Incense Route of the Negev

The Incense Route and Desert Cities of the Negev reflects the hugely profitable trade in frankincense and myrrh.

The designated area consists of 4 locations:
- Incense & Spice Route (between Ovdat and Moa)
- Haluza
- Mamshit
- Shivta

Year Decision Comments
2005 Inscribed Reasons for inscription
2004ReferredTo strengthen the comparative analysis

Reviews

Assif Am-David (Israel):
I've only been to two of the Nabatean cities in the Negev: Shivta (Sobota) and Avdat. Both are well worth a visit if you are into desert landscapes and antiques. Sobota is the better preserved one among these two. It clearly shows the original urban structure and features two churches. A nearby fruit garden uses traditional agriculture (solely based on rain water) in order to reconstruct the Nabatean way of life in this arid climate. Sobota is inaccessible if you don't arrive by car and is usually empty. During my visit here me and my friends were the only visitors although we stayed for two hours! Add the already isolated desert environment and you get a feel of what it is like to live here.
Avdat is a larger complex and also has the advantage of being situated atop a hill on the road between Beer-Sheva (Bersheba) and Eilat (easily accessible with public transport). It also includes a reconstructed Nabatean house worth a visit. The surrounding are abundant with caves which the Nabateans used to exploit for various purposes.
If you come down here don't miss the nearby Ramon cirque by any chance. It is world unique.
 
Assif Am-David (Israel):
There are many other interesting things to visit in the Negev Heights (Ramat Hanegev) region, such as oases (Ein Avdat, Ein Zik), the Large, Small and Ramon Craters, and the recently developed wine route, which is combining eco-tourism with boutique wineries, olive growing, and the cottage-industry production of goat cheese (all of which is pretty amazing in an arid desert region of approximately 300 sunny days per year, and only about 70mm of rain). This is a less-travelled part of Israel, but well worth the visit, either as a special trip or on your way south from the centre of the country to Eilat. The roads are excellent and there is a bus service approximately once an hour from Beer Sheva. Make sure you bring a hat, good walking shoes (not sandals) and plenty of drinking water. Camp sites are not as well equipped as in some other parts of the world, but there are excellent field schools (some with hostel accommodation) and bed & breakfasts in the area.
 
John Booth (New Zealand):
We have visited three of the four Nabatean seetlements in the Negev mentioned, as well as others further south. The Negev is a sparsely populated arid region with limited public transport, so however you travel, you will need stout footwear and lots of water.

We went by car, but there are bus services from Beersheva to Avdat (Beersheva to Mizpe Ramon bus, then a long uphill hike), Mamshit (Beersheva to Dimona, then a 10 km walk or hitch from Dimona), and Shivta (Beersheva to Nizzana bus - twice daily, then a 8 km walk from the turn-off).

These three towns are in a good state of repair, being only around two thousand years old, and are not frequented by visitors much.

The Nabateans built the towns as a series of resting places for their caravans travelling from Egypt and Gaza to Petra and beyond. Some additions were made by the superceding Romans and Byzantines.
 


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