Beer Sheba is the sixth largest city within the country of Israel and is known by several different names. You may see or hear this important administrative, cultural, and industrial capital of Negev called Beersheba, Beer Sheva, Be’er Sheba, or the Capital of the Negev. Regardless of what it is called, Beer Sheba is one of the oldest cities in the world (it dates back to the time of Abraham) and is an amazing place to visit today.
Here are the top 5 cool things to see while you’re in Beer Sheba:
(1) Abraham’s Well
Yes, this is the very same well that is mentioned in the Bible. Abraham’s well is where Abraham and his son Isaac made oaths of non-aggression with the Philistines. Abraham lived in the city of Beer Sheba for 26 years, and Isaac is said to have lived there for many years also.
By visiting Abraham’s well today, you can see just how many times it has been used by the evidence of the deep grooves where the ropes have worn away the rock over the years.
(2) Bedouin Market
This is the perfect opportunity to see a traditional, Middle Eastern working market. The market itself is made up of a large series of intersecting covered alleys where vendors sell their wares. You can find just about anything you can think of!
Thursdays are “open market” days, meaning that anyone can sell his or her products there.
(3) Neve Midbar
Beer Sheba is unlike many of the other major cities within Israel because it is not located close to any mountains or beaches. In fact, it is located in the center of a rocky and harsh desert — a desert that is home to gorgeous canyons and amazing remnants of ancient civilizations.
Within the desert you’ll also find Neve Midbar, the Spa in the Desert. It is the famous home of soothing natural mineral pools that contain sulfur, magnesium, bromine, potassium, sodium and calcium. The mineral waters are healing and purifying.
(4) Negev Brigade Memorial
Locally known as Andarta, the Negev Brigade Memorial was designed by Dani Karavan in memory of the members of the Palmach Negev Brigade who fell defending Israel during the 1948 Arab Israeli War.
The memorial itself, built between 1963 and 1968, is made of raw concrete and consists of 18 separate physical elements. Because of its unique size, shape, and stature, the memorial became a precursor for the land art movement (which was inspired by cubism and minimalism).
(5) The Old City
The Old City is a wonderful place to wander as it has its own unique characteristics that set it apart from the more modern areas of Beer Sheba. The Old City is filled with unusually constructed desert-style buildings unlike any that you will find in the United States.
At the center of the Old City you’ll find a commercial area, which on Fridays is filled with vendors selling arts and crafts. The city center is also the location of Abraham’s well.
Another of the Old City’s most popular attractions is the Governor’s House, which was built in 1906 by the Ottoman government. Today the Governor’s House and the former Old Mosque are both part of the Negev Museum.
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