The Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev is a UNESCO World Heritage site located near the end of the Incense Route in southern Israel. This area was part of a trade path that connected Arabia to the Mediterranean during the Hellenistic-Roman period. It was recognized by UNESCO in 2005 as having great importance worldwide. The trade along this route helped ancient towns, forts, and caravanserais develop, as well as supported agriculture.

Four towns in the Negev Desert, Avdat, Haluza, Mamshit, and Shivta, were important during the time between 300 BC and 200 AD. These towns were directly connected to the Mediterranean endpoint of the Incense Road and spice trade routes. Together, they show how valuable trade in frankincense and myrrh happened, moving from Yemen in southern Arabia to the port of Gaza on the Mediterranean. At its peak, the route included cities, Qanat irrigation systems, fortresses, and caravanserais. Remains of these structures are still visible, showing how the desert was used for trade and farming.

Location

The Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev site includes the Negev region in southern Israel, which connected Arabia to the Mediterranean during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. From 300 BC to 200 AD, four towns in the Negev Desert thrived: Avdat, Haluza, Mamshit, and Shivta. These towns were directly connected to the end point of the Incense Road and spice trade routes, which was the port of Gaza. During the time of greatest prosperity, the route included cities, Qanat irrigation systems, fortresses, and caravanserais.

History

The east–west "incense route," which operated from 400 BC to 200 AD between Petra and Gaza, is called the King's Way. This route helped the Nabataeans grow economically. Trade along the route decreased when the Romans took control of Petra, which was the capital of the Nabataean Empire in Jordan. The Nabataeans moved into this area in the 6th century BC after the Edomites left and settled in the Judaean plains. This change led the Nabataeans to shift from a semi-nomadic lifestyle to a culture influenced by Greek traditions, where organized government systems were established. They continued trading slaves for the benefit of the Ptolemaic rulers, even as they maintained neutral relationships with other nations.

The sites are managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority. The Israel Antiquities Authority is responsible for preserving and excavating the listed structures. These sites were mostly abandoned in the 7th century AD and remained well-preserved.

Part of the incense route in Israel’s Negev Region, which included towns, forts, caravanserais, and an irrigation system in desert areas connected to the Mediterranean, was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It was included under Criteria (iii) to highlight the economic, social, and cultural importance of frankincense trade in the Hellenistic-Roman world, and under Criteria (v) to show how people developed along the route in harsh desert conditions. The site was officially listed on 15 July 2005 during a meeting of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee.

Features

The Incense Route was a network of trade paths that connected many towns and cities over a distance of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles). 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 Sea was the first part of this route, stretching 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the Negev Desert in southern Israel to the Jordanian border. The route extended northward to Haluza, with Moa on the eastern side and Jordan on the western side. Trade along this route helped support villages, which used innovative irrigation systems to grow crops. Agricultural development was clearly visible in four villages—Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat, and Shivta—and in four fortresses, as well as in the caravanserais of Moa and Saharonim, which provided shelter for traders. The site listed as a World Heritage Site includes land features and a 50-kilometer (31-mile) route from Petra to Gaza, passing through Avdat and Moa, near Haluza, Shivta to the west, and Mamshit between Petra and Damascus. The Nabateans, who lived in the area, developed advanced irrigation methods and raised livestock such as sheep, cattle, and goats. They also domesticated camels, which they used for trade along the Incense Route.

Avdat is located in an area that is 300 by 400 meters (980 feet by 1,310 feet) and sits 80 meters (260 feet) above the plains in the western part of the Ramon-Nafkha highlands. It is surrounded by a wall made of limestone, and within the area are the remains of a Nabatean temple, a fort, a main street, two churches, and a caravanserai. Short walls and arched roofs are also visible.

Haluza is located at the northern edge of the nominated site in a desert with sand dunes that have buried most of the town. Recent excavations have uncovered remnants of two churches, a tower, a wine press, a theater, and a road.

Mamshit is at the western edge of the designated site and has been studied extensively by archaeologists. Excavations have revealed a town wall, a caravanserai, large private homes, a market road, and bathhouses. Some structures have been restored, and findings include frescoes and mosaics.

Shivta is located in the central Negev and has not been fully excavated. So far, remains of two- and three-story houses, churches with apses, roads, a governor’s residence, a town square, a farm, and wine presses have been found. The buildings were made of limestone, and the village is not enclosed by a wall.

The fortresses in the area include:

• Moa Fort and Caravanserai: Located near the Jordanian border, this structure is made of dressed limestone. The fort overlooks the caravanserai in the plains. Only 3 meters (9.8 feet) of the fort’s walls and 1.25 meters (4 feet 1 inch) of the caravanserai’s walls remain. A well-planned water system, including a canal that fed a bathhouse, and agricultural tools have also been found here.

• Kasra Fort: Situated west of Moa on a hill above Kasra Wadi, this fortress has fossil limestone walls standing 3 meters (9.8 feet) high.

• Nekarot Fort: Located west of the site, this fortress has ruined parts of a square tower next to a courtyard.

• Makhmal Fort: This square-shaped fortress is in ruins, with walls 1.5 to 2 meters (4 feet 11 inches to 6 feet 7 inches) high, built of limestone blocks.

• Graffon Fortress: Similar to Makhmal, this fortress is also in ruins, with walls only about 1 meter (3.3 feet) high.

A large caravanserai is located west of the site. It was built using soft clay stones and burnt clay bricks. The structure included living rooms, cooking areas, washing spaces, and workplaces. Only about 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches) of its walls remain. Terraced agricultural land surrounds this caravanserai.

The Nabateans practiced agriculture in the desert, where yearly rainfall is about 100 millimeters (3.9 inches). They used an advanced irrigation system with hundreds of small dams, channels, cisterns, and reservoirs to collect floodwater. Agricultural fields have been found along riverbanks and hillsides in Avdat and the central Negev, where many stone water collection cairns are present.

Twenty-two milestones have been found in the Nafha Highlands and Ramon Makhtesh areas between Makhmal Fort and Saharonim Fort. These milestones are cylindrical with square bases made of stone. Field stones are also arranged in patterns at road crossings or religious sites. One such arrangement is 100 meters (330 feet) long. Sections of the road are visible in several parts of the route.