The four Nabatean towns of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta, along with associated fortresses and agricultural landscapes in the Negev Desert, are spread along routes linking them to the Mediterranean end of the incense and spice route. Together they reflect the hugely profitable trade in frankincense and myrrh from south Arabia to the Mediterranean, which flourished from the 3rd century BC until the 2nd century AD. With the vestiges of their sophisticated irrigation systems, urban constructions, forts and caravanserai, they bear witness to the way in which the harsh desert was settled for trade and agriculture.
Criteria for inclusion as a World Heritage Site
| # | ||
|---|---|---|
| iii | To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared. | All |
| v | To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change. | All |
Nearby
Sites
| Name | Since | Distance | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashalim Power Station | 2020 | 62.5km | site_ao | ||
| Kibbutz Neot Semadar | 2019 | 56.2km | site_ao | ||
| Dana Village | 2019 | 43.7km | site_ao | ||
| Ein Avdat | 2019 | 49.6km | site_ao | ||
| An Extinct Tree Grown From a 2,000-Year-Old Seed | 2017 | 64.1km | site_ao | ||
| Synagogue | 1967 | 36.8km | site_brutalism | ||
| Petra, a desert dream: Travel Weekly | 2019 | 39.1km | post |
About the source: UNESCO
Within UNESCO's broad remit, this specialised agency of the UN works towards international cooperation agreements to secure the world's cultural and natural heritage, designating venues of exceptional value as World Heritage Sites.