15 Cultural Things to Do in Israel

(1) Masada

Masada is important not only because it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site or an ancient fortress located above the Dead Sea, but because of its symbolic importance of determination and valor which many people still see today continues with Israeli soldiers sworn in here. This mountain is one of the greatest archaeological sites in Israel.

In the year 73, 960 Jewish enthusiasts who were at the top chose to commit suicide rather than fall at the hands of the living Roman. The palace has a large Roman-style bath house decorated with colorful mosaic floors and frescoes. It is the largest and most complete Roman siege camp that still remains today.

Many people like to climb the Masada at sunrise, with a spectacular view of Masada Mountains and the Dead Sea. There are many seizures that originate from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. These provide an opportunity for many tourists to access the site because public transport, while accessible, is not as simple. Most tours also include trips to the Dead Sea.

(2) Jaffa

Jaffa is one of the oldest cities in the world, with a port that has been in use. Old Jaffa Port is located south of Tel Aviv in Israel and is a historical section of the city, which has a history of over 4000 years. The Old City has been partially renovated and restored to become a tourist attraction and is a great place to wander and learn parts of the city’s history.

It is a unique and delightful place, with green palms and clear blue sky. On other side of hill are famous Jaffa Flea Bazaar which has been running at same place for 100 years. The area also has some stylish cafes, so you can make a day for your trip. The Romans captured and destroyed Jaffa in Macabine’s time, as well as killing thousands.

Currently undergoing a wave of Gentrification, Jaffa is a socio-economic mix of young artists, new wealth and older, less affluent residents. Culturally, Jaffa has become a place where all types of creative people live, work and shop, making their streets a maze of discovery – galleries, theaters, restaurants, a flea market and an ancient district.

(3) Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is one of the most sacred and special sites of Christianity. Today, the tomb where Jesus was buried is surrounded by a temple called Adidula. The last four stations or Via Dolorosa of the Cross are also located inside the church. It provides recognition for the location of the Holy Sepulchre inside today’s Old City of Jerusalem.

The Great Basilica or Martyrium encircles the traditional site of Calvary in a corner, and on the way, the Anastasis (“Resurrection”), the cave tomb of Jesus’ tomb. The wooden doors of the main gate of the church are still original doors dating back to 326 AD, given the ancient grandeur of this sacred church.

Inside the entrance to the church, a staircase leads to Kalvari (Golgotha), the site of Jesus’ cross and the most extraordinarily decorated part of the church. Exiting this site is another stairway leading to the ambulance. The modern mosaic along the wall depicts the consecration of Jesus’ body. Lamps with candles and incense hang with an ornate stand on the stone.

(4) Dome Of The Rock

The building dominates with its large, wood-gilt dome, about 20 meters in diameter, and a height of 30 meters above the surrounding stone platform. he dome shape symbolizes the flight ascending to heaven, and its circle represents the perfection and balance that is essential to the Muslim faith. The platform is supported by a circular arcade of four pillars and twelve columns.

An octagonal arcade surrounds this enclosure, with eight planks and sixteen columns, which help support the dome. The color is also a symbol of the temple. Sky blue suggests infinity, while gold represents the color of knowledge of Allah. Interior decorations are extensive and elaborate.

There are 1,280 square meters of intricate mosaics covering the walls as well as painted wood, marble, multi-colored tiles, carpets and carved stones. The art of replacing figurative mosaics in intricate patterns and using geometric shapes. In the 16th century, Ottoman Sultan Suleiman replaced the exterior mosaics with 45,000 blue and gold ceramic tiles.

(5) Western Wall

The Western Wall is a sacred site for the Jewish people, a place for prayer and religious and national ceremonies. The original height of the Wailing Wall is about 30 meters, and it is half a kilometer long. They weigh from 2 to 5 tons. Those who stand near the wall will notice that under each course a portion of the stones leaks about 3 centimeters inward.

This construction method was to strengthen and stabilize the wall. During this era, many Jewish pilgrims climbed to the Tomb of King David at Mount Zion to inspect Temple Mount from the roof of the building, hoping to pray on the western wall in the future. Soon after the end of the 6-day war, the public bowed in the Jewish Quarter and certainly towards the Western Wall.

Even today, many people visit this place, which became a magnet for the Jewish people. Many tourists arrive here to roam and pray, many of them placing notes with requests between the cracks of the wall. Several ceremonies and events take place throughout the year at the Western Wall Plaza: bar mitzvah ceremonies, special prayer programs and swearing in ceremonies of IDF soldiers.

(6) Via Dolorosa

Via Dolorosa is a passage through the Old City of Jerusalem. The route Jesus took from the place of his decision to be crucified on Mount Calvary is sacred in Christianity. This last and fateful route is Via Dolorosa. Fourteen stations along this path reflect the events mentioned in the New Testament and Christian tradition, and various Christian denominations emphasize the stations on some traditions and others.

For most pilgrims, the precise meaning of the events has far less importance than the deeper meaning of the passage and its closeness to the original events. Pilgrims stop at each of the 14 stations of the cross for prayer and reflection. The pilgrims have repeated the steps of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, Israel for more than a thousand years.

The Cross has 14 station stops that pay homage to the events of torture, punishment, carrying the cross, the cross, death, and the burial of Jesus of Nazareth. The last stations of crucifixion and burial are within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Via Dolorosa, which means “Journey of Sorrows”, is about half a mile long, or just under 1 kilometer.

(7) Yad Vashem

The National Authority for the Memory of Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust, was established in 1953 by the Act of Knesset (Parliament of Israel). Yad Vashem Monument and Institute includes several memorial monuments, a historical museum, a central collection and a research center for documentation of the Holocaust.

Yad Vashem’s task is to end the memory and recitation of the Holocaust for future generations. The memorial hall of Yad Vashem is the Hall of Remembrance (Ohel Yizkor). The grave concrete walled structure with a low tent-like roof stands empty, save for an everlasting flame. A crypt in front of the Memorial Flame holds the ashes of the victims.

Situated on the edge of a abyss facing the jungle of Jerusalem, the monument symbolizes both the impending horror, and the rebirth that followed the Holocaust. More than 30 heads of state and ministers from around the world attended the historic opening of the new Holocaust History Museum at Yad Vashem on 15 March 2005.

(8) Temple Mount

It is currently ruled by the Waqf, or Supreme Muslim Religious Council. Like many sites in Jerusalem, Temple Mount is sacred to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Originally, it was the holiest temple, the great temple in Jerusalem. For Muslims, it is the site of Prophet Muhammad’s paradise visit as described in the Quran.

Finally, Christians often consider it as a place visited by Jesus and some believe that it will play a major role in the events of the end times. In the 10th century BCE, when King David captured the city of Jerusalem and made it the capital of the Israelites, they chose this high place as the location of a great temple for the ark of the covenant.

Prior to this, the arch had moved between several sanctuaries, notably Shechem and Shiloh. The construction project was initiated by David’s son, King Solomon and completed in 957 BCE. The two main purposes of the temple were to keep the ark of the covenant and provide a place for people to worship, so the temple was a fairly small building with a huge courtyard.

(9) Tower of David

Jerusalem’s citadel, known as the “Tower of David”, is a historical and archaeological property of international importance. The tower is a medieval fort located near the Jaffa Gate, the historic gateway to the old city and has been a symbol of the city of Jerusalem for generations. The Tower of David Museum presents you with the stunning story of Jerusalem.

By assimilating yourself into the past and their dramatic histories, it will not take you long to realize that the very large stones of the museum are part of the living history of the city. The 500-year-old walls are part of the Turkish stronghold. Its name is so much larger than a tower that the early Jerusalem gave it to their great King David. Despite being named ‘The Tower of David’ it was actually built by King Herod.

Your journey can begin from the top of the tower with a breath-taking view of old and new Jerusalem. The windows give a glimpse of modern Jerusalem, and with each gate you exit, you look down into the citadel’s central courtyard, where archaeologists have discovered that dating from the Maccabees to the Middle Ages.

(10) The Dead Sea

Apart from some microorganisms and algae, this saltwater lake is completely devoid of life. The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth. This is because water flows into the Dead Sea from the Jordan River, a main tributary. The increasing hot and dry conditions of the region mean large amounts of water are evaporating.

Along with being incredibly salty, the Dead Sea is famous for being the lowest point on Earth. Its surface is about 423 meters below sea level. Sunbathing on the Dead Sea has a lower sunburn risk than other destinations. These include an additional atmospheric layer, an evaporation layer over the Dead Sea, and a thick ozone layer.

Ancient Egyptians imported to use it in their mummification processes. When the Dead Sea is one of Israel’s most popular tourist destinations, it is disappearing at an alarming rate. Its surface level is falling by more than a meter every year. This is due to diverting water from the Jordan River and evacuation from the Dead Sea for nearby developments.

(11) Israel Museum

The Israel Museum in Jerusalem is the most important art museum in Israel and one of the most famous in the world. At a surface of 50,000 square meters, the museum has an “encyclopedic” permanent collection composed of various sections: archeology, Jewish art, European classic art, impressionism, modern art, design and architecture, all represented at the highest level.

European art focuses primarily on art between the 16th and 20th centuries, with Rembrandt, De Ribera, Rubens, Peter Brueghel the Younger, Van Dyke, Salvator Rosa, and Poussin, among others. Modern art is perhaps the most influential of all collections, and the list is actually very long. The Picasso collection is also absolutely remarkable.

The Fine Arts section was completed by four collections dedicated to art from Africa, Asia, America and Oceania. The museum also has a large photography collection with over 50,000 objects. The museum hosts temporary exhibitions, special events, lectures, family events, concerts and guided tours. A special section, Ruth Youth Wing is dedicated to arts education addressed to young people.

(12) Bethlehem

Bethlehem, like many cities in Israel and Palestine, is important for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It was first inhabited by the Canaanite tribes, who named the city Beit Lahm. After the rule of the Israelites, the Greeks left the area around 160 BC. The region was occupied by the arrival of the Romans. Bethlehem has a population of about 30,000 people.

Today, the journey usually starts at the train station in Abu Tor and continues along Hebron Road. Manger Square is the focal point of Christmas celebrations activity not once, but three times a year. In addition to the traditional Western festivities beginning on 24 December, the Greek Orthodox marks its Christmas on 6 January and the Armenian observance on 19 January.

The palace has 70 feet high walls and minarets which rise 100 feet above the floor of the fort. A synagogue, mikveh and storeroom have been excavated on the site. High above the hill, the palace has a commanding view of the Judean Desert, Dead Sea, Bethlehem and Jerusalem suburbs.

(13) Caesarea

Today, it is one of Israel’s major tourist attractions and an increasingly popular place for Israel’s elite to build their homes. Once the site of a Phoenician harbor over the course of 12 years, Herod built Caesarea in Palestine, the most opulent city other than Jerusalem, a deep-sea port, of aqueducts, hippodromes, and magnificent amphitheatres.

The Caesarean population was half-gentian and half-Jewish, often causing controversy among the people. Caesarea is an important site in Christian history. This was the place where Pontius Pilate ruled at the time of Jesus. During the third century, Caesarea was the center of Christian education. In 640 AD, Caesarea was the last Palestinian city to fall for the Muslim invaders.

The Hippodrome built by Herod is still recognizable, although it is now a banana field. The great circus in Rome is much smaller than Maximus, with Herod’s arena still holding 20,000 spectators for the chariot race. Just 15 minutes north of Caesarea, is the town of Zichron Ya’akov, nestled in the mountains with a sea view.

(14) Nazareth

With a population of 60,000, Nazareth is Israel’s largest Arab city, which was once evenly divided between Christians and Muslims, but is now about two-thirds Muslim. The Church of St. Joseph’s Carpentry includes ruins dating back to the 1st century, and is reputed to be Joseph’s original workshop and home to the Holy Family.

Nazareth has many other important churches. When the Ottoman Turks captured the city in the 16th century, they expelled all Christians. The current building took almost a decade before it was completed in 1969 on the remains of earlier structures for the Byzantine period. About six miles southeast of Nazareth is Mt. Tabor, a dome-shaped mountain rising about 2,000 feet.

It was also the site of a thriving Jewish community that built a fort there during the period of the Second Temple. This mountain is sacred to Christians, who believe that it is the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Sometimes the peak of the wind gives a great view of the valley and, on a clear day, it is possible to see the Mediterranean Sea, the Sea of ​​Galilee and Mount Hermon.

(15) Sea of Galilee

The grounds of the Genberet stretch under the Arbel rocks. There is not one plant that does not thrive there, and the inhabitants grow everything. The wind is so temperate that it suits the most diverse species. The lake is more well specified, the Kinneret (Old Testament and modern name) is 13 miles (21 km) long and 7 miles (11 km) wide.

From the summit of Mount Arbel on the western side of the Sea of ​​Galilee, one can see the entire lake, the city of Tiberias, the mountains of Galilee and the Golan Heights. Hippos (Susita) was a major city of Decapolis located on a round hill. All the settlements on the lake had their own port, even though it was very small.

Funnel winds and quickly stir water through the Galilee hill country in the east-west. There are more violent winds that emanate from the hills of the Golan Heights in the east. By getting stuck in the basin, the winds can be fatal to fishermen. In March 1992, a hurricane landed in the city of Tiberias and caused significant damage.