Incense Route - desert cities in the Negev
Incense Route - desert cities in the Negev | |
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UNESCO world heritage | |
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Awdat aerial view |
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National territory: | Israel |
Type: | Culture |
Criteria : | iii, v |
Surface: | 6,655 ha |
Buffer zone: | 63,868 ha |
Reference No .: | 1107 |
UNESCO region : | Europe and North America |
History of enrollment | |
Enrollment: | 2005 (session 29) |
Desert cities on the Incense Route in the Negev |
The Frankincense Route is an old, approximately 2,400-kilometer-long trade route from Oman and Yemen through Saudi Arabia and then through the Negev desert to the port of Gaza , from where goods were shipped to ancient Greece and the Roman Empire . On the route from the 3rd century BC. BC to the 2nd century AD in particular frankincense and myrrh were transported by caravans. The social and cultural exchange between the Orient and Occident ( Occident ) was also linked to trade .
UNESCO world heritage
The northern end of the Incense Route was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2005 with the title Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev and is therefore a World Heritage Site in Israel . It includes the four cities of Avdat , Mamshit , Schivta and Elusa (or Haluza) as well as the four fortresses Kazra , Nekarot , Makhmal , Grafon and the two caravanserais Moa and Saharonim . The four desert cities are made publicly accessible as national parks in Israel by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA).
meaning
The 10 places, desert cities, fortresses and caravanserais served the control of the northern route of the Frankincense Route from the Nabatean capital Petra to Gaza or Damascus by the Nabataeans , the supply of the caravans on the basis of large-scale agriculture and trade. In the extremely arid climate of the Negev desert , the extraordinary irrigation system of the Nabataeans, the so-called flash water agriculture , with dams, cisterns, water channels and water reservoirs, was of decisive importance for the supply of food and water . The ruins of the desert cities bear witness to the highly developed Nabatean town planning and an elevated prosperity based on trade and agriculture, as well as the cultural change during the spread of Christian culture at the end of the Roman and the beginning of the Byzantine times. After the spice trade became less profitable at the end of the 2nd century, the focus was placed on agriculture, in particular viticulture and horse breeding. After the Arab conquest in 636, the desert cities were abandoned.
Web links
- Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).
- UNESCO: The Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev. (PDF, 45 MB)