Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev
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| Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev (Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta)* | |
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| State Party |  Israel |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii, v |
| Reference | 1107 |
| Region† | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2005 (29th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev is a World Heritage-designated itinerary in the Negev, southern Israel. The site of patrimony was proclaimed of outstanding universal value by UNESCO in 2005.
The four Nabatean towns of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta, along with associated fortresses and agricultural landscapes in the Negev Desert, are spread along routes linking them to the Mediterranean end of the Incense and Spice route. Together they reflect the hugely profitable trade in frankincense and myrrh from south Arabia to the Mediterranean, which flourished from the 3rd century BC until to 2nd century AD. With the vestiges of their sophisticated irrigation systems, urban constructions, forts, and caravanserai they bear witness to the way in which the harsh desert was settled for trade and agriculture.
The site consists of desert settlements which flourished during the frankincense and myrrh trade of ancient times:
[edit] See also
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