Qala'at al-Subeiba / Tel Faher |
// View photographs // Qala'at al-Subeiba, built by the Arabs in the 13th century and known by the Jews as Mivtzar Nimrod or Nimrod's Fortress, sits on a ridge on the Golan Heights below Mount Hermon. It looks out over the Hula Valley, north of the Sea of Galilee, through which the highway from the coast to Damascus once ran. The arches of the doorways and the high ceilings of the chambers on its battlements reach graceful points. Stairs disappear into pitch darkness and the distant hills fade into the heat haze. The wind in the trees makes a wistful, haunting sound. There is a watchfulness to the silence here that suggests the centuries that Qala'at al-Subeiba has seen. I have visited Qala'at al-Subeiba twice, first as a teenager fresh from school living on a kibbutz then 26 years later with my children. It is the most beautiful ruin I know. ..................................................................................[Tel Faher], situated in the northern Golan Heights region, is so quiet and pleasant today, making it difficult to believe that one of the most famous and terrible battles of the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War of 1967 took place here. On this hill was a Syrian outpost, surrounded by trenches and mine fields. After an intense battle, a unit of the Golani Brigade managed to conquer the outpost. In memory of the soldiers who fell in this battle a monument and an impressive memorial area were built here, and today a trail is offered here which passes by the Syrian trenches system (with its communication trenches and bunkers). The trail is well-indicated and includes signposts and an audio system which describes the development of the battle. And the views… one cannot ignore the breathtaking views which this strategic point offers: the vast areas of the Golan and the Hula Valley in all of their splendor. Arrival through road number 99, near the Banias Nature Reserve. (israeltraveler.org)
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