Masada | Israel

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Masada is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea.

In 66 AD, Masada was a Roman garrison when the Sicarii, a group of Jewish extremists, overcame it and settled there. The Sicarii used Masada as a refuge, and also a base from which they raided the surrounding countryside.

Masada is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Flags of the World | Israel

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The flag of Israel was adopted on 28 October 1948, five months after the establishment of the State of Israel. The flag depicts a blue Star of David, a generally recognized symbol of modern Jewish identity.

Mount Carmel | Israel

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The Mount Carmel Caves are four cave sites that testify to more than 500,000 years of human evolution. The caves are located on the western slopes of Mt. Carmel, some 20 km. south of Haifa, Israel.

Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The necropolis of Bet She’arim | Israel

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Beit She'arim is a Roman-era Jewish village (now ruin) that thrived from the 1st-century BCE until its demise in the early 20th century.

Hewed into the limestone slopes of hills bordering the Vale of Jezre’el, a series of man-made catacombs was developed from the 2nd century AD as the necropolis of Bet She’arim.

Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of Jewish Renewal is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Old City of Acre | Israel

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Acre (also known as Akko) is a city in the northern part of Israel. A city with a rich history as it is actually one of the oldest cities in the world, continuously inhabited since 4000 years. Here you see a more close-up of Acre.

The remains of the Crusader town, dating from 1104 to 1291, lie almost intact, both above and below today's street level.

Old City of Acre is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Masada | Israel

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Masada is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea.

In 66 AD, Masada was a Roman garrison when the Sicarii, a group of Jewish extremists, overcame it and settled there. The Sicarii used Masada as a refuge, and also a base from which they raided the surrounding countryside.

Masada is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Baha’i Shrine in Haifa | Israel

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The remains of Siyyid Al Muhammad (1819-1850), the founder of the Bábí Faith are buried in the Shrine of the Báb, located in Haifa, Israel. It is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís, after the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre.

Both shrines, together with their surrounding gardens, associated buildings and monuments are part of a larger complex of buildings, monuments and sites at seven distinct locations in Haifa and Western Galilee that are visited as part of the Bahá’i pilgrimage.

Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Old City of Acre | Israel

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Akko (also known as Acre) is a city in the northern part of Israel. A city with a rich history as it is actually one of the oldest cities in the world, continuously inhabited since 4000 years.

The present city is characteristic of a fortified town dating from the Ottoman 18th and 19th centuries, with typical urban components such as the citadel, mosques, khans and baths. The remains of the Crusader town, dating from 1104 to 1291, lie almost intact, both above and below today's street level, providing an exceptional picture of the layout and structures of the capital of the medieval Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem.

Temple Mount | Israel

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The Temple Mount, known to Muslims as el-Harem al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) with its golden Dome of the Rock Islamic shrine and lead-domed al-Aqsa mosque, dominates this aerial view of the Old City of Jerusalem.

The UN's cultural agency Unesco has adopted a motion which marginalises Jewish ties to several holy sites in Jerusalem: the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the resolution, sponsored by several Arab countries, denies the Jewish connection to holy sites in Jerusalem and is a "theatre of the absurd".

Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Tel Aviv | תֵּל־אָבִיב capital of Israel

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What makes a city a capital city? The city or town that functions as the seat of government and administrative centre of a country or region is the capital city.

Israel refers to Jerusalem as the country's capital, and seats its government (Knesset) in that city. But the international community does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and the city hosts no foreign embassies. Most countries, as well as the United Nations, recognize nearby Tel Aviv.

The Palestinian National Authority also claims Jerusalem as the capital for their future Palestinian state; but currently the de facto seat of the internationally-recognized Palestinian government is in Ramallah, while the seat of the Hamas-led government is in Gaza City.

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(left) In 2011 Israel issued a set of 6 stamps about butterflies of Israel. This one pictures the Common Blue.

(right) Dating back to ancient times Jews have used an Etrog box during Sukkot, the Festival of Booths, to store the Etrog fruit, an oval shaped citron fruit. 

Wilson's Arch, Jerusalem, Israel

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The Wilson’s Arch in Jerusalem is is the modern name for an ancient stone arch that was part of a series of arches that supported a bridge that connected the Temple Mount and the Upper City. It was named after the British explorer Charles William Wilson, who identified the arch in 1864. 

Today Wilson’s Arch serves as a synagogue and contains many Torah Scrolls used for Bar-Mitzvah’s, weekday and Shabbat services. Wilson’s Arch is located near the Western Wall, also known as Wailing Wall, one of the holiest places for Jews.

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In 2011 Israel issued a set of 6 stamps about butterflies of Israel. On the left a Swallowtail and on the right a Plain Tiger.

Jerusalem in moonlight

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Israelis and Palestinians both claim Jerusalem as their capital. Israel designated Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, yet most countries maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv due to ongoing political debate with the Palestinians.

At Jerusalem’s heart is the Old City, which is surrounded by a wall and divided into four quarters - Jewish, Armenian, Christian, and Muslim. Inside the walls are the important holy sites of the three major religions: the Western Wall, which is holy to the Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. 

The Dome of the Rock, whose golden roof has dominated the Temple Mount for centuries, is a 7th-century shrine. The rock refers to the Foundation Stone at the heart of the Dome. It is a holy place for Muslims.

A fishermen's harbour from Jaffa, Israel

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The town of Jaffa has been a port since the times of Jonah and before. Today the picturesque port and old city lie on the southern side of modern Tel Aviv.

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