page_title: Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev
section_title: Features
hierarchical_section_title: Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev / Features
caption_attribution_description: עברית: עבדת הייתה העיר המרכזית על ציר המסחר הנבטי שבין פטרה לנמל עזה המכונה דרך הבשמים. מרכז העיר (האקרופוליס) שוכן בהר הנגב, על שלוחת גבעה לצד ציר התנועה העתיק מצפון לדרום, וממזרח לכביש 40. הוא נישא לגובה של 655 מטר מעל פני הים, ומשקיף על סביבתו מרום של כ-80 מטר. כלל שטחה הבנוי של עבדת משתרע על כ-85 דונם, והיא ניצבת כיום במרכזו של גן לאומי בשטח של 2,100 דונם.English: Ancient Nabatean city of Avat, Israel. Northern church. This is a photo of a place that is recognized as a heritage site by The Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel. The site's ID in Wiki Loves Monuments photographic competition is 62-0031-991
context_page_description: Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev is a World Heritage-designated area near the end of the Incense Route in the Negev, southern Israel, which connected Arabia to the Mediterranean in the Hellenistic-Roman period, proclaimed as being of outstanding universal value by UNESCO in 2005. The trade led to the development of ancient towns, forts and caravanserai en route, apart from agricultural development.
  Four towns in the Negev Desert, which flourished during the period from 300 BC to 200 AD, are linked directly with the Mediterranean terminus of both the Incense Road and spice trade routes: Avdat, Haluza, Mamshit, and Shivta. As a group, these desert cities demonstrate the lucrative trade in frankincense and myrrh that took place from Yemen in south Arabia to the port of Gaza on the Mediterranean. At its height, the route included cities, Qanat irrigation systems, fortresses, and caravanserai. Vestiges of these works are still visible, and demonstrate the use of the desert for commerce and agriculture.
context_section_description: The network of the Incense Route consisted of trade routes that encompassed towns and cities in a stretch of more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi). The site covers an area of 6,655 hectares (16,440 acres) with an additional buffer zone of 63,868 hectares (157,820 acres). The Mediterranean was the first link on this route in the Negev Desert to the southern part of Israel in a route of 200 kilometres (120 mi) length, with Moa on the eastern border and with Jordan to Haluza on the northwestern side. The entire route was benefited by the trade and villages prospered with innovative irrigation systems. Agricultural development was distinctly visible in the four villages of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta, and in the four fortresses; and the caravanserai of Moa and Saharonim facilitating the stay of the traders. The site nominated on the World Heritage List covers the land features of the area and a route length of 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Petra to Gaza covering Avdat and Moa towns, further north of Haluza town; to the west of the route, the Shivta town;  Mamshit town between Petra and Damascus. The Nabateans, settlers in the area, developed sophisticated irrigation practices and they were also pastorals dependent on livestock development of sheep, cattle, and goats. They domesticated camels which they used extensively as caravans on the incense route.
caption: Ruins in Avdat
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