Back to: The desert - Visiting Masada

We also visited Masada which is a fortification in the Israeli desert.

If you want to you can walk up the mountain by foot or take the cable car to the top. I walked up, for one because I like hiking and the other reason is the fantastic view you have during the hike.  It’s breathtaking! You can see extremely far (till Jordan) und during lunchtime most parts of the so called “Snake-Path” are in the shadow.

It's not that difficult to walk, as you can see I don't even wear my hiking boots ;) But they would have been to warm anyway ;)

 

During the hike to the mountain top, you have circa 300 m. difference in altitude.

When you are at the top of the mountain you can see as far as your eyes can reach and everywhere on the rather isolated rock plateau there are pieces and ruins of the Israeli fortification Masada.

Masada was build between 40 and 30 b. Chr. and was thought of as unconquerable. From the rock plateau you have a good overview of the surrounding areas and thanks to an intelligent system for water and food it was quite impossible to starve out the people in there.

But the Romans conquered the fortification in the year 73 a. Chr. and destroyed it.

There are plates with information’s all over the top and some small models of how Masada looked before it was destroyed. It’s really cool =)

It’s told that the Israeli rebels and their families, which were hiding at Masada, killed themselves. The rather wanted to die honourable, than live in misery. Till today they are kept in mind as heroes. I'm not sure what I should think about that heroship...

The Israeli soldiers swear till today with the words “Masada shall not fall again”.

Masada is lying in the “Masada national park” and is an UNESCO World Heritage since 2001.

After Masada we visited the death sea, but unfortunatelly I didn't took any pictures there =(

Till then, enjoy it!

Fiona