Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Mamshit - Remains of a Nabatean Town



Mamshit, ancient Nabatean town, was declared  by UNESCO a World Heritage site, in 2005.  It is located in the desert, near the modern city of Dimona, not very far from the Dead Sea.

Sign with the name 'Mamshit' , and a map 

In antiquity , Mamshit used to be a town of wealthy people who traded in spices, textiles, precious stones/ metals, exotic fragrances - all the things needed for a good life style. The Nabateans of Mamshit also raised arabian horses and that brought them a nice fortune.

The place has become now a National Park with  a Visitors' Center,  camping  facilities,  tents, parking spots, etc.. On holidays, the ancient restored market comes to life together with various exciting leisure activities for both adults and kids. There is potential for more excavations, and there's still a lot to be restored on the site.


to the Visitors'  Center  on the north side of Mamshit

entering  the Visitors' Center

souvenir shop, maps, tickets, leaflets

 people waiting outside for the guide to go to the ruins

There's a trail leading from the Visitors' Center to the main gate of the ancient city.

the gate to the city

The sun was strong, and a light, but stubborn wind, was blowing. I had to take my cap off for fear it'll be carried away by the wind. Nevertheless, it was perfect weather for wandering about in the desert, among the restored houses and streets of Mamshit, for over two hours.

cap in hand

strong sun and naughty wind in the desert

listening to the guide


There was a lot to be seen:
- houses with 1- 2 stories, several rooms, a courtyard, staircase,  arches; wide streets separating neighboring houses.
- two impessive churches built on the highest points in the city - a western one (the Nilus church) with an intricate mosaic  floor, and a eastern one (the Martyrs' church) with small  marble pillars.
- a bathouse, a public reservoir, a market, stables (for the  arabian horses), frescoes in  one of the mansions, a flour mill.
- dams  along the bed of the adjacent  Mamshit stream, two towerwatches and lookouts overlooking Mamshit, Dimona, the Arava valley.
- structures waiting for reconstruction, and more...

house
        
street


     tower, lookout offering panoramic sights            
      
     western Nilus church with a mosic floor        

market  place

frescoes
       
  frescoes            

Remarks:

a.    The Nabateans - arab tribes later converted to Cristianity.

b.   In the house with the frescoes archeologists found a huge amount of silver coins under a staircase.

c.  In the eastern church, archeologists found human bones, probably the bones of those whom they call martyrs.               



32 comments:

  1. Hi, Duta,
    Your visit to Manshit is jam packed with interesting photos and descriptions of a once prosperous city. I like learning about it and smiled as I read because our desert town in Arizona sustains very high winds today. I not only read your words but feel them!

    Enjoy your week,
    Mary

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    1. Hi Mary,
      I like to take photos, and I feel they add credibility to the written text even if the photo is not high quality (I'm not a professional, and my camera is of the point&shoot kind).

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  2. This place looks so interesting with the ancient city. Amazing pieces still stand. Money under the stairs. wow. I love going on tour with you to these interesting places.

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    1. Very interesting indeed, Kim! As for the money found, those people were so rich (from breeding arabian horses) that they probably forgot all about the coins.

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  3. love this trip! and all of your trips - i think i would never get to see these things otherwise!

    and no, the unicorn is not really me, just kind of my face - its imposed on one of these snapchat filters that all the kids are using these days :D

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    1. Glad you do. I loved it too.
      Never say never. You're young, so who knows where life places you in the following years.

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  4. No more Arabian horses there, I'm afraid! Probably not even camels!

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    1. No arabian horses, that's true, but yes camels. Nearby, there's a bedouin camel farm where people and kids have fun riding camels and taking pictures.

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  5. What a fascinating place to visit, and with potential for more to be discovered in the future.

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    1. The place has indeed great potential, both touristic and archeological/anthropological.

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  6. Mamshit looked rather harsh as far as the environment,Duta, but still it was so interesting to see what remains of the housing, streets, church and marketplace. The frescoes were amazing to have survived so many years.

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    1. The desert is a harsh environment even in these modern days of technology. For some reason, I like it and prefer it to other parts of the country.

      No doubt, the restorers of the ruins did an amazing job.

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  7. Very interesting post, Duta! We're having very windy conditions here today with heavy rain and then snow on the way, much different from the desert where you were! Your pictures are great as usual, esp those of you and others in them to get a sense of the size, etc of the area and for added interest. I'd love to see the area, churches and all. The reconstruction sounds like a huge undertaking but it's wonderful that it's being done. Thanks for the informative tour!

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    1. I usually get scared of heavy winds and rains. Luckily, they're short and mild in our parts.

      Thanks, Pam, for liking the pictures and the informative nature of my post.

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  8. Wow, to be wandering in the desert on a sunny and windy day in Israel! The scene has a timeless feeling. Thank you always for sharing, I enjoyed this visit and the photos, like seeing the city gate and the photo of you and the way you described it as the perfect day for wandering in the desert! Take care in the sun and wind and enjoy new discoveries! Blessings and a great week to you!

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    1. "The scene has a timeless feeling" - I like that. Everything in the desert has a timeless aura about it; especially the yellow color of the sandy soil, and the silence of the landscape.
      Thanks for enjoying my post and for the blessings.

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  9. What an interesting place, I could see spending several hours there. Several photos reminded me of where my mother was born in Candelaria Texas.

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    1. Right. It's worth a several hours visit. On the other hand, these kind of trips are just a trigger, to make us come again with family, kids, and friends - especially on holidays when there are all kinds of fun activities, and spend there several hours.

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  10. Duta, you make me want to visit Israel. I love love love old places and thinking about how people lived and who they were. Beautiful.

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    1. Well this place is not just old, it's ancient. It was built in the 1st century BC. There were some other Nabatean towns in the Negev area but Mamshit, though the smallest, is the best restored.

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  11. My of My while I have been away from blogging you dear Duta have had some fantastic trips. I would have loved to enter the synagoyge but you gave us post to enjoy the beauty. Growing up in a green state, I am not fond of deserts or sand. I guess I would be called a tree hugger by some. Peace

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    1. Glad to hear from you, Lady of Nashville.

      I sure can understand you, although I must confess I have a soft spot for the desert.
      They say, the appeal of the desert lies in its barreness and lack of green.

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  12. Old, old history...with many stories that still, no doubt, remain untold.

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    1. Hi, Lee
      With every excavation and restoration at the site, new stories and testimonies surface. There's still work to be done, history to uncover.

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  13. Interesting excavations and a lot of history associated.Good to see the place well maintained and tours well organized. Fascinating post.How old is this civilization ?

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    1. Well - maintained, indeed. After all, it's a World Heritage site and that is binding.
      The place was built in the 1st century BC.

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  14. What an interesting archeological site! I like the connection to Arabian horses, too.

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    1. Since you are a horse lover and a horse rider, I guess the breeding of arabian horses is of interest to you. And of course, the archeology too.

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  15. History and history...
    We read history.
    We read the past glory.

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    1. Not only that. Also archeology, anthropology, ethnicity,geography, ancient trade - all well connected and intertwinned.

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  16. Oh wow. This place is incredible. I bet the tour shared a lot of insightful things.

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    1. Right; incredible and insightful.
      People were discussing the possibility of coming again, only this time during a holiday when the place comes alive with activities for both adults and kids.

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