combination of flights with around six stops. The discount package is usually good for a year. Israel is only rarely an allowable stop on round-the-world (RTW) itineraries, but Cairo is usually possible. You could include Cairo and visit Israel and the Palestinian Territories as a side trip.
Australia
There are no direct flights between Australia and Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Flights usually go through Southeast Asia but may change in Europe. Flying time
to Israel from Sydney is 22 hours with the stopover. Austrian Airlines has some of the best fares and flies via Vienna. You may otherwise find yourself on a British Airways or Air France flight, with a leg on El Al. Return low-/highseason fares start at A$1470/1750. Book with Flight Centre (x133 133; www.flight centre.com.au) or STA Travel (x1300 733 035; www.sta travel.com.au).
Continental Europe
KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines and Lufthansa have frequent connections to Tel Aviv. Return low-/high-season fares from Frankfurt start at €333/430. From Frankfurt, book with STA Travel (x069 7430 3292; www.statravel .com), which has branches countrywide. Flights may be even cheaper out of Paris, where a high-season return ticket costs around €380. Book with Nouvelles Frontieres (x0825 000 747; www.nouvelles-frontieres.fr in French) or Anyway (x0892 302 301; www.anyway.fr in French)
From Rome a high-season ticket costs €403. Recommended travel agents include CTS Viaggi (x06 462 0431; www.cts.it in Italian).
Middle East
Apart from neighbouring Jordan and Egypt, which may be visited overland, Turkey is the only Middle Eastern country that may be visited from Israel, and lots of Israelis take advantage of the great airfare deals that are available between Tel Aviv and İstanbul: a return ticket costs €323 any time of the year. There are numerous reliable travel agents in Sultanahmet, including Orion-Tour (x212 232 6300; www.oriontour.com; Halaskargazi Caddesi 284/3, Marmara Apartimani, Sisli 80220).
UK
Compared with other European cities, London has reasonably priced fares to Tel Aviv. You’ll find plenty of deals listed in the travel sections of weekend editions of London newspapers. Advertisements for many travel agents appear in the travel pages of the weekend broadsheets, such as the Independent on Saturday and the Sunday Times. Prices for discounted flights from London to Tel Aviv start at around UK£250 return any time of year. The cheapest flights tend to be with Iberian Airlines and Malev, a Hungarian airline (one stop required). The cheapest nonstop flight on British Airways costs UK£284 return. The flight is about five hours. It’s best to use a travel agent affiliated with the ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents). If you have bought your ticket from an ABTA-registered agent who then goes out of business, ABTA will guarantee a refund or an alternative. Unregistered bucket shops are sometimes cheaper, but can be riskier. Booking agents include the following. Flightbookers (x0800 082 3000; www.ebookers.co.uk) STA (x08701-630 026; www.statravel.co.uk) Travel Bag (x0800 082 5000; www.travelbag.co.uk)
USA & Canada There are plenty of flights between the USA and Israel; the major hub between the two is New York. El Al and Delta have nonstop flights from New York for low/high season US$930/1430 return. From Los Angeles the low-/high-season cost is US$1100/1600. The cheapest flights are with Iberia, which
has low/high season fares from New York for US$752/1100 return. These make a stop in Madrid. The best deals are normally available on the internet; try Travelocity (www.travelocity.com), Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), Cheap Tickets (www.cheaptickets .com) or Sidestep (www.sidestep.com). Students get great deals with STA Travel (x800 781 4040; www .sta-travel.com). For discount travel agencies, check the Sunday travel sections in newspapers such as the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and New York Times. The flying time from New York to Israel is 11 hours. From Los Angeles it’s 18 hours with the stopover.
LAND
Border Crossings Israel and the Palestinian Territories both have borders with Egypt and Jordan, although for all intents and purposes the Palestinian Territories won’t figure much into your travel equation. The borders with Syria and Lebanon are shut tight; the only way into these countries is through Jordan, but if you’ve already been in Israel this gets a little tricky (see Israeli Stamp Stigma, opposite). Note that borders are closed on Yom Kippur and the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr (see p392), and they are also closed during Shabbat (from late afternoon on Friday until sunset on Saturday).
Car & Motorcycle When crossing into Israel, drivers and motorcyclists will need the vehicle’s registration papers and proof of liability insurance, plus a driving licence from home (but not necessarily an international driving licence). You can only drive your own vehicle across the border; rental cars are not permitted. For road rules, see p408.
Egypt There are two border crossing points, Taba and Rafah, although Taba is the only one open to foreign travellers, as Rafah is closed to all tourists, independent travellers and those on a tour. If you are trying to get to Cairo in a hurry, the best way is to hop on the Mazada Tours (www.mazada.co.il) Jerusalem (Map pp114-15; x02-623
5777; 15 Jaffa Rd, Pearl Hotel); Tel Aviv (Map p150; x03-544 4454; 141 Ibn Gvirol St) direct bus service between
Tel Aviv or Jerusalem and Cairo. Buses leave
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Q: So what can I do if I plan to visit Syria and Israel?
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Nearly all visitors require visas to enter Egypt, which cost 65NIS for USA and German citizens and 100NIS for everyone else. They’re available at the Egyptian embassy (Map p150; x03-546 4151; 54 Basel St, Tel Aviv; hfor applications 9am-11am Sun-Thu) and the Egyptian consulate (Map p346; x08-637 6882; 68 HaAfroni St, Eilat; hfor applications 9-11am Sun-Thu). Deliver your passport, application and one passport-sized photo during opening hours in the morning and pick up the visa around 2pm the same day. At the Taba border you can pick up a free Sinai-only entry permit, which is valid for 14 days and allows travel between Taba and Sharm el-Sheikh, and to Mt Sinai and St Katherine’s Monastery; however, it is not valid for diving at Ras Mohammed National Park near Sharm el-Sheikh. Nearly all travellers require visas to enter Jordan. Visas can be purchased at both the Yitzhak Rabin (formerly called Arava) and Jordan River border crossings, but not at the King Hussein/ Allenby Bridge crossing. If you’re going that way, get a visa at the Jordanian embassy (x03-751 7722; fax 03-751 7712; 14 Abbe Hillel St), in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan (take bus No 66 from Ben Yehuda St). You can apply in the morning and pick the visa up around 2pm the same day; bring one passport-sized photo. Note that buying visas in Israel will probably preclude you visiting countries such as Syria and Lebanon; see p402.
Jerusalem/Tel Aviv at 9am/11am Sunday, Monday and Thursday. After picking up passengers in Cairo, they head back. Mazada is represented in Cairo by Misr Travel (x/fax
335 5470; Cairo Sheraton, Midan al-Galaa, Doqqi).
across, you’ll pay 32NIS on the Israeli side and a whopping E£180 on the Egyptian side. It is not possible to take a rental car across the Taba border, but you can take a private car. For information on getting to the border from Eilat, see p353.
BORDER CROSSINGS
Rafah
The Rafah Crossing (x08-673 4080) between Gaza and Egypt is currently closed to foreign travellers. The border had been handled by Israel until its departure in August 2005; since then it has come under the joint control of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Egypt, with the help of EU monitors. Ongoing conflict with the IDF has caused instability at this border and it now remains closed most of the time, even to Palestinians stuck on both sides. It’s unlikely that the border will be open to foreigners any time soon. See p362 for other details. Taba
The Taba crossing (x08-637 2104, 08-636 0999; h24hr), near Eilat, is currently the only open border between Israel and Egypt. If you are descending into Egypt you will pay a 68NIS fee to leave Israel, plus around E£30 to enter Egypt. Remember to get an Egyptian visa before coming down here; you can get one at the Egyptian consulate in Eilat, see Visas for Egypt & Jordan, above. If you only plan on visiting the Sinai you can get a Sinaionly entry permit. Driving your own vehicle
Jordan There is a steady flow of tourist traffic between Amman and Jerusalem and although the borders are a bit quirky you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting across. Keep the following general tips in mind. Private vehicles cannot be driven across the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge, but they can be taken across other borders. If you are coming from Jordan use the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge and return within 14 days, and you won’t need to get another visa for Jordan. When coming from Jordan into Israel visitors are granted one month’s entry at the Yitzhak Rabin/Wadi Araba Crossing and Jordan River/Sheikh Hussein Bridge crossing. Those issued at Allenby/King Hussein are good for three months. Visas for Jordan are not available at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge. If you want to cross here you’ll need to get a visa at a Jordanian embassy. If you are travelling between Petra and the Sinai you can bypass crossing through Israel and take the Aqaba–Nuweiba ferry (see opposite).
BORDER CROSSINGS
Yitzhak Rabin
Allenby Bridge
Located near Eilat, the Yitzhak Rabin crossing
The popular Allenby Bridge (x02-548 2600; h8am-6pm Sun-Thu, 8am-2pm Fri & Sat) is only 30km from Jerusalem and 40km from Amman. Traffic can be heavy here, especially between 11am and 3pm. Exit tax here is 127NIS. The Jordanian side is known as King Hussein Bridge. This was at one time merely a crossing from Jordan’s East Bank to its West Bank and to the Jordanians the times have not changed. You can still cross in and out of Jordan on one visa as if you had never left the country. When you return to Jordan just show your stamped exit slip, and on the Israel side have the border officers stamp your Jordanian slip rather than your passport. If you are going from Israel to Jordan you’ll need a Jordanian visa already stamped in your passport – these are not sold at the border. You can get one at the Jordanian embassy in Tel Aviv (see opposite). If you plan on returning to Israel, keep the entrance form given to you by the Jordanians (you may need to present it when exiting the country). Once you’ve cleared customs you need to wait for a bus (5NIS) to take you across the valley to the Jordanian side. From Jerusalem you can take a bus from the ABDO travel agency office (x628 3281) opposite Damascus Gate to Allenby Bridge. Abu Hassan Alternative Tours (p410) in Jerusalem has a shuttle for USA$35 for a vehicle it can take up to three passengers. From the Israeli border there are buses to Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate and to Jericho. Try to get to the border as early as possible as delays are common.
(x08-630 0530; h6.30am-10pm Sun-Thu, 8am-8pm Fri & Sat) is handy for day trips to Petra and
Jordan River
The Jordan River crossing (x04-648 0018; h8am10pm) is 6km east of Beit She’an in the Galilee. It’s handy if you are travelling in northern Israel and want to take your own car across to Jordan, or if you want to get a Jordanian visa at the border. There is 2km of no-man’sland between the two border posts. You can either walk or hitch between the two. Exit tax here is 70NIS. On the Jordanian side this is called the Sheikh Hussein Bridge (Jordan Bridge; h6.30am-10pm Sun-Thu, 8am-8pm Fri & Sat). Buses are available to the border from Beit She’an (see p233). From the Jordanian side, catch a minibus or taxi to Irbid.
Wadi Rum. The border lies just 2km northeast of Eilat. Exit tax here is 68NIS, entry to Jordan is free and exit from Jordan is JD5. Once you are in Jordan there are taxis at the border that will take you into Aqaba for JD5. Alternatively, bargain for a taxi all the way to Petra (around JD25, two hours) or Wadi Rum (around JD10). If you are coming down from Jerusalem you don’t need to go all the way to Eilat; ask your bus driver to let you out at the turn-off to the border. BUS
The Nazarene bus company (Map p196; x04601 0458; Kikar Paris, Haifa) runs buses between Amman and Haifa three or four times a week. From Haifa, the service departs at 7am from the Haifa Merkaz train station. It also picks up passengers at 8.30am in Nazareth. You can buy a ticket the day before from their office at Kikar Paris. In Amman the bus service is handled by Trust International Transport (x06-581 3427). CAR & MOTORCYCLE
If you are driving between Jordan and Israel and the Palestinian Territories, use either Yitzhak Rabin/Wadi Araba or Jordan River Crossing/Sheikh Hussein Bridge. It is not permitted to cross the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge on your own.
SEA It’s possible to reach the Holy Land by sea from Cyprus, and going the other way you can make connections from Cyprus to Turkey. There are no ferry connections out of Eilat, but a ferry does run between nearby Aqaba (Jordan) and Nuweiba in Egypt.
Egypt & Jordan The sleepy town of Nuweiba on the Sinai coast is linked to Aqaba in Jordan by way of a fast ferry link. The boat departs at 2pm (except for Sunday and Thursday when it leaves at 9am) and takes one hour. Be sure to be at the port two hours ahead of time to guarantee a ticket. One-way tickets for the trip are USA$50 for adults and USA$35 for children aged three to 12. Tickets can only be paid for
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VISAS FOR EGYPT & JORDAN
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in US dollars, and its best to get cash in Dahab or elsewhere because banks in Nuweiba may not have dollars. Tickets only go on sale the day of departure and the ticket office – in a small building near the port – should be open by 9am. Note that ticket sales stop an hour before departure. During the Haj season tickets are sold in advance and you’ll need to contact a travel agent in Egypt about buying one. Once on the boat you can obtain a free visa for Jordan if you have an EU, US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport. The gratis visa is the result of Aqaba’s Free Trade Zone status. Fill out a green form on the boat and hand it over (with your passport) to the immigration officials on board. Other nationalities should organise a visa in advance. Note that a slow ferry (US$32, three hours) departs for Aqaba daily at noon. This ferry also accommodates cars and motorcycles. Going the other way the fast boat leaves Aqaba daily at noon and costs less, around US$36. Avoid buying a ticket in Amman, where agents jack up the price. Most nationalities can pick up an Egyptian visa when they get to Nuweiba (although some Eastern Europeans have been refused). Sinai-only visas are available on the boat. Note that information in this section is subject to change and the ferries (especially the slow ferry) do not adhere strictly to their scheduled departure. During the Haj season there may be an extra ferry to handle the crowds. For details on onward travel from Nuweiba, see p376. For details on travel from Aqaba to Petra, see p364.
Greece & Cyprus From Haifa there are overnight passenger and cargo ferries to Limassol in Cyprus. The ship departs Haifa on Monday and Thursday at 8pm and costs €150 per person. The trip takes about 10 hours. You can also bring a motorcycle (€150), a car (€150) or a jeep (€200). From Limassol there are overland connections to Girne (Northern Cyprus), where you can catch another ferry to Tacuco in southern Turkey. The ferry is operated by Rosenfeld Shipping (Map p196; x 04-861 3671; www.rosen feld.net; 104 Ha’atzmaut Rd, Haifa). Note that prices
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do fluctuate with the seasons and when demand is low the service may be suspended.
TOURS Tours organised from abroad are usually themed trips, the bulk of which are religious tours that travel to holy places. Other tours are based on cultural and historical offerings. The overlander travel groups usually bypass Israel.
UK Longwood Holidays (x020-8418 2525; www.long woodholidays.co.uk) Experienced travel operator that can put together dive trips and cultural tours. Travel Link (x020-8931 8000; www.travelinkuk.com) Can organise a variety of tours in Israel, both religious and secular.
USA America Israel Travel (x877-248-8687; www .americaisrael.us) Specialises in both Jewish and Christian religious tours. Quest Travel Group (x770-518-5864; www.quest travelgroup.com) Christian-focused religious tours. Tlalim Tours (x800-600-5194; www.tlalimtours.com) Adventurous travel and ecotours.
GETTING AROUND Israel has an efficient and inexpensive transport system, with buses going everywhere and trains connecting main cities. There are flights that cross the Negev to shorten the trip to Eilat, but given the pretty desert scenery you’ll probably prefer to go overland. The West Bank is served by Arab buses that travel between cities and East Jerusalem. There are no connections whatsoever between Gaza and the West Bank. For travel to Gaza see p356.
AIR Israir (x03-795 5777; www.israir.co.il) flies at least once daily (including Saturday) between Ben-Gurion airport (p400), Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv (p180), Eilat (p353) and Haifa (p206). Arkia (x03-699 2222; www.arkia.co.il) operates flights between the same cities, as well as international charters to Jerusalem. You are not liable for a domestic departure tax.
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BICYCLE
BUS
Cycling is a great way to get around Israel. Highways have wide shoulders and there are a number of off-road bike trails and scenic by-ways. Traffic is fairly light and the distances between tourist attractions, cities and villages are relatively short. Moreover, biking is a great way to meet people and experience the country at ground level. Better still, it’s free and environmentally friendly. The main drawback to cycling in Israel is the heat. Always set off as early as possible and carry plenty of water. Choose your route carefully; while the coastal plain is flat enough, the Upper Galilee, the Golan and the Dead Sea region have innumerable steep hills and the Negev Desert can be unmercifully hot. Probably the best bike trip is around the Sea of Galilee; for such purposes, several Tiberias hostels hire out bicycles for quite reasonable rates. Note that buses will accept bikes, although you may need to pay an extra luggage charge. Bikes aren’t allowed on trains. Some bike shops in Israel will rent out bikes by the week; others will buy a bike back from you at a fair price if you purchase one in their shop. Contact Rochvim Bikes (Map pp86-7; x623 2598; 88 Agrippas St, cnr Mani St) in Jerusalem or O-Fun (Map p150; x544 2292; 197 Ben Yehuda St) in Tel Aviv. Bike hire isn’t really an option in the Palestinian Territories but if you have a bike there shouldn’t be a problem bringing it through the checkpoints. Check our personal security warnings, p286 and p388. For an organised biking tour of Israel contact Dekel Holiday (x03-523 9022; www.dekel -holiday.co.il), which runs bike trips all over the country. If you choose to bring your own bike, contact your airline ahead of time to ask about baggage restrictions and associated costs. Bike shops can give you a bike box. Consider taking a fold-up bike, which is easier to deal with if your trip will include buses and flights as well as biking. For information on cycling in cities, see p409. Following is a list of bike clubs. Carmel Mountain Bike Club (www.geocities.com
The national bus service, Egged (x03-694 8888; www.egged.co.il), has an extensive route system
/Colosseum/Arena/9765/cmbchome.htm) Israeli Mountain Bikers Club (www.cyclenix.com) Jerusalem Cyclists Club (x02-561 9416) Mountain biking group (www.rechasim.com)
in Israel, partially due to the fact that it’s also the major transport vehicle for soldiers moving about the country. As such you can expect to find buses filled with soldiers heading home for the weekend or back to their base. Some routes make stops near army bases, although this is never very inconvenient. Egged buses are modern, clean and equipped with air-con, making travel safe and comfortable. Buses generally run on time, though it’s far from an exact science. Remember that on Shabbat Egged intercity buses don’t run at all (Friday afternoon to Saturday evening). Most intercity routes have an Egged bus departing two to five times an hour but you can expect long waits if you are out on the back roads, which may be serviced by only one or two buses a day. Egged also serves West Bank settlements, utilising a fleet of a more than 100 bulletproof buses. Sample fares include Jerusalem to Haifa (39NIS), Jerusalem to Tel Aviv (17.70NIS) and Tel Aviv to Eilat (65NIS). Check the Egged website for information on schedules, prices and routes. Egged allows reservations only to Eilat – you can order tickets over the phone 14 days before your trip. In Nazareth, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, a number of small, Arab-run bus companies provide public transport on typically slow and antiquated vehicles. They are not particularly comfortable but the short distances make travel bearable. Fares are quite cheap and International Student Identity Card (ISIC) holders are entitled to a discount of about 10% on interurban fares. Sample fares include Jerusalem to Hebron (10NIS) and Ramallah to Nablus (16NIS). Note that Arab buses continue to run right through the Shabbat.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE Drivers won’t need an international driving licence, but must have their home driving licence in order to rent a car or drive a private vehicle.
Automobile Associations If you want to get in touch with an automobile association, try Memsi (Map pp114-15;
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Road Distance Chart
HITCHING
Ashdod
160
Ashkelon
175
35
Be'er Sheva
233
85
Ben-Gurion airport
135
40
55
98
Bethlehem
190
143
145
75
60
Eilat
475
335
307
240
340
320
Ein Gedi
338
197
170
105
205
153
233
Gaza
190
55
28
45
75
85
290
152
Haifa
23
140
160
210
112
168
450
315
180
220
115
118
50
88
28
290
128
95
Jericho
162
103
115
117
85
38
365
200
135
148
73
Jerusalem
182
67
77
85
50
10
312
163
92
160
35
40
Netanya
87
75
90
145
50
105
388
250
110
65
132
122
93
Tel Aviv
118
43
65
113
18
73
355
220
82
95
97
100
62
30
Tiberias
57
170
198
235
152
208
490
345
215
70
185
118
157
103
132
Akko
Ashdod
Ashkelon
Be'er Sheva
Ben-Gurion airport
Bethlehem
Eilat
Ein Gedi
Gaza
Haifa
Hebron
Jericho
Jerusalem
Netanya
Tel Aviv
Although hitching was once a common way of getting around Israel, increasing reports of violent crime make this a risky business and we do not recommend it. Women should not hitch without male companions and all travellers should be circumspect of the cars they get into. The local method of soliciting a lift is to simply point an index finger at the road.
Hebron
68
x 02-625 9711; www.memsi.co.il in Hebrew; 31 Ben Yehuda St) in Jerusalem, which provides maps,
route planners and tool kits.
Hire
Hiring a car is a great way to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. It doesn’t make much sense to have one in Jerusalem or other big cities, but it’s definitely a good idea for the Golan, Upper Galilee and Negev areas. Note that Tel Aviv has a serious parking shortage and you’ll probably end up having to park in a private lot at around 45NIS a day. Hertz (www.hertz.co.il), Avis (www.avis.co.il) and Budget (www.budget.co.il) each have about 15 to 20 offices countrywide. Car hire with insurance and unlimited kilometres costs as little as US$250 per week or US$600 per month. Note, most Jerusalem-based rental-car agencies forbid you to take their cars into the Palestinian Territories, though Green Peace is an exception (see p143).
Insurance Car-hire companies can sell you a complete insurance package for around US$7 per day
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(with some restrictions, like driving only in Israel and not in the West Bank). If you do not take the insurance option you may be liable for any damages to the vehicle, or damage to another car or property. You may already be covered by your personal travel insurance, so be sure to inquire with your insurer about conditions before setting off.
Road Conditions Conditions on the roads are quite good, although in the West Bank it’s not uncommon to find animals lingering on the road. For more information on driving in the West Bank, see p289.
Road Rules Vehicles drive on the right-hand side of the road in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Seatbelts are required at all times. Using a mobile phone whilst driving is illegal and subject to a fine of around 500NIS. Road signs are clearly marked in English, Hebrew and Arabic.
Tel Aviv is a fantastic city for biking. There are extensive bike paths, parks and a beachfront promenade. Both Eilat and Tiberias are good places to tool around on a bike. Both Haifa and Jerusalem are hilly and lack bike paths. Tel Aviv has a Critical Mass (a group of bikers who take the streets back from fossil fuel–burning modes of transport) that departs at 1pm on the last Friday of the month from Rabin Sq. It’s great fun to hire a bike on this day and ride along with the crowds. A smaller Critical Mass is held in Jerusalem at the same time; meet at the corner of King George and Ben Yehuda Sts. For more information, go to www.bike.org.il/cm and click the English link. For more info on cycling in Tel Aviv, go to http://bike.org.il/taba.
Bus Buses are used widely within the main cities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa. If you don’t read Hebrew, or you are new to a city, it can be a little difficult to figure out the bus routes. You may need to ask others at the bus stop which bus to take. You can also ask advice from any driver that passes by; they are usually pretty helpful. In Tel Aviv, the local bus company Dan (x03-639 0444; www.dan.co.il) transports about 600,000 commuters a day. It operates from 5am to 1am daily except during Shabbat hours. West Jerusalem is served by Egged (www.egged.co.il), while Arab buses handle most of East Jerusalem. Haifa is also served by Egged.
Taxi Drivers of ‘special’ (ie nonshared) taxis are renowned for overcharging (sometimes spectacularly!). Always ask to use the meter
and watch your progress on a map to ensure that the shortest route is followed. A trip across town in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv shouldn’t cost more than 20NIS to 25NIS; you will also be charged a few shekels for luggage. (Taxi prices quoted are for the whole taxi, no matter how many people are in the cab.) If possible, study your map before getting in the taxi to check the route and the cross streets of the place you want to go. If a driver sees that you don’t know the city the chances are good that he will take the long way, thus driving up the price. The best way to avoid this is to confidently give a street address, a cross street and directions. Taxi drivers also have the annoying habit of driving slowly and stopping when the lights turn yellow, also causing the meter to creep up because it still runs when the car is idle. Telling the driver you are in a hurry might help, although you’ll probably just be ignored. Note that tariffs rise between 9pm and 5.30am. Taxi drivers are not normally tipped, but in the absence of a rip-off attempt, it’s fine to refuse a shekel or two in change.
SHERUT (SERVICE TAXI) The Palestinians call it a service taxi (pronounced ‘ser-vees’) and the Israelis call it a sherut, and by any other name it is just as useful. These 13-seat minivans operate on a fixed route for a fixed price like a bus. If you don’t know the fare, ask your fellow passengers. You can expect to pay around 20% more than the bus, although some routes are the same as bus fares. Sheruts run between cities and towns and are generally quicker than buses. They depart from a recognised taxi rank, but only leave when full so you may have to hang around for a while, although rarely more than 20 minutes. You can get out anywhere you’d like but you’ll still pay the full fare. Many sheruts operate 24/7 and are the only means of public transport during the Shabbat. Inside Tel Aviv, sheruts run along some of the main bus routes (eg Rtes 4 and 5). If you’ve just come from Jerusalem on a sherut, there is a quick transfer over to the local sheruts, which run all the way up Ben Yehuda St, close to the hotels. In the West Bank service taxis may be the only transport available. Service taxis line
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up near main town squares such as Ramallah, or outside of checkpoints like Qalandia and Huwwara. Several local companies offer day tours to sites of interest around Israel. Ads are often posted in hotels or on guesthouse message boards. The following options may only operate when demand is sufficient, so it helps to turn up with a motivated group. Abu Hassan Alternative Tours (Map p110; x052 286
4205; www.jrshotel.com; Jerusalem Hotel, Jerusalem) Halfand full-day tours are available to Palestinian towns and villages. Trips usually include a visit to local workshops and homes, plus historical sites. Trips are often politically minded and may take you to the Seperation Wall or a refugee camp. Ben Harim Tours (x03-546 8870; www.beinharim .co.il) Custom tours around Israel and trips to Petra and Sinai. Daila (p306) A good way to understand the politics of the West Bank is on a day trip to a Jewish settlement and/or a Palestinian refugee camp. The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) operates these tours through its activist centre, Daila. The tours take in the Ma’ale Adumim (a settlement), the Separation Wall and the home of a Palestinian family. Egged Tours (x03-920 3998; www.egged.co.il) The national bus company runs reasonably priced trips around the country, though these are mainly geared for the domestic market. Mike’s Centre (Map pp90-1; x02-628 2486; www .mikescentre.com; 9th Station, 172 Souq Khan al-Zeit, Jerusalem; tours per person 170NIS) This place runs popular day trips. Tours depart from Jerusalem at 7am and return at 7pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The trip includes Masada, the Dead Sea (Ein Gedi), Qumran and Jericho. Mike also runs trips down to Egypt. Prices do not include entry to sights. Many budget and midrange travellers end up on this tour when they sign up for such a trip through their hotel (Mike has connections with most backpacker-type places in the city).
Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI; x09 774 8670;
[email protected]) On the first
and third weekends of the month SPNI operates a two-day program with a focus on hiking in the Dead Sea region. The cost is US$385 per person and includes accommodation, food and entrance fees. See also p78. Touring Israel (x054 636 3126; www.touringisrael .com) Private, tailor-made trips around Israel; caters to the top-end market. United Tours (x03-693 3412, 02-625 2187; www .unitedtours.co.il) Does one- and two-day trips all over the country, plus city tours of Jerusalem. Also runs a daily tour of the Dead Sea region (excluding Qumran) for US$70 per person leaving Tel Aviv at 7.15am and Jerusalem at 9am. Zel Tours (x02-563 0611; www.zeltours.com) Personal service from tour leader Zel Lederman. Offers trips to offbeat locations, plus active tours on bike or on foot.
TRAIN Israel State Railways (ISR; x03-577 4000; www.israrail .org.il) runs a convenient, efficient and inex-
pensive network of passenger rail services. The main line runs along the coast; the northernmost station is Nahariya and heading south there are stops in Akko, Haifa, Binyamina (for Caesarea), Netanya, Tel Aviv, Ashdod and Ashkelon. From Tel Aviv there is a spur to Be’er Sheva and Dimona; a spur to Rishon LeZion and Rehovot; a spur to Ben-Gurion airport; and a spur to Jerusalem. Plans are afoot to extend the network down to Eilat. There is also a project to build a high-speed rail link between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (completion date 2011), with a stop on the way at Ben-Gurion airport. The ride will take 28 minutes. The main problem faced by foreign travellers is the language barrier. Trains are not marked in English, announcements are made in Hebrew and there are no route maps on the trains. If you don’t speak Hebrew, the best thing you can do is ask your fellow travellers about which trains to take and where to get off. Note that ISIC holders get a 20% discount.
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While it’s never nice to get injured or become sick while travelling, you can at least take some comfort in the knowledge that Israel has world-class medical facilities. While standards of health are high in Israel there are several location-specific conditions to be aware of, particularly heat exhaustion and sunburn. Medical facilities in the Palestinian Territories are of a lower standard, but the territory is so small that a hospital in Israel is never too far away.
BEFORE YOU GO A little planning before departure, particularly for preexisting illnesses, will save you a lot of trouble later. See your dentist before a long trip; carry a spare pair of contact lenses and glasses (and take your optical prescription with you); and carry a first-aid kit with you. It’s tempting to leave it all to the last minute – don’t! Many vaccines don’t start to ensure immunity for two weeks, so visit a doctor four to eight weeks before departure. Ask your doctor for an International Certificate of Vaccination (otherwise known as the yellow booklet), which will list all the vaccinations you’ve received.
INSURANCE
Find out in advance if your insurance plan will make payments directly to providers or reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures (in many countries doctors expect payment in cash); it’s also worth ensuring your travel insurance will cover repatriation home or to better medical facilities elsewhere. Your insurance company may be able to locate the nearest source of medical help, or you can ask at your hotel. In an emergency, contact your embassy or consulate. Your travel insurance will not usually cover you for anything other than emergency dental treatment. Not all insurance covers emergency aeromedical evacuation home or to a hospital in a major city, which may be the only way to get medical attention for a serious emergency.
RECOMMENDED VACCINATIONS
Get your jabs well before travelling; some require more than one injection. The World Health Organization recommends that all travellers regardless of the region they are travelling in should be covered for diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio, as well as hepatitis B.
MEDICAL CHECKLIST
Following is a list of items you should consider packing in your medical kit. Acetaminophen/paracetamol (Tylenol) or aspirin Adhesive or paper tape Antibacterial ointment (eg Bactroban) for cuts and abrasions Antibiotics (if travelling off the beaten track) Antidiarrhoeal drugs (eg loperamide)
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Before You Go Insurance Recommended Vaccinations Medical Checklist Internet Resources Further Reading In Transit Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Jet Lag & Motion Sickness In Israel & the Palestinian Territories Availability & Cost of Health Care Infectious Diseases Traveller’s Diarrhoea Environmental Hazards Travelling with Children Women’s Health
Bring medications in their original, clearly labelled containers. A signed and dated letter from your physician describing your medical conditions and medications, including generic names, is also a good idea. If carrying syringes or needles, be sure to have a physician’s letter documenting their medical necessity.
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Antihistamines (for hay fever and allergic reactions) Anti-inflammatory drugs (for example ibuprofen) Bandages, gauze, gauze rolls Insect repellent containing DEET (for the skin) Insect repellent containing permethrin (for clothing, tents and bed nets) Iodine tablets (for water purification) Oral rehydration salts Pocket knife Scissors, safety pins, tweezers Steroid cream or cortisone (for allergic rashes) Sun block Syringes and sterile needles (if travelling to remote areas) Thermometer
There is a wealth of travel health advice on the internet. For further information, the Lonely Planet website (www.lonelyplanet.com) is a good place to start. The World Health Organization (www.who.int /ith/) publishes a superb book, International Travel and Health, which is revised annually and is available online at no cost. Another website of general interest is MD Travel Health (www.mdtravelhealth.com), which provides complete travel health recommendations for every country, updated daily, also at no cost. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov) is a very useful source of traveller’s health information. A list of doctors in Tel Aviv is published on the US embassy website (http://israel.usembassy .gov/publish/mission/acs/doctors.html).
FURTHER READING
Lonely Planet’s Healthy Travel Africa is packed with useful information including TRAVEL HEALTH WEBSITES It’s usually a good idea to consult your government’s travel health website before departure, if one is available. Australia (www.dfat.gov.au/travel/) Canada (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/index
.html) UK (www.doh.gov.uk/traveladvice/) USA (www.cdc.gov/travel/)
pretrip planning, emergency first aid, immunisation and disease information and what to do if you get sick on the road. Other recommended references include Traveller’s Health by Dr Richard Dawood (Oxford University Press) and The Travellers’ Good Health Guide by Ted Lankester (Sheldon Press), an especially useful health guide for volunteers and long-term expatriates working in the Middle East.
IN TRANSIT DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS (DVT )
Deep vein thrombosis occurs when blood clots form in the legs during plane flights, chiefly because of prolonged immobility. The longer the flight, the greater the risk. Though most blood clots are reabsorbed uneventfully, some may break off and travel through the blood vessels to the lungs, where they may cause life-threatening complications. The chief symptom of deep vein thrombosis is swelling or pain of the foot, ankle or calf, usually but not always on just one side. When a blood clot travels to the lungs, it may cause chest pain and difficulty breathing. Travellers with any of these symptoms should immediately seek medical attention. To prevent the development of deep vein thrombosis on long flights you should walk about the cabin, perform isometric compressions of the leg muscles (ie contract the leg muscles while sitting), drink plenty of fluids, and avoid alcohol and tobacco.
JET LAG & MOTION SICKNESS
Jet lag is common when crossing more than five time zones; it results in insomnia, fatigue, malaise or nausea. To avoid jet lag try drinking plenty of fluids (nonalcoholic) and eating light meals. Upon arrival, seek exposure to natural sunlight and readjust your schedule (for meals, sleep etc) as soon as possible. Antihistamines such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) and meclizine (Antivert, Bonine) are usually the first choice for treating motion sickness. Their main sideeffect is drowsiness. A herbal alternative is ginger, which works like a charm for some people.
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IN ISRAEL & THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES AVAILABILITY & COST OF HEALTH CARE
Israel has first-rate state-funded hospitals across the country, plus a number of private hospitals and clinics. Private dental clinics are found anywhere from suburban streets to shopping malls. Costs are comparable to what you’d expect at home but free clinics are available for general checkups. Large cities in the Palestinian Territories have reasonable hospital facilities but these can be crowded or short on supplies. For a list of facilities see www.healthinforum.org. Pharmacies (beit mirkachat) in Israel are common on city streets, and pharmacists will speak English and can give advice about what medicine to take if you describe your problem. In the Palestinian Territories, medicine may be expired so check the date. If you require any prescribed medication, take enough from home to get you through your trip and bring a copy of the prescription in case you need a refill. If you need immediate medical care ask at your hotel. In an emergency, contact your embassy or consulate. Standards of dental care are high but keep in mind that your travel insurance will not usually cover you for anything other than emergency dental treatment. For first aid call x101 on any phone.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES Diphtheria
Diphtheria is spread through close respiratory contact. It causes a high temperature and severe sore throat. Sometimes a membrane forms across the throat requiring a tracheostomy to prevent suffocation. Vaccination is recommended for those likely to be in close contact with the local population in infected areas. The vaccine is given as an injection alone, or with tetanus, and lasts 10 years.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is spread through contaminated food (particularly shellfish) and water. It causes jaundice, and although it is rarely
fatal, can cause prolonged lethargy and delayed recovery. Symptoms include dark urine, a yellow colour to the whites of the eyes, fever and abdominal pain. Hepatitis A vaccines (Avaxim, VAQTA, Havrix) are given as an injection: a single dose will give protection for up to a year, while a booster 12 months later will provide a subsequent 10 years of protection. Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines can also be given as a single dose vaccine, Hepatyrix or Viatim.
Hepatitis B
Infected blood, contaminated needles and sexual intercourse can all transmit hepatitis B. It can cause jaundice, and affects the liver, occasionally causing liver failure. All travellers should make this a routine vaccination. (Many countries now give hepatitis B vaccination as part of routine childhood vaccination.) The vaccine is given singly, or at the same time as the hepatitis A vaccine (Hepatyrix). A course will give protection for at least five years. It can be given over four weeks or six months.
HIV
HIV is spread via infected blood and blood products, sexual intercourse with an infected partner and from an infected mother to her newborn child. It can be spread through ‘blood to blood’ contacts such as contaminated instruments during medical, dental, acupuncture and other body piercing procedures, and sharing used intravenous needles.
Leishmaniasis
Spread through the bite of an infected sandfly, leishmaniasis can cause a slowly growing skin lump or ulcer. It may develop into a serious life-threatening fever, usually accompanied by anaemia and weight loss. Infected dogs are also carriers of the infection. Sandfly bites should be avoided whenever possible.
Rabies
Spread through bites or licks on broken skin from an infected animal, rabies is fatal. Animal handlers should be vaccinated, as should those travelling to remote areas where a reliable source of postbite vaccine is not available within 24 hours. Three injections are needed over a month. If you have not been vaccinated, you will need a
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course of five injections starting within 24 hours or as soon as possible after the injury. Vaccination does not provide you with immunity; it merely buys you more time to seek appropriate medical help. Tuberculosis (TB) is spread through close respiratory contact and occasionally through infected milk or milk products. BCG vaccine is recommended for those likely to be mixing closely with the local population. It is more important for those visiting family or planning on a long stay, and those employed as teachers and health-care workers. TB can be asymptomatic, although symptoms can include cough, weight loss or fever months or even years after exposure. An X-ray is the best way to confirm if you have TB. BCG gives a moderate degree of protection against TB. It causes a small permanent scar at the site of the injection, and is usually only given in specialised chest clinics. As it’s a live vaccine it should not be given to pregnant women or immunocompromised individuals. The BCG vaccine is not available in all countries.
Typhoid
This is spread through food or water that has been contaminated by infected human faeces. The first symptom is usually fever or a pink rash on the abdomen. Septicaemia (blood poisoning) may also occur. Typhoid vaccine (Typhim Vi, Typherix) will give protection for three years. In some countries, the oral vaccine Vivotif is also available.
TRAVELLER’S DIARRHOEA
Traveller’s diarrhoea can occur with a simple change of diet, so even though Israeli food and water are healthy you may get an upset stomach simply because your body is not accustomed to the new foods – it may take a few days to adjust. Keep in mind that in summer, outdoor food spoils quickly, so this is a good time to avoid hole-in-the-wall shwarma joints because the hummus goes bad quickly. Eating hummus in an indoor restaurant will be safer. Be even more circumspect than usual in the Palestinian Territories. If you develop diarrhoea, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, preferably an oral rehydration solution containing salt and sugar. A few loose stools don’t require treatment, but if you start having more than four or
five stools a day you should start taking an antibiotic (usually a quinolone drug) and an antidiarrhoeal agent (such as loperamide). If diarrhoea is bloody, persists for more than 72 hours, or is accompanied by fever, shaking chills or severe abdominal pain, you should seek medical attention.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS Heat Illness
Heat exhaustion is one of the most common ailments among travellers in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. This occurs following heavy sweating and excessive fluid loss with inadequate replacement of fluids and salt. It is particularly common in hot climates when taking unaccustomed exercise before full acclimatisation. Symptoms include headache, dizziness and tiredness. Dehydration is already happening by the time you feel thirsty – aim to drink enough water that you produce pale, diluted urine. The treatment of heat exhaustion consists of replacing fluid with water or fruit juice or both, and cooling by cold water and fans. The treatment of the salt loss component consists of salty fluids as in soup or broth, and adding a little more table salt to foods than usual. Heat stroke is much more serious. This occurs when the body’s heat-regulating mechanism breaks down. An excessive rise in body temperature leads to sweating ceasing, irrational and hyperactive behaviour and eventually loss of consciousness and death. Rapid cooling by spraying the body with water and fanning is an ideal treatment. Emergency fluid and electrolyte replacement by intravenous drip is usually also required.
Insect Bites & Stings
Mosquitoes may not carry malaria but can cause irritation and infected bites. Using DEET-based insect repellents will prevent bites. Mosquitoes also spread dengue fever. Bees and wasps only cause real problems to those with a severe allergy (anaphylaxis). If you have a severe allergy to bee or wasp stings you should carry an adrenaline injection or similar. Sandflies are located around the Mediterranean beaches. They usually only cause a nasty itchy bite but can carry a rare skin disorder called cutaneous leishmaniasis. Bites may be prevented by using DEETbased repellents.
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The number of jellyfish has been increasing over the years, thanks to overfishing in the Mediterranean (fish eat jellyfish, and in the absence of predators the jellyfish have boomed). The jellyfish sting is irritating but in most cases it wears off in about 10 or 15 minutes. A particularly strong sting (or a sting to the face or genitals) requires an evaluation by a physician. Scorpions are frequently found in arid or dry climates. They can cause a painful bite which, is rarely life threatening. Bedbugs are often found in hostels and cheap hotels. They lead to very itchy, lumpy bites. Spraying the mattress with an appropriate insect killer will do a good job of getting rid of them. Scabies are also frequently found in cheap accommodation. These tiny mites live in the skin, particularly between the fingers. They cause an intensely itchy rash. Scabies are easily treated with lotion available from pharmacies; people who you come into contact with also need treating to avoid spreading scabies between asymptomatic carriers.
Snake Bites
Do not walk barefoot or stick your hand into holes or cracks. Half of those bitten by venomous snakes are not actually injected with poison (envenomed). If bitten by a snake, do not panic. Immobilise the bitten limb with a splint (eg a stick) and apply a bandage over the site with firm pressure, similar to a bandage over a sprain. Do not apply a tourniquet, or cut or suck the bite. Get the victim to medical help as soon as possible so that antivenin can be given if necessary.
Water
Tap water is safe to drink in Israel but carries an unpleasant taste (especially in Eilat, where is has been desalinised). Bottled water is available everywhere. Do not drink water from rivers or lakes; this may contain bacteria or viruses that can cause diarrhoea or vomiting.
TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN
All travellers with children should know how to treat minor ailments and when to seek medical treatment. Make sure the children are up to date with routine vaccinations, and discuss possible travel vaccines well before departure as some vaccines are
not suitable for children aged under one year old. In hot, moist climates any wound or break in the skin may lead to infection. The area should be cleaned and then kept dry and clean. Remember to avoid contaminated food and water. If your child is vomiting or experiencing diarrhoea, lost fluid and salts must be replaced. It may be helpful to take rehydration powders for reconstituting with boiled water. Ask your doctor about this. Children should be encouraged to avoid dogs or other mammals because of the risk of rabies and other diseases. Any bite, scratch or lick from a warm-blooded, furry animal should immediately be thoroughly cleaned. If there is any possibility that the animal is infected with rabies, immediate medical assistance should be sought.
WOMEN’S HEALTH
Emotional stress, exhaustion and travelling through different time zones can all contribute to an upset in the menstrual pattern. If using oral contraceptives, note that some antibiotics, diarrhoea and vomiting can stop the pill from working and lead to the risk of pregnancy – take condoms with you just in case. Condoms should be kept in a cool dry place or they may crack and perish. Emergency contraception is most effective if taken within 24 hours after unprotected sex. The International Planned Parent Federation (www.ippf.org) can advise about the availability of contraception in different countries. Tampons and sanitary towels are readily available in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Travelling during pregnancy is usually possible but there are important things to consider. Have a medical checkup before embarking on your trip. The most risky times for travel are during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, when miscarriage is most likely, and after 30 weeks, when complications, eg high blood pressure and premature delivery, can occur. Most airlines won’t accept a traveller after 28 to 32 weeks of pregnancy, and long-haul flights in the later stages can be very uncomfortable. Taking written records of the pregnancy with details of your blood group is helpful if you need medical attention while away. Ensure your insurance policy covers pregnancy delivery and postnatal care, but remember insurance policies are only as good as the facilities available.
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Index (A-B)
Index Abbas, Mahmoud 26, 39 Abou Lou Lou House Reef 375 Abraham 28 Absalom’s Pillar 107 abseiling Hula Valley 265 Negev, the 341-2 Abu-Assad, Hany 60 Abuhav, Rabbi Yitzhak 278 Abuhav Synagogue 278-9 Abu Ghosh 145-6 Abu Ghosh Vocal Music Festival 58, 391 Access Israel 397 accommodation 384-5, see also individual locations Acre, see Akko (Acre) activities 385-6, see also individual activities Adam Teva V’din 77 Aelia Capitolina 30, 82 African Hebrew Israelite Festival 390 African Hebrew people 45, 334, 335 Agnon, SY 55 Aida refugee camp 59 Ain al-Furtega 375 Ain Hudra 375 Ain Umm Ahmed 375-6 air pollution 77 air travel 400-3 Ben-Gurion airport 144, 180, 181 to/from Haifa 206 to/from Israel & the Palestinian Territories 400-3 to/from Jerusalem 143 to/from Tel Aviv 180 within Israel & the Palestinian Territories 406 airline offices Jerusalem 143 Tel Aviv 180 Akhziv 222 Akiva, Rabbi 250 Akko (Acre) 215-20, 215 Akko Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre 58
000 Map pages 000 Photograph pages
Al Kamandjati 56 Al Marsad Centre for Human Rights in the Golan Heights 272 Al-Amari Mosque 236 Al-Aqsa Mosque 95 Al-Bireh 299-303 Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights 361 Alexander the Great 29, 82, 357 Allenby, Edmund 33 Allenby/King Hussein Bridge 364, 405 al-Ali, Naji 60 Ali-Muhammad 195 Al-Jazzar Mosque 217, 7 AlKabetz, Rabbi Shlomo 279 Al-Kasaba Theatre 141 Al-Khader Church 297-8 Al-Khalil, see Hebron Al-Khazneh 365, 368 Al-Maghtes 258 Al-Masrah Centre for Palestine Culture & Art 141 Almonit (Anonymous) Alley 157 Al-Muqata’a 299 Al-Naqba 35 Aloni, Nissim 57 Alpaca Farm 341 Al-Qasaba 310 Al-Rowwad Center 399 Al-Sharqi Turkish Bath 299-300 Al-Shifa 310 Alternative Information Center 296 Alternative Tourism Group 296 American Friends Service Committee with Palestine Fair Trade Association 296 Amichai, Yehuda 55 AM Qattan foundation 60 Ancient Katzrin Park 273 Andromeda’s Rock 184 anemones 73 animals 72-3, see also individual species antelopes 72 antiques 396 Apartheid Wall 302 Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem 77 aqueducts Akko (Acre) 220 Caesarea 212
Gaza Strip 359 Qumran 314 Wadi Qelt 305 West Bank 359 Arab-Israeli War, 1948 35, 83, 92, 124, 163, 189 Arab-Israeli War, 1973 208 Arabian oryx 72 Arab League 37 Arab people 34, 42-4 Arab Revolt 34-5 Arad 328 Arafat, Yasser 37, 38, 39, 40, 299 Arava, the 343-5 Arava Institute for Environmental Studies 77 Arava Valley 353 ARC, the 359 archaeological digs 147, 386, 399 archaeological sites Beit She’arim 213-14 Caesarea 210-13 City of David 107-8 digs 147 Herodian 297 Jerusalem Archaeological Park & Davidson Centre 97 Korazim 255-6 Megiddo 214-15 Qumran National Park 314 Tell Umm Amer 362 Tzipori 230-1 archery 341 architecture 61 Bauhaus 61, 159 Byzantine 102, 145, 212, 227, 231, 232, 233, 277, 305, 321, 337, 362, 366 Hadassah Medical Centre synagogue 125 Islamic 101-2 area codes, see inside front cover Ark of the Covenant 93 Armageddon, see Megiddo Armenian Compound 104 Armenian Holocaust Memorial Day 392 Armenian Museum 104 army reserve duty 36, 45, 49, 52, 53, 117
B B&Bs 384-5 Babylon 29 Baha’i Gardens 195-7, 220 Baha’ism 195 Baha’ullah 195, 220 Bahje House 220 Bakri, Mohammed 60 Balata 310 Balata Refugee Camp Film Collective 61 Baldwin 31, 32 Balfour Declaration 33-4 Ba’na, Rabbi Yossi 279 Ba’na Synagogue 279 Banias Nature Reserve 270 baptism sites Al-Maghtes 258 Jericho 304 Jesus’ baptism 304 Jordan River 304 Qasr al-Yahud 304 Yardenit 257-8 Bar Kochba, Simon 30 Bar Kochba Revolt 235, 250 Bar Yochai, Rabbi Shimon 222-3, 283 Bar Yochai cave 223 Barak, Ehud 38-9 Bar’am 284 Bar-Lev Line 109
basilicas, see also cathedrals, chapels, churches Basilica of the Agony 109 Basilica of the Annunciation 227, 243 Basilica of the Nativity, see Church of the Nativity Basilica of the Transfiguration 231 basketball 125-6 bathhouses, see hammams Battle of Ramla 31 Battle of the Horns of Hittin 32 Bat Galim beach 201 Bat Ya’ar 284 Bat Yam 164 Bauhaus architecture 61, 159 bazaars, see markets, souqs beaches Aviv Beach 164 Bat Yam 164 Eilat 348 Ein Gedi Beach 319 Hof HaCarmel Beach 201 Kalia beaches 314 Netanya 186 Purple Beach 219 Tel Aviv 164 Tiberias 250 Beach refugee camp 359 bears 72 Bedouin people 43-4, 330-1, 333-4, 372 Be’eri Forest 73 Be’er Sheva 329-33, 330 Begin, Menachem 34 Beit Alpha Synagogue 233-4 Beit Gordon 257 Beit Guvrin Caves 147-8 Beit Keshet 73 Beit Lohamei HaGeta’ot Museum 220 Beit Oliphant 208 Beit She’an 232-3, 6 Beit She’arim 213-14 Beit Ticho 117 Beitar Jerusalem 141 Belvoir 234 Ben Maimon, Rabbi Moshe 249-50 Ben Yehuda, Eliezer 116 Ben Zakai Synagogue 103 Ben-Eliezer, Binyamin 34 Ben-Gurion, David 34, 35, 36, 158, 332, 335-6 Ben-Gurion airport 144, 180, 181 Ben-Gurion Museum 158-9 Ben-Gurion University 329
Bereshet Festival 391 Beta Israel 42 Bethlehem 290-7, 290, 298, 244 checkpoint 59 Bethlehem Peace Center 55 Bialik, Haim Nahman 55 Bible Lands Museum 122 Biblical Hebrew 154 biblical sites, see individual sites biblical texts 31, 44, 46, 47, 48 Biblical Zoo 128 bicycle travel, see cycling Binyamina Wine Cellars 65 Bio Ramon 339 Bir el-Oghda 377 Bir Sugheir 377 Bir Zeit University 387 birds 72, 73 Birzeit University 303, 387 Black Hebrew people, see African Hebrew people Black Panthers 34 Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research 77 Bloomfield Science Museum 123 Blue Hole 379, 248 Bluwstein, Rachel 55 B’nei Hezirs priests 107 boat travel 405-6 boating 348 Book of Wonders 278 books 18-19, see also literature biblical texts 31, 44, 46, 47, 48, 119, 314 culture 43 ecology 72 environmental issues 74 festivals 55, 391 food 66 health 412 history 28, 29, 32, 34, 35 Islam 48 poetry 55 politics 52, 207 travel 18-20 wine industry 65 Zionism 55 Boombamela 57, 390 border crossings 403-6 Allenby/King Hussein Bridge 364, 405 Jordan River crossing 364, 405 Rafah Crossing 359, 404 Sheikh Hussein Bridge 405 Taba crossing 404
INDEX
INDEX
A
art, fine 142-3 art galleries, see museums & art galleries Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition 390 arts 54-61, see also individual arts Arts & Crafts Village 361 Ascent Institute of Tsfat 280 Ashkelon Desalination Plant 76 Ashkenazim 34, 41 Atlit 208 ATMs 395 Australian Department of Foreign Affairs 389 Austrian Hospice 132 automobile associations 407-8 Avdat National Park 337 Avenue of the Righteous 124 Avshalom, see Sorek Caves Avtalion, Rabbi 284 Ayalon Cave 188 Ayyash, Yihya 39 Aza Rd 138 Azrieli Observatory 163
431
Index (B-C)
border crossings continued to/from Egypt 403-4 to/from Jordan 404-5 Yitzhak Rabin (Arava) border crossing 364, 405 Brenner, Yosef Hayim 55 British Council 128 British Foreign Office 389 British Mandate 42, 44, 54, 58, 83, 193, 226, 286, 359 Broad Wall 103 buffalo, water 73, 264 bungalows 385 burial sites, see also tombs Avdat 337 B’nei Hezirs priests 107 Cave of Machpelah (Ibrahimi Mosque) 24, 308 Church of the Holy Sepulchre 127 Korazim 256 Schindler, Oskar 105-7 Tell Umm Amer 362 Burj al-Kommander 217 Burj al-Kuraijim 217 Burnt House 103-4 business hours 68, 386-7 bus travel border crossings 405 to/from Haifa 206 to/from Jerusalem 143 travel to/from 180 within Israel & the Palestinian Territories 407, 409 bushwalking, see hiking Byzantine Dwelling Cave 320 Byzantine era aqueducts 212 baths 233 caves 320 churches 321, 337, 366 history 30, 82 mosaics 145, 227, 231, 305, 337, 362, 366 streets 102, 212, 232
C cable cars Manara 265 Masada 322 Mount of Temptation 305 Rosh HaNikra 222 000 Map pages 000 Photograph pages
Index (C-D)
Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery 200 Tel es-Sultan 305 Caesarea 210-13, 210 cafés 67 camel treks Eilat Mountains 354 Negev, the 349 Nuweiba 375-6 Ras Abu Gallum 377 Sinai (Egypt) 375-6 camping 385 Camp David Agreement 372 Canaanites 28 Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs 389 Canyon 379 Capernaum 256 car travel 403, 405, 407-8 carbon offset schemes 401 Cardo Maximus 102-3 Carmel Centre 197-8 Carmel Hai Bar 201 Carmel Market 155-7 Carmel National Park 201 Carmel Winery 186-7, 209 Carmelite Monastery of St Elijah 208 Carmiel Dance Festival 58 Caro, Rabbi Yosef 278 Caro Synagogue 278 Carpenter’s Workshop 340-1 Carter, Ben 335 Casa Nova Pilgrims’ Hospice 130, 229 cash 395 castles Atlit 208 Belvoir 234 Castrum Pergrinorum 208 Château Pèlerin (Pilgrims’ Castle) 208 Montfort 221 Nimrod Castle 270-1, 271 Touqan Castle 310 Castrum Pergrinorum 208 Catastrophe, the 35-6 cathedrals, see also basilicas, chapels, churches St George’s Cathedral 111-12 St James’ (Jacques’) Cathedral 104 Cattle Car memorial 124 caves Ayalon Cave 188 Bar Yochai 223 Beit Guvrin Caves 147-8 Byzantine Dwelling Cave 320 Cave of Machpelah (Ibrahimi Mosque) 24, 308
Dar Annadwa 58m 294 Dodim Cave 317 Ein Shulamit Cave 317, 318 Elijah’s Cave 200 Flour Cave 324-5 Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of Machpelah) 24, 308 Petra 365 Qumran National Park 314 Rosh HaNikra 222 Sorek Caves 146 cell phones 396 ceramics 142 Chagall, Marc 125 Chagall Artists’ House 199 Chalcolithic temple 317 chapels, see also basilicas, cathedrals, churches Chapel of Flagellation 127 Chapel of Fright 228 Greek Orthodox Chapel 128 Milk Grotto Chapel 293 Russian Chapel of the Ascension 108 St Mark’s Chapel 105 Shepherds’ Field 297 Chateau Golan 69, 274 Château Pèlerin (Pilgrims’ Castle) 208 checkpoints Bethlehem 59 Huwwara 23, 310, 410 Qalandia 23, 143, 299, 303, 410 cheetahs 72 Chefs for Peace 65 chemists 413 children, travel with 387 food 69 health 415 Jerusalem 128 Tel Aviv 166 Christ Church 98-100, 130 Christ Church Guesthouse 130 Christianity 43, 48-9, 393 Christian Peacemakers Teams 308 Christmas 391 churches, see also basilicas, cathedrals, chapels Al-Khader Church 297-8 Byzantine church 366 Christ Church 98-100, 130 Church & Monastery of the Apostles 249 Church & Monastery of the Dormition 106 Church of All Nations 109, 243
Church of Dominus Flevit 109 Church of Mary Magdalene 109 Church of St John 124-5 Church of St John the Baptist 100 Church of St Peter of Gallicantu 106 Church of the Ascension 108 Church of the Beatitudes 254 Church of the Holy Sepulchre 98, 127, 99, 7, 237, 243 Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves & Fishes 254 Church of the Nativity 292-3, 292 Church of the Pater Noster 108-9 Church of the Primacy of St Peter 255 Church of the Transfiguration 382 Church of the Visitation 125 Crusader Church 299 Crusader Church and Monastery 145 Ethiopian Church 113-16 Greek Orthodox 43, 109, 123, 360 Lutheran Christmas Church 291 Lutheran Church of the Redeemer 100 Mensa Christi Church 227 Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant 145 Russian Orthodox Church 108, 112 St Alexander’s Church 100 St Andrew’s Church 118 St Anne’s Church 101 St Catherine’s Church 291, 293 St Gabriel’s Church 227-8 St James’ (Jacques’) Cathedral 104 St Joseph’s Church 227 St Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church 291 St Peter’s Church 249 St Peter’s House 256 St Porphyrius Church 360 Salesian Church of Jesus the Adolescent 228 cinema 60 cultural considerations 49, 50, 53 festivals 61, 391 Haifa 206 Jerusalem 140-1 military service 53 politics 51 Tel Aviv 178 Circassians 45 Citadel (Tower of David), the 97 citizenship 38, 45, 335 City of David 107-8 Clandestine Immigration & Navy Museum 199
classical music 141, 178-9 climate 17-18, 387, 388, 401 clothing, shopping for 179 coffeehouses 68 Coloured Canyon 375 Commandments 30 Constantine 30 consulates 389-90 convents Ecce Homo Convent of the Sisters of Zion 101 Sisters of Nazareth Convent 227 Cook, Thomas 33 cooking courses 70, 368 Coral Beach Nature Reserve 347, 348 cormorants 264 costs 18, 395 courses 387 archaeological digs 147 cooking 70, 368 folk dancing 128 Judaism 128 Kabbalah 166, 280 language 128, 166, 201 crafts 395-6 Arts & Crafts Village 361 Ein Hod 60, 208-9 Jerusalem Arts & Crafts Fair 391 Lakiya Negev Weaving 334 shopping 141-2, 179 cranes 73, 264 craters 339-41, 10, 241 Cremisan Salesian Monastery & Winery 298-9 Critical Mass 409 crocodiles 72, 257 Crusades 31-3, 82-3 Crusader Church 299 Crusader Church and Monastery 145 Crusader Citadel 212 Crusader City 212 Montfort 221 Subterranean Crusader City 217-18 cultural centres 84-5, 297 cultural considerations 19, 38, 41-61 African Hebrew people 45, 334, 335 Bedouin people 43-4, 330-1, 333-4, 372 Beta Israel 42 books 43 cinema 49, 50, 53 ecotourism 73, 377 festivals 390-1 food 63, 66, 67, 69-70
433
indigenous people 28, 332 internet resources 43 Jewish people 34, 41-2, 47 kibbutzim 49 language 416, 418 Muslim people 43 Palestinian people 42-4 religion 48, 291-2 responsible travel 48 Shabbat 142, 174, 205, 278, 386 customs regulations 387 cyclamens 73 cycling 407, 409 Banias Nature Reserve 270 Critical Mass 409 Sea of Galilee 253-9 tours 327, 410
D Dahab 377-81, 378 Daila 141 Daliyat al-Karmel 207-8 Damascus Gate 89-91 dance 57-9 festivals 58, 281, 391 folk 128, 186, 221 dangers, see safe travel Dar Annadwa 58, 294 Darwish, Mahmoud 37, 55 David’s Waterfall 317 Davidka Memorial 277 Dead Sea, the 311-25, 312, 5, 10, 12 environmental issues 75, 315 safe travel 313 tours 313, 410 Dead Sea Half-Marathon 390 Dead Sea Scrolls 119, 314 deep vein thrombosis (DVT) 412 Deir Yassin 36 demolitions, house 306 dental services 413 desalination 75 Desert Sculpture Park 339 desert treks Eilat 349 Eilat Mountains 354 Negev, the 341-2 Nuweiba 375-6 Ras Abu Gallum Protectorate 377 Sinai (Egypt) 375-6 development 77 Dheisheh refugee camp 297 diarrhoea 414 Diaspora Museum 158 Dimona 334-5
INDEX
INDEX
432
Index (D-G)
diphtheria 413 disabilities, travellers with 397 Discovery Centre 128 disengagement 40, 51, 117, 260, 356, 359 diving 386, see also snorkelling Abou Lou Lou House Reef 375 Blue Hole 379, 248 Caesarea 213 Canyon 379 Dahab 379 Eilat 348-9 Haifa 201 Nuweiba 375 Ras Abu Gallum Protectorate 377 Diwan El Lajun Theatre 228-9 DocAviv 61 Dodim Cave 317 Dolphin Reef 347 Dome of the Rock 47, 95-6 drinking water 75, 76, 415 drinks 63-5, see also wine industry customs 69-70 driving, see car travel driving licences 407 Druze 44 Dry Canyon 317-18 Dung Gate 92 DVT 412
E East Jerusalem 109-12, 131, 133, 135, 139, 140, 110 Easter 393 Ecce Homo Convent of the Sisters of Zion 101 ecology 72-3 economy 26, 37-8, 49, 53, 53-4, 323 olive production 64 ecotourism 73, 377 Edict of Toleration 83 Edward Said National Conservatory of Music 56 Egged’s Rte 99 Circular Line 128 Egypt, see Sinai (Egypt) Eilat 345-53, 345 Eilat International Bird Center 73 Eilat Mountains 353, 354 Ein Avdat National Park 336, 241 Ein Bokek 324 Ein Feshkha 315 000 Map pages 000 Photograph pages
Index (G-H)
Ein Gedi 316-20, 317 Ein Gedi Nature Reserve 316-19, 11 Ein Gev Music Festival 390 Ein Hod 60, 208-9 Ein Kerem 124-5, 139 Ein Sharonim 340 Ein Shulamit Cave 317, 318 electricity 384 El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe 59 Elijah’s Cave 200 Ella Valley Vineyards 147 email services, see internet access embassies 389-90 emergency services, see also inside front cover Haifa 194 Jerusalem 85 Tel Aviv 152-3 employment 49, 50-1 environmental issues 72-3, 323 books 74 carbon offset schemes 401 Dead Sea, the 75, 315 development 77 drinking water 75, 76, 415 ecotourism 73 Friends of the Earth Middle East 78 Gaza Strip 76 human settlement 73-5 internet resources 74, 77-8, 401 pollution 75, 77 salinity 75, 315 Sea of Galilee 253 volunteering 77-8 water management 75-6, 323, 415 West Bank 76 Eretz Israel Museum 158 Essenes 314 Ethiopian Church 113-16 Ethiopian Jews, see Beta Israel Ethiopian Monastery 100 Etzel Museum 163 Euro Jews 34 Eurovision 56 events, see festivals, holidays exchange rates, see inside front cover
F faiths, see religion Fatah 26, 37, 39, 52 fauna 72-3, see also individual species ferry travel, see boat travel festivals 390-1, see also special events
field schools 78 Eilat 347 Ein Gedi 316, 319 Golan SPNI Field School 274 Museum of Bedouin Culture 333 Sde Boker 338 SPNI Har HaNegev Field School 339 SPNI Hatzeva Field School 343 film, see cinema fine art 142-3 First Aliyah 236 first intifada 45, 50, 359 First Revolt 30, 82, 322 First Temple 29, 82, 93 Flavius, Josephus 30, 31, 322 flea markets, see markets, souqs flora 72-3, see also individual species Flour Cave 324-5 folk traditions dance 128, 186, 221 music 56 food 62-71 books 66 business hours 68 children, travel with 69 costs 69 cultural considerations 63, 66, 67, 69-70 glossary 70 halal standards 69-70 internet resources 64, 68 Jewish Passover 65, 392, 393 kibbutzim 64 kosher meals 69, 70 olive production 64 Pesah 65, 392, 393 Ramadan 48, 66, 391, 393, 394 Shabbat 65 special events 65-7 vegetarian travellers 67 football 141, 179 Friends of the Earth Middle East 78 Fringe Theatre Festival 391
G Gai Beach Water Park 250 Galilee, the 224-59, 225, see also Upper Galilee Galilee Society 78 Gamla Nature Reserve 274-5 Gan HaMetsuda (Citadel Park) 277 Gan HaShlosha (Sachne) Reserve 233 Gan-Garoo Australia Israel Park 234 Garden Tomb 111 gardens, see parks & gardens
gates Damascus Gate 89-91 Dung Gate 92 Golden Gate 91-2 Herod’s Gate 91, 329 Jaffa Gate 92-3 Land Gate 217 New Gate 93-5 St Stephen’s Gate 91 Sea Gate 217 Zion Gate 92-3 gay travellers 129, 167, 391-2 Gaza City 356-62, 358, 245 Gaza Strip, the 76, 355-62, 357, 245 Gemara 31 geography 28, 72-3, 312-13, 343, 353 geology 72 Gerard Behar Centre 128 German Colony (Haifa) 198 German Colony (Jerusalem) 118-19, 131, 132-3, 134-5, 138, 120-1 Gethsemane 109 Gilboa irises 234 Gilboa reserve 73 Gilo 287 Givat Ram 119 glossaries 70, 420 Greek Orthodox Chapel 128 Golan, the 260-84, 261 Golan Archaeological Museum 273 Golan Heights 260, 263 Golan Heights Winery 274 gold market 360 Golden Calf Festival 391 Golden Gate 91-2 Goldstein, Baruch 307 Good Fence 269 Gordon Ulpan 166 government 26-7, 51-3 disengagement 40, 51, 260, 356, 359 graves, see burial sites, tombs Great Isaiah Scroll 119 Great Mosque 360 Great Rift Valley 343 Great Synagogue 118 Great Syrian-African Rift 73, 353 Greek Catholic Synagogue-Church 227 Greek Orthodox 48-9 chapel 128 churches 43, 109, 123, 360 Green Line 83, 111, 140, 286, 289, 302 Green Peace 289 Griffon vultures 274-5 Grossman, David 55
Grotto of St James 107 guesthouses 385 Gulf of Aqaba 375 Gulf War 37, 297 Gutman, Nahum 59 Gutman Museum 59
H Ha’Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue 278 Ha’Ari Sephardic Synagogue 279 Haas Promenade 119 Habibi, Emile 55 Habima Theatre 178 hacktivism 394 Had Nes 265-6 Hadassah Medical Centre synagogue 125 Hadrian, Emperor 30 Haganah 36 Haganah Museum 161 Hai Bar 72 Haifa 192-207, 192, 193, 196 accommodation 202-3 drinking 204-5 emergency services 194 entertainment 205-6 food 203-4 German Colony 198 Hadar 198 internet access 194 Port Area 199 shopping 206 sights 195-201 tourist information 195 tours 201-2 travel to/from 206-7 travel within 207 Haifa Art Museum 199 Haifa International Film Festival 391 Haifa International Youth Theatre 390 Hakim, Caliph 31 HaKira 163-4 halal standards 69-70 Hamas 26, 39, 52, 52-3, 53 Hamat Gader 257 HaMeiri House 279 hammams Al-Sharqi Turkish Bath 299-300 Al-Shifa 310 Hammam al-Pasha 218 Hammam al-Samara 360 Hammat Tiberias 249 HaNassi, Rabbi Yehuda 31, 214 handicrafts, see crafts
435
Hanukkah 65, 391 HaOvda 51 Har Hazikaron 123-4 Har Homa 287 Har Megiddo, see Megiddo Haram ash-Sharif (Temple Mount) 31, 93-6, 94 HaShaqet Beach 201 Hasmoneans 29 HaYarden Park Nature Reserve 266 health 411-15 heat illness 414 Hebrew 416-17 Biblical Hebrew 154 language courses 128 Hebrew Union College 128 Hebrew University 387 Hebron 307-9, 307 Hefzibah Kibbutz 233 Heichal Shlomo 118 Helena Rubenstein Pavilion of Contemporary Art 159-61 hepatitis 413 Herod the Great 29, 30, 82, 322 Herod’s Gate 91, 239 Herodian 297 Herodian Amphitheatre 212 herons 264 Herzl, Theodore 33, 45 Herzl Museum 123 Heschel Center for Environmental Leadership 78 Hezbollah 26 Hezekiah’s Tunnel 107-8 Hidden Waterfall 318 hiking 386 Dry Canyon 317-18 Eilat 349 Eilat Mountains 353 Ein Avdat National Park 336, 241 Ein Gedi Nature Reserve 316-19 Golan Heights 260 HaYarden Park Nature Reserve 266 Israel National Trail 340, 354, 386 itineraries 24 Judean Desert 325 landmines 263, 389 Maktesh Ramon 339-41, 10, 241 Mitzpe Ramon 340 Mt Sinai 382-3, 248 Mt Zefahot Circular Trail 349 Nahal Gewanim-Ein Sharonim 340 Nahal Peres 325 Nakhal Gishron 354
INDEX
INDEX
434
Index (H-I)
hiking continued Negev, the 327-8 Petra 368 Red Canyon 354 safety issues 263, 328, 386 Sataf nature trail 125 Sinai (Egypt) 377 Tel Dan Nature Reserve 270 tours 327, 349, 410 Treasury, the 365, 368 Umm al-Biyara 368 Upper Yehudiya Canyon Trail 268 Upper Zavitan Canyon Trail 268 Wadi Arugot 317, 318 Wadi Darja 316 Wadi David 317 Wadi Qelt 305, 244 Wilderness of Zin nature trail 336 Yehudiya Nature Reserve 267-8 Hilulim Wine Fest 391 Hisham’s Palace 305 history 26, 28-40 ancient 28-9 Arab-Israeli wars 35, 83, 92, 124, 163, 189, 208 books 28, 29, 32, 34, 35 British era 33-5 Catastrophe, the 35-6 Crusades 31-3, 82-3 disengagement 40, 51, 117, 260, 356, 359 Hellenistic period 29 Holocaust 34, 35, 38, 41, 123-4, 220 independence 35-6 intifadas 26, 35, 37, 38-40, 39 Islam 31 Lebanon War 37, 53, 207 Ottoman empire 33-5, 82-3 Romans 29-31, 82 Six Day War 37, 83, 94, 96, 260, 312, 359 terrorism 37-8 war 37-8 Yom Kippur War 37 Zealots 30 hitching 409 HIV 413 Hof HaCarmel Beach 201 holidays 17-18, 392-4 000 Map pages 000 Photograph pages
Index (I-K)
Holocaust 34, 35, 38, 41, 220 Armenian Holocaust Memorial Day 392 Holocaust Day 392 Yad Vashem 123-4 Yom HaSho’ah 392 Holy Land Centre 255 Home Accommodation Association 385 Hope Flowers School 399 Horns of Hittin 226, 235 horse riding Dahab 380 Had Nes 266 Haifa 201 Jerusalem 126 Merom Golan 272 Netanya 186 Ramot 266-7 hospices 384 Austrian Hospice 132 Casa Nova Pilgrims’ Hospice 130, 229 Christ Church Guest House 130 Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves & Fishes 254 Notre Dame de France Hospice 112 St Charles Hospice 202 Sisters of Nazareth Convent 227 Stella Maris Hospice 202 hostels 385 hot springs, see also spas Hamat Gader 257 Hammat Tiberias 249 Tiberias Hot Springs 249 hotels 385 house demolitions 306, 332 House of David Victory Stele 122 House of Water & Environment 78 Hula Nature Reserve 264 Hula Valley 264, 10 Hurshat Tal National Park 270 Hurva Synagogue 103 Huwwara checkpoint 23, 310, 410 hyenas 72 hyraxes 72, 318
I Ibdaa Cultural Centre 297 ibex 72 Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of Machpelah) 24, 308 IDF 26, 52 immigration 26, 34, 35, 41, 45, 400 independence 35-6, 392 indigenous people 28, 332 inner-tubing 266
insect bites 414-15 insurance car 408 health 411 travel 394 International, Dana 42 International Center for the Study of Bird Migration 73 International Center of Bethlehem 58, 294 International Jerusalem Book Fair 55, 391 International Judaica Fair 391 International Marathon 390 International Palestinian Youth League 296 International Poets Festival 391 International Solidarity Movement 296, 361 International Street Theatre 391 internet access 394 hacktivism 394 kosher sites 113 internet resources 20 accommodation 385 air tickets 401-2 Apartheid Wall 302 culture 43 Dead Sea, the 323 ecotourism 73 environmental issues 74, 77-8, 401 food 64, 68 Haifa 194 health 412 Jerusalem 85 Judaism 46 media 51, 52, 54 music 56 olive production 64 politics 51 Tel Aviv 153 travel advisories 389, 412 visual arts 60 intifadas 35, 37, 38-40, 45, 50, 302, 306, 359 irises 73, 234 irrigation 75 Islam 47-8 architecture 101-2 books 48 history 31 holidays 393, 394 Israel Defence Forces (IDF) 26, 52 Israel Festival 55, 391 Israel Lands Administration 332
Israel Museum 119, 122 Israel National Trail 340, 354, 386 Israel Nature & National Parks Protection Authority 78, 262 Israel Water Commission 76 Israel Youth Hostels Association 385 Israeli Air Force Museum 334 Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions 306 Israelite Tower 103 itineraries 15, 21-5, see also planning Jerusalem 84 Petra 365 Tel Aviv 152
J Jabotinsky Institute 157 Jacob’s Ladder Festival 250, 391 Jacob’s Well 310 Jaffa 182-6, 183, 7, 237 Jaffa Gate 92-3 Jaffa Nights 184, 391 Jama al-Bahr mosque 236 Janco, Marcel 59, 209 Jayyusi, Salma Khadra 56 jazz music 341, 391 jeep treks Negev, the 341-2, 349 Nuweiba 375-6 Sinai (Egypt) 375-6 Jericho 303-7, 298, 304 Jerusalem 79-144, 239, 80-1, 86-7, 114-15, 144 accommodation 129-35 activities 125-6 Armenian Quarter 104-5 attractions 88-125 Christian Quarter 97-100 City Centre 112-18, 136-8, 130-1, 132, 134, 139-40 drinking 139-40 East Jerusalem 109-12, 131, 133, 135, 139, 140, 110 Ein Kerem 124-5, 139 emergency services 85 entertainment 140-1 food 135-9 German Colony 118-19, 131, 1323, 134-5, 138, 120-1 Givat Ram 119 Har Hazikaron 123-4 internet access 85 Jewish Quarter 102-4 Kidron Valley 106-8 Mamilla 118, 131, 132-3, 134-5, 138
medical services 85 Mekor Baruch 133-4 Mount of Olives 108-9, 242 Museum Row 119-23 Muslim Quarter 100-2 Old City 88-105, 129-30, 131-2, 135-6, 90-1, 237, 238 Ramat Eshkol 134 Rehavia 119, 120-1 religious services 126 Romema 133-4 shopping 141-3 South Jerusalem 134 Talbiyeh 119, 120-1 Talpiot 119 tourist information 88 tours 126-9 travel to/from 143-4 travel within 144 Yemin Moshe 131, 132-3, 134-5, 138 Jerusalem Archaeological Park & Davidson Centre 97 Jerusalem Arts & Crafts Fair 391 Jerusalem Bowling Centre 125 Jerusalem Centre for the Performing Arts 141 Jerusalem Film Festival 391 Jerusalem Half-Marathon 390 Jerusalem International Book Fair 55, 391 Jerusalem International Film Festival 61 Jerusalem Syndrome 89 Jesus’ baptism 304 jet lag 412-13 Jewish mysticism 32 Jewish National Fund 74, 78 Jewish people 34, 41-2, 47, 238 Passover 65 settlements 50, 83, 287, 303, 306, 307, 410 ultraorthodox Judaism 36 Jewish settlements 50, 307-8 Gaza 359 Gilo 287 Har Homa 287 Kiryat Arba 307 Ma’ale Adumim 83, 287, 303, 306, 410 West Bank 287 Jish 284 Joha, Omayya 60 Jordan, see Petra (Jordan) Jordan River 75, 286, 11, see also HaYarden Park Nature Reserve border crossing 364, 405
437
Judaism 36, 46-8, 393 courses 128 holidays 392-4 interet resources 46 Judaica 142-3rt ultraorthodox Judaism 36 Judea 82, 286 Judean Desert 325 Judean Hills 147
K Kabbalah 32, 275 courses 166, 280 Kabbalah Centre 128 Kabbalat Shabbat 278 Kadima 51 Kafr Kana 230 Kalia beaches 314 Kanafani, Ghassan 55 kangaroos 234 Karaites 279 Karavan, Dani 59 Karmi’el Dance Festival 391 Katsav, Moshe 42 Katyusha rockets 263 Katzrin 273-4 Kav l’Oved 398 kayaking Aviv Beach 164 Caesarea 213 Eilat 348 HaYarden Park Nature Reserve 266 Khamis, Juliano Mer 60 Khan al-Umdan 218-19 Khan Younis 362 Khirbet Na’aran 305 kibbutzim 49 accommodation 385 courses 387 cultural considerations 49 Hefzibah Kibbutz 233 Kibbutz Baram 399 Kibbutz Degania Aleph 257 Kibbutz Ein Gedi 319 Kibbutz Ein Gev 257, 399 Kibbutz Ginosar 254, 399 Kibbutz Ha’on 257 Kibbutz Lohamei HaGheta’ot 220 Kibbutz Lotan 73, 344, 399 Kibbutz Manara 265, 399 Kibbutz Ramat Rachel 399 Kibbutz Sdot Yam 213 Kibbutz Tzora 147 Kibbutz Yotvata 399 Merom Golan 272, 399
INDEX
INDEX
436
Index (K-M)
kibbutzim continued Sde Boker 335-8, 399 volunteering 398-9 Kidron Valley 106-8 King Amalric 32 King Cyrus 29 King David 28 King David’s Tomb 105 King Guy 32 King Hussein Bridge, see Allenby/King Hussein Bridge King Saul 28 King’s City 348 Kingdom of Judea 82, 286 Kinneret, see Sea of Galilee Kiryat Arba 307 Kiryat Shmona 264-5 kitesurfing 380 Klezmer Dance Festival 281, 391 Knesset 51, 122-3 koalas 234 Korazim 255-6 kosher courses 70 internet resources 113 meals 69, 70 Krause, Gertrude 209 Kursi National Park 256
L LA Mayer Museum for Islamic Art 119 Lag B’Omer 283 Lake Kinneret, see Sea of Galilee Lakiya Negev Weaving 334 Land Gate 217 Land Wall Promenade 217 landmines 263, 389 language 416-19, 420-2 courses 128, 166, 201 drinks 71 food 70-1 schools 128, 166, 201 lappet-faced vultures 353 Laslo, Hannah 60 Last Ditch Battle of the Jewish Quarter Museum 102-3 Last Supper, room of 105-6 Latrun 146-8 Lebanon War 37, 53, 207 legal matters 394-5 000 Map pages 000 Photograph pages
Index (M)
leishmaniasis 413 leopards 72 lesbian travellers 129, 167, 391-2 Lettuce Festival 390 Levi, Smadar 57 Levin, Hanoch 57 Levinger, Rabbi Moshe 307 Likud Party 34, 51 Lion of Judah 113 Lion Tomb 365 Lion’s Gate, see St Stephen’s Gate literature 55-6, see also books festivals 55, 391 predeparture reading 18-19 travel 18-20 Little Petra 366 Liturgical Festival of Choral Music 391 live music 141, 178-9, 206 Love Parade 391 Luna Gal Waterpark 256-7 Luria, Rabbi Isaac 32, 275, 278, 279 Lutheran Christmas Church 291 Lutheran Church of the Redeemer 100
M Ma’ale Adumim 83, 287, 303, 306, 410 Maale Ulpan 166 Maccabean Revolt 82 Maccabee, Judah 29 magazines 384 Magdalene, Mary 254 Magic of the Golan 273 Mahane Yehuda Market 116-17 Mahash 374 Majdal Shams 272 Maktesh HaGadol 341 Maktesh HaQatan 341 Maktesh Ramon 339-41, 10, 241 Malbin, Ursula 197 malls 143 Mamilla 118, 131, 132-3, 134-5, 138 Mamluks 82-3 architecture 101-2 Mamshit National Park 337 Manara cable car 265 Mandelbaum Gate 83 Mane Katz Museum 197 Manshiye 163 Maor Winery 274 maps 395 marine parks, see national parks, nature reserves markets, see also souqs Bedouin market 330-1 Carmel Market 155-7
gold market 360 Jaffa 184 Mahane Yehuda Market 116-17 Tel Aviv 179-80 marriage 49 Mar Saba Monastery 298 Mary’s Well 228 Mas’ada 272 Masada 30, 320-4, 6 Mashrawi, Rashid 60 Maskoubiya 68 Mattityahu 29 Mayat Malkha 375 Mea She’arim 112-13 measures 384 media 51, 52, 54 medical services 413, see also emergency services Haifa 194 Jerusalem 85 Tel Aviv 153-4 Megiddo 214-15 Meir, Golda 50 Mekor Baruch 133-4 Mekorot 75 Melnikoff, Avraham 59 Mensa Christi 225, 227, 255 Mensa Christi Church 227 Merkaz Sappir 75 Merneptah 29 Merom Golan 272, 399 Meshaal, Khaled 39 metric conversions, see inside front cover Metula 269-70 Metzoke Dragot 315-16 Middle East Fellowship/Holy Land Trust 296 Middle East NGOs Gateway 361 Migdal 254 military action 388-9 military service 36, 45, 49, 52, 53, 117 Milk Grotto Chapel 293 Miller, James 60 minefields 263 Mineral Beach 316 Mini Israel 146 Ministry of Environment 78 Ministry of the Interior 398 Mishnah 31, 235 Mitzpe Quneitra 273 Mitzpe Ramon 338-43, 339 Mizrahim 34, 42 mobile phones 396
monasteries Carmelite Monastery of St Elijah 208 Church & Monastery of the Apostles 249 Church & Monastery of the Dormition 106 Cremisan Salesian Monastery & Winery 298-9 Crusader Church and Monastery 145 Ethiopian Monastery 100 Greek Orthodox Chapel 305 Latrun Monastery 146 Mar Saba Monastery 298 Monastery of St John in the Desert 125 Monastery of the Cross 123 Monastery of the Qurantul 305 Petra 365 St George’s Monastery 305 St Katherine’s Monastery 382, 248 Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery 200 money 18, 389, see also inside front cover Montefiore Windmill 118 Montfort 221 Montgomery, Bernard 35 Mony Wines 147 Moross Community Centre 397 mosaics Basilica of the Agony 109 Basilica of the Transfiguration 231 Beit Alpha Synagogue 233 Byzantine 227, 231, 305, 337, 362, 366 Church & Monastery of the Dormition 106 Church of Dominus Flevit 109 Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves & Fishes 254 Church of the Nativity 292 Ethiopian consulate 116 Hammat Tiberias 249 Hisham’s Palace 305 Knesset 122 Masada 321 Monastery of the Cross 123 National Antiquities Park 318-19 Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant 145 Petra 366 St Peter’s House 256 Wohl Archaeological Museum 104 moshavim Had Nes 265-6 Moshav Amirim 283-4
Neot Hakikar 325 Neve Ativ 271-2 Ramot 266-7 San Pedro Cactus Farm 334 volunteering 398-9 mosques Al-Amari Mosque 236 Al-Aqsa Mosque 95 Al-Jazzar Mosque 217, 7 Great Mosque 360 Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of Machpelah) 24, 308 Jama al-Bahr mosque 236 Mosque of Omar 293 Mosque of Said Hashim 360-1 Mosque of the Ascension 108 Red Mosque 280 motion sickness 412-13 motorcycle travel 403, 405, 407-8 mountains Eilat Mountains 353, 354 Mt Bental 272-3 Mt Gerizim 310 Mt Gilboa 234 Mt Hermon 271 Mt Herzl 123 Mt Meron 283 Mt Moriah 93 Mount of Beatitudes 254 Mount of Olives 108-9, 242 Mount of Temptation 305 Mt Safed 277 Mt Sinai 382-3, 248 Mt Sodom 324-5 Mt Tabor 231-2 Mt Zefahot 349 Mt Zion 105-6 Umm al-Biyara 368 Mountain Winery 274 museums & art galleries Armenian Museum 104 Beit Gordon 257 Beit Lohamei HaGeta’ot Museum 220 Ben-Gurion Museum 158-9 Bible Lands Museum 122 Bloomfield Science Museum 123 Caesarea Museum 213 Clandestine Immigration & Navy Museum 199 Diaspora Museum 158 Eretz Israel Museum 158 Etzel Museum 163 Golan Archaeological Museum 273 Gutman Museum 59 Haganah Museum 161
439
Haifa Art Museum 199 HaMeiri House 279 Helena Rubenstein Pavilion of Contemporary Art 159-61 Herzl Museum 123 Israel Museum 119, 122 Israeli Air Force Museum 334 LA Mayer Museum for Islamic Art 119 Last Ditch Battle of the Jewish Quarter Museum 102-3 Latrun Armored Corps Museum 146 Mane Katz Museum 197 Museum of Bedouin Culture 333-4 Museum of Hungarian Speaking Jewry 280 Museum of Italian Jewish Art & Synagogue 117-18 Museum of Underground Prisoners 217 Museum on the Seam 111 Nahum Goldman Museum of the Jewish Diaspora 158 National Maritime Museum 199 Negev Museum of Art 331 Nir David Museum of Regional & Mediterranean Archaeology 233 Okashi Art Museum 218 Old Bethlehem Museum 294 Palestinian Heritage Center 293-4 Palmach Museum 158 Reuben & Edith Hecht Museum 200 Rockefeller Museum 110-11 Tel Aviv Museum of Art 159-61 Tower of David Museum 97 Wohl Archaeological Museum 104 Wolfson Museum 118 Yad Vashem 123-4 Yigal Allon Centre 254 music 56-7 classical 141, 178-9 competition 390 festivals 58, 349, 390, 391 jazz 341, 391 live 141, 178-9, 206 shopping 179 trance 178 Music Fund 56 Muslim people 43 mystic Judaism 32
INDEX
INDEX
438
440
Index (N-P)
Nablus 309-10 Nahal Gewanim 340 Nahal Peres 325 Nahalat Binyamin St 155, 9 Nahariya 220-1, 221 Nahum Goldman Museum of the Jewish Diaspora 158 Nakhal Gishron 354 Napoleon’s Citadel 360 Nasrallah, Hassan 207 National Antiquities Park 318-19 National Centre of Music 56 National Maritime Museum 199 national parks, see also nature reserves Akhziv National Park 222 Avdat National Park 337 Bar’am National Park 284 Beit She’an National Park 233 Caesarea National Park 211 Carmel National Park 201 Ein Avdat National Park 336, 241 Hammat Tiberias National Park 249 Hurshat Tal National Park 270 Kursi National Park 256 Mamshit National Park 337 Megiddo National Park 214 Qumran National Park 314 Tel Arad National Park 329 Timna Park 343-4, 240 Underwater Observatory Marine Park 347-8 native orchids 73 nature reserves, see also national parks Banias Nature Reserve 270 Carmel Hai Bar 201 Coral Beach Nature Reserve 347, 348 ecology 73 Ein Feshka 315 Ein Gedi Nature Reserve 316-19, 11 Gamla Nature Reserve 274-5 Gan-Garoo Australia Israel Park 234 Gan HaShlosha (Sachne) Reserve 233 HaYarden Park Nature Reserve 266 Hula Valley 264, 10 Tel Dan Nature Reserve 270 000 Map pages 000 Photograph pages
Yehudiya Nature Reserve 267-8 Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve 344 Nazareth 225-30, 226 Nebi Musa 305 Nebuchadnezzar 28, 82, 93 Negev, the 326-54, 327 safe travel 328 tours 341-2 Negev Desert 43, 72, 75, 334, 407, 327, 11, 240 Negev Museum of Art 331 Negev Palmach Brigade Memorial 331 Neot Hakikar 325 Netanya 186, 187 Netanyahu, Binyamin 51 Neturei Karta 36 Neuman Center 78 Neve Ativ 271-2 Neve Shalom 146 New Gate 93-5 New Horizons 59 newspapers 384 NGOs 361 Nights of Love 391 Nimrod Castle 270-1, 271 Nir David Museum of Regional & Mediterranean Archaeology 233 Notre Dame de France Hospice 112 NSWAS 146 Nuweiba 374-6, 12
O oak trees 270 oases Ain al-Furtega 375 Ain Hudra 375 Ain Umm Ahmed 375-6 Ein Gedi 316-20 Mayat Malkha 375 Wadi Gnai 381-2 Okashi Art Museum 218 Old Bethlehem Museum 294 Oliphant, Lawrence 208 Olive Harvest Festival 391 olive production 64 Olmert, Ehud 40, 51 Open Bethlehem 291, 296 opening hours 68, 386-7 orchids, native 73 Order of the Knights Templar 33 organised tours, see tours Oslo Peace Accords, 1993 37, 38, 39, 287 ostriches 72, 257 Ottoman Empire 33-5, 82-3
Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant 145 Oz, Amos 55
P palaces Banias Nature Reserve 270 Citadel, the (Tower of David) 97 Herodian 297 Hisham’s Palace 305 Masada 320-4 Palace of the Lady Tunshuq 101 Promontory Palace 212 Palestine Hydrology Group 78 Palestine International Festival for Music & Dance 55, 391 Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) 37 Palestine Wildlife Society 78 Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange 296 Palestinian Authority 26, 37, 39, 51-3, 359 Palestinian Heritage Center 293-4 Palestinian Ministry of Environmental Affairs 78 Palestinian NGO Network 361 Palestinian Red Crescent Society 361 Palestinian Territories culture 42-4, 295 people 42-4 politics 26 Palmach Museum 158 parasailing 349, 386 parks & gardens, see also theme parks Ancient Katzrin Park 273 Baha’i Gardens 195-7, 220 Desert Sculpture Park 339 Ein Gedi botanical garden 319 Gan HaMetsuda (Citadel Park) 277 Gan HaShlosha (Sachne) Reserve 233 Gan-Garoo Australia Israel Park 234 Gethsemane 109 National Antiquities Park 318-19 Timna Park 343-4, 240 Ursula Malbin Sculpture Garden 197 Passover 65, 392, 393 passports 388, 397, 398, 400, 402 pelicans 73, 264 Pelter Winery 274 Peqi’in 222-3 Peretz, Amir 34, 42, 51 Pesah 65, 392, 393
Petra (Jordan) 363-71, 366-7, 246 ancient city 364-6 border crossings 404-5 hiking 368 tours 368 pharmacies 413 Philistines 28 phone cards 396 photography 143, 179 Pilate, Pontius 30, 82 pilgrimages 8, 31, see also hospices Baha’i Gardens 195-7 Château Pèlerin (Pilgrims’ Castle) 208 Church of the Holy Sepulchre 98, 127 Haifa 195 Haram ash-Sharif (Temple Mount) 31, 93-6 Hebron 307-9 Mecca 48 Mt Meron 283 Nazareth 226 St Katherine’s Monastery 382 Sea of Galilee 255 Stations of the Cross 126-8, 238 Via Dolorosa 126, 126, 8 Village of the Four 307 Western Wall 96-7 planning 17-20, 389, 402, 412, see also itineraries PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation) 37 poetry 55, 391 politics 26-7, 37, 51-3 books 52, 207 cinema 51 disengagement 40, 51, 117, 260, 356, 359 internet resources 51 Palestinian Territories 26 pollution 75 population 26, 34, 41-5, 77 porcupine 72 postal services 395 pottery 142 prophets 24 Christian 48-9 Druze 44 Islamic 47-8 Samaritan 44 Promontory Palace 212 Ptolemy 29 public holidays, see holidays pubs, see bars Purple Beach 219
Q Qalandia checkpoint 23, 143, 299, 303, 410 Qasr al-Bint 365-6 Qasr al-Yahud 304 Qattan Centre for the Child 361 Qattan foundation, AM 60 Qubbet al-Sakhra, see Dome of the Rock Qumran 314-15 Quneitra viewpoint 273 Quran 31
R Ra’hel 55 rabbis Akiva, Rabbi 250 Abuhav, Rabbi Yitzhak 278 AlKabetz, Rabbi Shlomo 279 Avtalion, Rabbi 284 Ba’na, Rabbi Yossi 279 Bar Yochai, Rabbi Shimon 222-3, 283 Ben Maimon, Rabbi Moshe 249-50 Caro, Rabbi Yosef 278 HaNassi, Rabbi Yehuda 31, 214 Levinger, Rabbi Moshe 307 Luria, Rabbi Isaac 32, 275, 278, 279 Meir, Rabbi Ba’al Hanes 250 Shamai’a, Rabbi 284 rabies 413-14 Rabin, Yitzhak 38 Rachel Ben-Zvi Centre 103 Rachel’s Tomb 293 radio 384 Rafah 359, 362, 404 rafting, see kayaking Rahel 253, 257 Ramadan 48, 66, 391, 393, 394 Ramallah 299-303, 298, 300, 244 Ramat Aviv 157-8 Ramat Eshkol 134 Ramat Gan 163-4 Ramat Gan National Stadium 179 Ramat Rachel Hotel 399 Ramban Synagogue 103 rambling, see hiking Ramla 188-90, 189 Ramot 266-7 Ramparts Walk 93 Rand Corporation 359 raptors 264 Ras Abu Gallum Protectorate 377
441
Ras Shaitan 374 Red Canyon 354 Red Mosque 280 Red Sea Jazz Festival 349, 391 refugee camps 36, 37, 50 Aida 59 Balata 310 Balata Refugee Camp Film Collective 61 Beach 359 Dheisheh 297 Gaza Strip 355 Khan Younis 362 Rafah 362 tours 410 Rehavia 119, 120-1 Rehovot 188 religion 26, 46-9 Baha’ism 195 Christianity 43, 48-9, 393 cultural considerations 48, 291-2 Druze 44 Greek Orthodox 48-9 Islam 47-8 Judaism 36, 46-8 Kabbalah 32 Russian Orthodox 108, 112 Samaritan 44-5, 310 religious figures, see individual entries religious services 126 responsible travel 48 restaurants 67 Reuben & Edith Hecht Museum 200 ribat, see hospices Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation 61 road distance chart 408 road rules 408 Rockefeller Museum 110-11 Roman amphitheatres 212, 232, 6 Roman Empire 29-31 Roman Ramp 322 Romema 133-4 Rooftop Promenade 93 Room of the Last Supper 105-6 Rosh HaNikra 222 Rosh Pina 262-4 Royal Quarter 107 Royal Tombs 366 Russian Chapel of the Ascension 108 Russian Compound 112 Russian Orthodox Church 108, 112 Rustaveli, Shota 123
INDEX
INDEX
N
Index (P-R)
442
Index (S)
Sabeel 296 Sabra 37 Safed, see Tsfat safe travel 378-9 Akko 216 Dead Sea, the 313 drinking water 415 environmental hazards 414-15 Gaza Strip 356 Golan Heights 263 Jerusalem 88 landmines 263, 389 road rules 408 security measures 388 Sinai (Egypt) 373 Tel Aviv 155 terrorism 37-8, 388-9 travel advisories 389, 412 unexploded ordnance 263, 389 West Bank 286 Sagol Love and Meditation Fest 391 Said, Edward 56 sailing 386 St Alexander’s Church 100 St Andrew’s Church 118 St Anne’s Church 101 St Catherine’s Church 291, 293 St Charles Hospice 202 St Gabriel’s Church 227-8 St George’s Cathedral 111-12 St George’s Monastery 305 St James’ (Jacques’) Cathedral 104 St Joseph’s Church 227 St Katherine’s Monastery 382, 248 St Mark’s Chapel 105 St Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church 291 St Peter’s Church 249 St Peter’s House 256 St Porphyrius Church 360 St Stephen’s Gate 91 Saladin 32, 33 Salesian Church of Jesus the Adolescent 228 salinity 75, 315 Samaria 286 Samaritans 44-5, 310 San Pedro Cactus Farm 334 Sandel, Ari 60 Sar-el 399 000 Map pages 000 Photograph pages
Sargon II of Assyria 29 Sataf nature trail 125 Schindler, Oskar 105-7 scuba diving, see diving Sde Boker 335-8, 399 Sde Boker Winery 329 Sea Gate 217 Sea of Galilee 253-9 Sea of Galilee Crossing 391 sea travel, see boat travel second intifada 35, 38, 39, 302 Second Revolt 30 Second Temple 29, 30, 82 security measures 388 Security Wall 53, 59 Seleucids 29, 82 Separation Wall 26-7, 50, 306, 410 Sephardic Jews 41-2 Sephardic synagogue 103 Sepphoris, see Tzipori Sermon on the Mount 254 service taxis, see sheruts settlements, see Jewish settlements Sfat, see Tsfat Shabbat 142, 174, 205, 278, 386 Shamai’a, Rabbi 284 Shamir, Yoav 60 Shammout, Ismail 59 Shammout, Tamam 59 Shantipi New Age Festival 390 Sharon, Ariel 26, 39, 51 Shatila 37 Sheikh Hussein 268 Sheikh Hussein Bridge 405 Sheinken St 155-7, 167-8, 170-1, 175, 156, 9 Shepherds’ Field 297 Sherover Theatre 141 sheruts 409-10 Shivta (Subeita) 337 shopping 395-6 antiques 143 Armenian pottery 142 camping gear 141, 179 clothing 179 crafts 141-2, 179 fine art 142-3 Judaica 142-3 malls 143 music 179 photography 143, 179 souvenirs 141-2, 179 Shouting Hill 272 Shrine of the Bab 195-6, 8 Shrine of the Book 119
Shrine of the White Saint 279 shuk, see markets Shulchan Aruch 278 Simon the Tanner’s House 184 Sinai (Egypt) 372-83, 373 border crossings 403-4 safe travel 373 sinkholes 75 Siq, the 365 Siq al-Barid (Cold Canyon) 366 Siraj Center for Holy Land Studies 296, 304 Sisters of Nazareth Convent 227 Six Day War 37, 83, 94, 96, 260, 312, 359 skiing 271 skydiving Be’er Sheva 331 Haifa 201 snake bites 415 Snake Path 322 snorkelling 386, see also diving Abou Lou Lou House Reef 375 Blue Hole 379, 248 Canyon 379 Dahab 379 Eilat 349 Nuweiba 375 Sobol, Yehoshua 57 soccer 141, 179 Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel 78, see also field schools Sodom 324-5 Solomon 29, 82, 93 Solomon’s Pillars 343, 240 Solomon’s Pools 298 solo travellers 396 Sorek Caves 146 sound-and-light show 323, 328 souqs, see also markets Akko (Acre) 218 Nablus 309 Nazareth 228 Ramallah Souq 299 Souq al-Qattanin 102 South Jerusalem 134 Southern Road 218 souvenirs 141-2, 179 spas, see also hot springs Dead Sea, the 315 Ein Gedi Spa 319 Hamat Gader 257 Hammat Tiberias 249 Mineral Beach 316 Tiberias Hot Springs 249
special events 390-1 food 65-7 Lag B’Omer 283 SPNI, see Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel Sportek 164 Stations of the Cross 126-8, 238 Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery 200 Stella Maris Hospice 202 Steps of Repentance 382 stings 414-15 Stone of Foundation 29 storks 264 Subterranean Crusader City 217-18 Suleiman, Elia 60 Süleyman the Magnificent 33, 83, 89, 95, 236 Summer Rain, Operation 26 swimming 386 Dead Sea, the 315 Ein Feshkha 315 Ein Gedi Nature Reserve 316-19 Gan HaShlosha (Sachne) Reserve 233 Haifa 201 Hurshat Tal National Park 270 Jerusalem 125 Tel Aviv 165 Tel Dan Nature Reserve 270 Yehudiya Nature Reserve 267-8 synagogues Abuhav Synagogue 278-9 Ba’na Synagogue 279 Bar Yochai 223 Beit Alpha Synagogue 233-4 Ben Zakai Synagogue 103 Capernaum 256 Caro Synagogue 278 Great Synagogue 118 Greek Catholic Synagogue-Church 227 Ha’Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue 278 Ha’Ari Sephardic Synagogue 279 Hadassah Medical Centre synagogue 125 Hurva Synagogue 103 Khirbet Na’aran 305 Korazim 255-6 Museum of Italian Jewish Art & Synagogue 117-18 Ramban Synagogue 103 Sephardic 103 Vittorio Veneto Synagogue 122 Syro-African rift 73, 353
T Taba 374, 404 Tabgha 254-5 Table of Christ 225, 227, 255 Talbiyeh 119, 120-1 Talmud 31 Talpiot 119 tax 395 taxi travel 409, see also sheruts Taybeh 303 Tchernikowsky, Shaul 55 Tel al-Nasbeh 299 Tel Arad National Park 329 Tel Aviv 149-82, 150, 182, 12, 237 accommodation 167-70 activities 164-5 Basel St 163, 170, 174-5, 176-7 Ben Yehuda St 158-9, 168-9, 1712, 175, 160, 9 Dizengoff St 159-61, 169-70, 172-3, 175 drinking 175-7 emergency services 152-3 entertainment 177-9 festivals 61 Florentine 161-3, 170, 173-4, 175-6, 162 food 170-5 Frishman Beach 158-9, 168-9, 171-2, 175, 160 Habima Sq 159-61, 169-70, 172-3, 175 HaKira 163-4, 175 HaYarkon St 158-9, 168-9, 171-2, 175, 160 Ibn Gvirol St 159-61, 169-70, 172-3, 175 internet access 153 Little Tel Aviv 163, 170, 174-5, 176-7 medical services 153-4 Neve Tzedek 161-3, 170, 173-4, 175-6, 162 Old Port 163, 170, 174-5, 176-7 Ramat Aviv 157-8 Rothschild Blvd 161-3, 170, 173-4, 175-6, 162 Sheinken St 155-7, 167-8, 170-1, 175, 156, 9 shopping 179-80 sights 155-64 tourist information 154 tours 165-7, 165 travel to/from 180-1 travel within 181-2
443
Upper Allenby St 155-7, 167-8, 170-1, 175, 156 Yemenite Quarter 155-7, 167-8, 170-1, 175, 156 Tel Aviv Museum of Art 159-61 Tel Aviv University 155, 157-8, 387 Tel Aviv University Ulpan 166 Tel Balata 309 Tel Be’er Sheva 331 Tel Dan Nature Reserve 270 Tel es-Sultan 305 Tel Goren 317 Tel Hai 265 Tel Maresha 147-8 Tel Rehov Project 399 telephone services 396-7 television 384 Tell Umm Amer 362 tels Tel al-Nasbeh 299 Tel Arad National Park 329 Tel Balata 309 Tel Be’er Sheva 331 Tel es-Sultan 305 Tel Goren 317 Tel Maresha 147-8 Templars Tunnel 219 temples Chalcolithic temple 317 First Temple 29, 82, 93 Qasr al-Bint 365-6 Second Temple 29, 30, 82 Temple of the Winged Lions 366 Third Temple 29 Temple Mount, see Haram ash-Sharif (Temple Mount) Temple of the Winged Lions 366 Temporary International Presence in Hebron 308 terrorism 37-8, 388-9 theatre 57-9 Diwan El Lajun Theatre 228-9 festivals 58, 390, 391 Jerusalem 141 Tel Aviv 178 Train Theatre 128 volunteering 59 theft 389 theme parks Gai Beach Water Park 250 Holy Land Centre 255 Luna Gal Waterpark 256-7 Mini Israel 146 Third Temple 29 Throne of the Messiah 283
INDEX
INDEX
S
I n d e x ( S -T )
I n d e x ( T- V )
Tiberias 234-6, 249-53, 235 Ticho House 117 time 397, 446-7 Time Elevator 117 Timna Park 343-4, 240 tipping 395 tombs, see also burial sites Arafat, Yasser 299 Avtalion, Rabbi 284 Ben Maimon, Rabbi Moshe 249-50 Garden Tomb 111 King David’s Tomb 105 Lion Tomb 365 Meir, Rabbi Ba’al Hanes 250 Moses 305 Nebi Musa 305 Petra 365 Rachel’s Tomb 293 Royal Tombs 366 Shamai’a, Rabbi 284 Shrine of the Bab 195-6, 8 Tiberias 249-50 Tomb of Jehoshaphat 106-7 Tomb of the Lady Tunshuq 101 Tomb of the Patriarchs 308 Tomb of the Virgin Mary 109 Tomb of Zechariah 107 Tombs of the Prophets 109 Trumpeldor’s Tomb 265 Urn Tomb 366, 368, 246 Topol, Chaim 60 Touqan Castle 310 tourist information 397 tours 406, 410 abseiling 327 camel treks 349, 354, 375-6, 377 cycling 327, 410 Dead Sea, the 313, 410 desert treks 341-2, 349, 354, 375-6, 377 ecotours 349 Egged’s Rte 99 Circular Line 128 Haifa 201-2 hiking 327, 349, 410 horse-and-carriage 274 Jaffa 184 jeep treks 341-2, 349, 375-6 Jerusalem 126-9 Ma’ale Adumim 410 000 Map pages 000 Photograph pages
Index ( V-Z)
microbrewery 303 Nazareth 229 Negev, the 341-2, 349 Petra 368 refugee camps 410 Sea of Galilee 229 Separation Wall 306, 410 Tel Aviv 166-7 Tsfat 281 walking 126-9, 165-6, 184, 201-2, 281, 410 West Bank 289 Tower of David, see Citadel, the Tower of David Museum 97 Tragedy of the Commons 323 Train Theatre 128 train travel 410 to/from Haifa 207 to/from Jerusalem 144 to/from Tel Aviv 181 trance music 178 travellers cheques 395 Treasury, the 365, 247 Tree of Zacchaeus 306 trekking, see hiking Trumpeldor’s Tomb 265 Tsfat 275-83, 276 tuberculosis 414 tunnels Ben Zakai Synagogue 103 Hezekiah’s Tunnel 107-8 Megiddo 214-15 Subterranean Crusader City 217-18 Templars Tunnel 219 Warren’s Shaft 107 Western Wall 96-7 Tu b’Shvat 278 TV 384 Tverya, see Tiberias typhoid 414 Tzara, Tristan 59 Tzfat, see Tsfat Tzipori 230-1
U UN 58, 83, 124, 239, 273, 287, 302 history 35, 36 United Nations Development Programme 361 United Nations Disengagement Observer Force 260 United Nations Reliefs & Works Agency for Palestine Refugees 36, 297, 310, 361, 362
ulpanim 387 Gordon Uplan 166 Maale Ulpan 166 Tel Aviv University Ulpan 166 Ulpan Emunah 201 University of Haifa Ulpan 201 YMCA Ulpan 128 ultraorthodox Judaism 36 Umm al-Biyara 368 Unesco World Heritage Sites Akko (Acre) 266 Avdat 337 Dead Sea, the 323 Mamshit 337 Masada 311, 322 Shivta (Subeita) 337 St Katherine’s Monastery 382 Tel Aviv 61, 152 Tel Be’er Sheva 331 Underwater Observatory Marine Park 347-8 UNDOF 260 unexploded ordnance 263, 389 United Nations, see UN universities Ben-Gurion University 329 Birzeit University 303, 387 Hebrew University 387 Tel Aviv University 155, 157-8, 387 University of Haifa 200-1, 387 UNRWA, see UN Upper Galilee 260-84, 261 Upper Yehudiya Canyon Trail 268 Upper Zavitan Canyon Trail 268 Urn Tomb 366, 368, 246 Ursula Malbin Sculpture Garden 197 US State Department 389
V vacations 17-18, 392-4 vaccinations 411 Valley of Jehoshaphat 106-7 Valley of Moses 367-71 Valley of the Communities 124 Vanunu, Mordechai 335 VAT 395 vegetarian travellers 67 Via Dolorosa 126, 126, 8 Village of the Four 307 Virgin Mary, tomb of the 109 visas 397-8, 402, see also passports Egypt 404 Jordan 404
visual arts 59-60 Vittorio Veneto Synagogue 122 Voice of Music in the Upper Galilee 391 volcanic craters 339-41, 10, 241 volunteering 398-9 environmental issues 77-8 NGOs 361 theatre 59 vultures 274-5, 353
W wadis Wadi Arugot 317, 318 Wadi Darja 316 Wadi David 317 Wadi Gaza 76 Wadi Gnai 381-2 Wadi Musa 367-71, 369 Wadi Qelt 305, 244 Wahat al-Salam (NSWAS) 146 Wailing Wall, see Western Wall walking, see hiking, tours Wall, see Apartheid Wall, Separation Wall, Security Wall war 37-8 Warren’s Shaft 107 water, drinking 75, 76, 415 water buffalo 73, 264 water management 75-6, 323, 415 water sports 386, see also individual activities waterfalls Banias Waterfall 270 David’s Waterfall 317 Gamla Nature Reserve 274-5 Hidden Waterfall 318 Window Waterfall 318 Yehudiya 268 Zavitan 268 water-skiing 249, 386 waterfowl 264 Way of the Sorrows, see Via Dolorosa weather 17-18, 387, 388, 401 weaving 334 websites, see internet resources weights 384 Weizmann, Chaim 188
Weizmann Institute of Science 188 Western Wall 96-7, 8 West Bank 285-310, 288, 298 environmental issues 76 itineraries 23 safe travel 286 tours 289 West Jerusalem 287 White Night 391 white-water rafting, see kayaking wi-fi, see internet access Wilderness of Zin nature trail 336 wildflowers 73 wildlife 72-3, 78, see also individual species Window Waterfall 318 windsurfing 386 Akko (Acre) 219 Aviv Beach 164 Dahab 379-80 Wine & Song Festival 391 wine industry 63-5, 274 books 65 Hilulim Wine Fest 391 Negev, the 329 Wine & Song Festival 391 wineries Binyamina Wine Cellars 65 Carmel Winery 186-7, 209 Chateau Golan 69, 274 Cremisan Salesian Monastery & Winery 298-9 Ella Valley Vineyards 147 Golan Heights Winery 274 Judean Hills 147 Maor Winery 274 Mony Wines 147 Mountain Winery 274 Pelter Winery 274 Ramot 266 Sde Boker Winery 329 Yatir Winery 329 Wohl Archaeological Museum 104 Wolfson Museum 118 women in Israel & the Palestinian Territories 49-50, 54 women travellers 396, 398 health 415
445
work 398-9 archaeological digs 147, 386 World Heritage Sites, see Unesco World Heritage Sites World Zionist Organisation 74 wwoofing, see volunteering
Y Yad Sarah Organisation 397 Yad Vashem 123-4 Yam HaMelah, see Dead Sea, the Yardenit 257-8 Yatir Winery 329 Yehoshua, AB 55 Yehudiya Nature Reserve 267-8, 268 Yemin Moshe 118, 131, 132-3, 134-5, 138 Yerushalayim, see Jerusalem Yigal Allon Centre 254 Yitzhak Rabin (Arava) border crossing 364, 405 YMCA Ulpan 128 Yom HaAtzma’ut 392 Yom HaSho’ah 392 Yom Kippur War 37 Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve 344
Z Zacchaeus, Tree of 306 Zavitan waterfall 268 Zayad, Tawfiq 55 Zealots 30, 320, 322 Zechariah 107 Zefad, see Tsfat Zichron Ya’acov 209-10 zimmers 262 Zionism books 55 culture 14, 30, 43, 45 history 33-5, 37, 38 politics 51, 55 World Zionist Organisation 74, 124 Zion 30 Zion Gate 92-3 Zohar 278 zoos Biblical Zoo 128 Haifa 198
INDEX
INDEX
444
446 W O R L D T I M E Z O N E S
2am
3am
4am
5am
6am
7am
8am
9am
10am
11am 12pm
1pm
12pm
2pm
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
447
12am Mon Sun
1am
Mon Sun
12am
WORLD TIME ZONES
Ellesmere Is (Can)
Queen Elizabeth Is (Can) CHUKCHI SEA
BEAUFORT SEA
Russia
Alaska (US)
Banks Is (Can)
Victoria Is (Can)
11am
Iceland
4am
GULF OF ALASKA
2am
8am 8.30am
7am
United States NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN
Portugal
Bermuda (UK)
Cuba
Morocco
Guatemala Nicaragua
CARIBBEAN SEA
Galapagos Is (Ecuador)
Mauritania Eastern Caribbean Islands
12pm
Cape Verde
Venezuela Guyana Suriname Colombia
2.30am Tahiti
Tonga 12am
Liberia Ghana GULF OF GUINEA
Cook Is (NZ)
2am
1am
Peru
New Zealand
Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
6.30 pm
5.30 pm
Somalia
Namibia
EAST CHINA SEA
Thailand
5.30pm
Philippines
Vietnam
Malawi Madagascar Mauritius
Zimbabwe
Botswana Mozambique
Federated States of Micronesia
Nauru EQUATOR East Timor
6.30 pm Cocos (Keeling) Is (Aust)
Papua New Guinea
Argentina
SOUTH Solomon Is PACIFIC OCEAN
Vanuatu
INDIAN OCEAN
Fiji
9.30 pm
Reunion (Fr)
New Caledonia (Fr) 11.30 10.30 pm pm Norfolk Is Lord Howe (Aust) Is (Aust)
South Africa
Uruguay
Kiribati
11am
Indonesia Tanzania
Marshall Is (US) 12am
Palau
Malaysia
Maldives
4pm
Northern Mariana Is (US)
9pm
Sri Lanka
3pm
Kenya
NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN
Japan
Myanmar
Seychelles
SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
Taiwan
6pm BAY OF BENGAL
ARABIAN SEA
Ethiopia
5.45 pm
India 4pm
South Korea
8pm
Tibet (China)
Nepal
Eritrea Yemen
Angola
Tristan da Cunha (UK) Gough Is (UK)
SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN
Chatham Is (NZ)
Iran
China
3.30pm 4.30pm 5pm
Oman
Nigeria Central African Republic Congo Gabon 1pm Congo (Zaire)
3am 2am
North Korea
Turkmenistan
Syria Iraq
BERING SEA
Mongolia
Kyrgyzstan
Australia Chile
12.45am
4pm
Egypt
Zambia
Paraguay
Easter Is (Chile)
Kazakhstan
2pm
Libya
Ascension (UK)
Bolivia Pitcairn Is 3.30am (UK)
4pm
Sudan
7am
French Polynesia (Fr)
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
10pm SEA OF OKHOTSK
Turkey
Chad
Brazil 9am
12am
6pm
Niger
Senegal Burkina Guinea Faso
8am
Samoa
Tunisia
11pm
9pm
Russia
5pm
Uzbekistan Greece
Mali
Ecuador
Kiribati
Denmark
1pm
Panama EQUATOR
4pm
Algeria
The Bahamas Haiti
Hawaii (US)
3pm
Latvia
Spain
Canary Is (Sp)
GULF OF MEXICO
7pm
Finland
Italy
Azores (Port)
EAST SIBERIAN SEA
2pm
1pm
Poland Belarus Germany Ukraine France Austria Romania
Ireland
NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
6am
Mexico
Sweden NORTH SEA
United Kingdom
LABRADOR SEA
Canada
Novosibirskie Ostrovo (Russia)
LAPTEV SEA
BARENTS SEA
Norway
HUDSON BAY
BERING SEA
KARA SEA
Novaya Zemlya (Russia)
NORWEGIAN SEA
Baffin Is (Can)
5am
3am
1am Midway Is (US)
GREENLAND SEA
9am Greenland (Denmark)
BAFFIN BAY
Severnaya Zemlya (Russia)
Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa (Russia)
Svalbard (Norway)
International Date Line
International Date Line
ARCTIC OCEAN
New Zealand Prince Edward Is (S. Africa)
TASMAN SEA
French Southern & Antarctic Territories (Fr)
SOUTHERN OCEAN Falkland Is (UK)
12am
1am
2am
3am
4am
5am
6am
7am
8am
South Georgia & South Sandwich Is (UK)
9am
10am
Heard & McDonald Is (Aust)
Bouvet Is (Norway)
11am 12pm
12pm
1pm
2pm
3pm
4pm
5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
11pm
12am
© Lonely Planet Publications 448
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