 Tel Megiddo with the Holy District | ||
| Megiddo, Hebrew מגידו, Tell el-Mutesellim, Magidu | ||
| District | Northern District | |
|---|---|---|
| height | unknown | |
no value for height on Wikidata:  | ||
| Tourist information Tel | 972 (0)4-659-0316 | |
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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To the archaeological site of Tel Megiddo lies the Megiddo National Park, near the ancient site, Kibbutz Megiddo was founded in 1949. According to Christian tradition, Megiddo is the place of the end-time battle, the decision of Armageddon; the fortress was the site of various battles and has been part of the UNESCO world heritage.
background
The archaeological site with the excavations of the ancient city Megiddo lies on the settlement hill Tel Megiddo, which was placed under protection as a national park. The hill of Megiddo is in the southeast of the Jezreel plain, historically, the fortress dominated the intersection of two trade routes, the Via Maris between Egypt and Damascus and the road connection between Akko - Shechem - Jerusalem.
South of the ancient site is the modern settlement, which was founded in 1949 by German and Polish Holocaust survivors Kibbutz Meggido ; Even today, two important routes cross here, the main roads 65 (Hadera - Afula) and 66 (of Haifa south to the West Bank).
Due to the strategically favorable location at the pass crossing over the Carmel Mountains in the Jezreel plain the hill of Megido was settled thousands of years ago, around 3000 BC. the first city was fortified on the hill. The city, which experienced its first heyday in the Middle Bronze Age, was first established in the 15th century. B.C. mentioned. In 1479 it was taken by Pharaoh Thutmose III, who took military action against the opposed Canaanite princes under the leadership of the Prince of Kadesh. The city continued to develop and an extensive palace was built until the city around 1150 BC. was destroyed.
King David conquered the city around 1000 BC. from the Philistines who had settled here in the meantime. Under Solomon the city (at the same time as Hazor and Squeezed as strategically important sites), built a citadel and a new palace. After the division of the empire, Megiddo came to the Israelite northern empire, King Ahab probably had the famous horse stables built here, which had previously been ascribed to Solomon.
Around 733 the Assyrians under Tiglath-Pileseer III took control of Megiddo, a good hundred years later there was another battle at Megiddo. King sided with the Assyrians Josiah the army of the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho II and died in the course of the injuries sustained in the battle. The city's importance declined to around 586 BC. it was abandoned and the settlement hill was never populated again.
A new settlement was built in the area of a Roman army camp as Maximianopolis, under Arab rule the settlement was called al-Lajjun, among the crusaders they went to Latin Legio or Le Lyon back, after the reconquest by the Arabs in 1187, it was given the Arabic name again Lajjun. Around 1918 there was a decisive battle between the Allied expedition corps under General Allenby and the Ottomans at Megiddo, in 1947/48 there were fighting over the village during the Israeli liberation struggle, which was taken by the Haganah, which has been a strategically important position since 1948 Israeli heartland. In 1964, Megiddo was the site of an historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and the Israeli government on the occasion of the first papal trip to Israel.
First Excavations in Megiddo were 1903/05 under Gottlieb Schumacher the German Society for the Study of Palestine carried out, from 1925 until the outbreak of the Second World War was systematically excavated by the Orient Institute of the University of Chicago, the Hebrew University continued the work under Yigael Yadin 1960/71, since 1994 the Megiddo expedition of Tel Aviv University regularly on site.
getting there
By plane
Most overseas travelers will be by air via the Ben Gurion Tel Aviv Airport arrive.
By train / bus
The Jezreel plain is not yet supplied by rail, the plans for a railway line from Haifa to Afula and Bet She'an exist for a long time. Numerous bus routes run on the main road 65, for example, the intersection with the 66 during the day every 30 minutes from Egged of Tel Aviv from approached, the 3 km to the archaeological site can be covered on foot or with one of the various bus routes on the 66 drive one stop north.
In the street
From the motorway that runs along the Mediterranean coast 2 between the open plan Tel Aviv and Haifa one takes at the Qesaryya Interchange the main road to the east 65 in the direction Afulathat a little later the parallel to 2 leading main road 4 and then the toll motorway A6 crosses.
The junction at the intersection with the main road 66 in the direction Haifa is well marked, as is the sign from the street 66 to the national park.
Of Haifa from one uses the streets 75, 70 and then the 66 (Direction Jenin) to the junction to the national park and the archaeological area, from the region of Galilee you drive over Afula and further on 65 up to the mentioned intersection with the 66.
mobility
From the parking lot at the archaeological site resp. From the ticket booth and souvenir shop you climb the settlement hill on foot in approx. 5 minutes (300 m), the paths in the archaeological area with a diameter of 300 m can be done on foot. As a rule, at the end of the tour, you descend on long stairs into the underground water supply system with an ancient tunnel and reach a rear exit in the northwest (only exit possible, you don't have to climb the stairs again). Along an asphalt road, you can get back to the parking lot at the park entrance in 10 minutes (750 m), bus travelers in groups are usually picked up by their driver at the parking lot at the rear exit.
The climb to the archaeological site is a bit arduous, with outside assistance for 
But people in wheelchairs are feasible, even on the gravel paths in the archaeological site, people with walking difficulties can cope 
Stairs into Water system however, it is not feasible. On agreement with the park supervisor, you can talk to you from the rear exit 
Wheelchair lift access to the bottom of the Water tunnel receive.
Tourist Attractions
Megiddo National Park
- 1 Megiddo National Park. Tel.: (0)4-659-0316, Fax: (0)4-642-0312. Open: Summer 8 am-5pm, Oct-March 8 am-4pm.Price: 29/15 NIS.
A circular route is signposted from the park administration building with the ticket office: a footpath first leads up to the hill of the settlement.
- to the left of the entrance to the city is a stone age 2 cistern and a staircase to part of the gate system.
- through the northern 3 City gate from the late Bronze Age (with the characteristic transverse walls, which narrow the passage and form guard rooms) one enters the walled city area. The city gate was built into older fortifications, with Bronze Age palaces on the right.
- the path now leads past the inner one 4 City gate system from the time of King Solomon, it was made around 1000 BC. built.
A sidewalk branches to the left to one 5 Lookout point from which a great view of the Jezreel plain opens up.
- there is one in a cut in the terrain on the right 6 Sacral district, the Sacred Area. In this Bronze Age temple complex is a round altar excavated from uncut stones, to which steps lead up from the east.
- to the left, north of the path, are the foundations of a so-called 7 Solomonic palaces and the longitudinal portico of the stables from the time of Solomon or the subsequent Ahab.
- past a round dug into the ground 8 Granary (with one staircase to go down and one to go up) leads to a second one 9 Lookout point south of the large cut into the site with the sacral area, which was opened as part of the excavation work after 1925.
- from 10 South palace and the 11 South stables Little can be seen, the excavation work into the deeper layers continues.
That is a highlight of the whole city complex Water supply system ("Water System"), which was of vital importance for the city on the hill. A spring in the area in front of the city walls was closed off from the outside by a stone wall and made invisible from the outside. First a gallery was built to the headwaters, which was later replaced by an underground tunnel.
- a 12 Downstairs leads down to the beginning of an underground tunnel.
- the 80 m long horizontally driven through the field 13 tunnel ends in an underground cistern around the headwaters and made it possible to transport the vital drinking water into the city unseen by besiegers and under cover through the rock.
The path leads over a few steps to the 14 Back exit (no entry possible here), on a footpath along the asphalt road you can get back to the parking lot at the park entrance in 10 minutes (750 m) if you don't get into the waiting bus at the back entrance - as is often the case with organized trips can rise.
activities
The focus is on a visit to the archaeological site of Tel Megiddo, a multilingual multimedia show and a small exhibition with a model of the ancient Megiddo provide an overview of the situation in antiquity.
shop
There is a souvenir shop of the park administration on site, which also sells various brochures, drinks and ice cream. A second shop sells high-quality souvenirs and jewelry.
kitchen
There is a snack restaurant and shaded picnic tables in the building of the national park administration, there are also toilets and drinking water points in the building.
nightlife
The national park is closed at night.
accommodation
Overnight stays in the national park area are prohibited.
health
Practical advice
At the park administration, a brochure is given upon entry, a multimedia show and small exhibition with a model of the city at the time of King Solomon provides information about the history of the place and makes it easier to find your way around the excavation site.
Toilets and drinking water points are also located in the park administration buildings.
Local cell phone coverage only, there is also a public phone in the park administration building.
literature
Web links
- Website of the archaeological Megiddo Expedition, engl.
