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Sharon

The Sharon Plain runs up Israel’s central Mediterranean coast, from north of Tel Aviv to the Carmel ridge. The posts here cover Roman and Crusader Caesarea, the late-Bronze-Age Sea Peoples sites along the coast, and the 19th-century Zionist towns like Zichron Yaakov.

5 articles

5 articles
A close-up of a purple cabbage with deep violet, pink-veined leaves grown on an organic farm in the Sharon
Centre · Sharon

The Sharon: Israel’s quiet Tuscany

The first field trip of Israel’s culinary tourism course took us to the Sharon: an organic farm run by an ex-lawyer, a cheese-making family spread across the religious divide, olive oil and a boutique winery that revived a forgotten grape.

Greenhouse trays of dense young chive shoots ready to pick at the Meshek Albrecht organic farm A filled glass of white wine on a cork placemat beside a small dish of sesame snacks A wooden board bearing several varieties of Israeli artisan cheese, yellow, white and aged Rows of large stainless-steel storage tanks inside the Mesik olive oil factory at Kibbutz Magal A worn wooden table laid with bowls of beetroot and carrot salad, cooked greens and flatbread, the meal at the Kaima farm in Beerotayim
Remains of the Caesarea aqueducts
Centre · Sharon

Caesarea

A day around Caesarea: the Byzantine flour mills at Nachal Taninim, the Hadrianic aqueducts at Beit Hanania, the national park itself with Herod's port, hippodrome, theatre and bathhouse, and the birds mosaic to the north.

Restored Byzantine flour mill at Nachal Taninim Hadrian inscription & insignia of the 10th legion at Beit Hanania Caesarea Harbour Caesarea Hippodrome Pontius Pilate inscription at Caesarea Roman theatre at Caesarea Grandiose bathhouse at Caesarea The 'birds' mosaic at Caesarea Remains of the Caesarea aqueducts
Philistine ruins at Tel Qasile
Centre · Sharon

The Sea Peoples

Following the footsteps of the Sea Peoples along the southern coast: Tel Qasile in the Land of Israel Museum, Izbet Sartah, the Crusader fortress of Migdal Tzedek, Tel Afek / Antipatris, ancient Ashkelon and Jonah's Hill above the Ashdod port.

Philistine ruins at Tel Qasile View from Izbet Sartah Ancient fortress of Migdal Tzedek Canaanite ruins at Tel Afek Stunning Roman sarcophagus in Ashkelon The ancient archway at Tel Ashkelon View over the Ashdod port at Givat Yonah
Rothschild coat of arms at Ramat Hanadiv Park
Centre · Sharon

Zichron Yaakov and surroundings

A field trip from Zichron Yaakov and the First Aliyah pioneers to Baron de Rothschild's mausoleum at Ramat Hanadiv, the Etzel and Roman ruins at Shuni, the Mei Kedem aqueduct and the Atlit detention camp.

Children's graves in the Zichron Yaakov cemetery Rothschild coat of arms at Ramat Hanadiv Park Etzel Memorial at Shuni Theatre at Shuni Inside the Roman aqueduct in Mei Kedem Reconstruction of a 'maapilim' ship at Atlit
View North up the coast from Apollonia Ruins
Centre · Sharon

The Sharon Plain

A day on the Sharon coastal plain, off the regular tourist trail: viewpoints at Tzur Natan, an Ottoman tomb on a Samaritan synagogue, the Crusader ruins of Kakun, a soft-shelled turtle hike along Nachal Alexander, the Cheftzi-ba farm, and the cliff-top archaeology of Apollonia.

View over the Sharon Coastal Plain from Tzur Natan Sheikh Musharef Tomb & Remains of Samaritan Synagogue Alexandroni Memorial at Kakun Crusader Fortress Ruins at Kakun Nachal Alexander Steam Powered Water Pump at Cheftzi-ba Farm View North up the coast from Apollonia Ruins Sidna Ali Mosque
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