The Negev is Israels' main desert and home to many historical events from the ancient Nabataeans empire, to the 20th century Zionist story. The Negev was always a rural area in the Greek and Roman empires, and that allowed a new empire to form - the Nabataeans ruled the Negev from the 4th century BC and for more than 1,000 years, trading Moore and Frankincense along the Incense route from Arabia to the Gaza port and from the to Athens and Rome. The Negev is also a Zionist story, seen by the Jewish leaders as a key to a sustainable statehood. In the 1940's Israel built dozens of settlements in the desert, cultivated the land and brought water all the way from the Sea of Galilee, which shifted UNSCOM's decision to grant the Negev to Israel in the Partition plan on Nov 29 1947.
The Negev is filled with beautiful places, amazing sun rises and sunsets, amazing oasis of fresh water, 3 unique craters that tell a wonderful geological phenomena and stories from here to the moon. Many places to visit:
The desert belongs not only to us but also the "Yeelim" (mountain goats) who live here.
Sun rise in the desert.
The Ramon crater, a unique geological phenomena that an only be found here.
Road 10 on the Egyptian border.
Mt. Sagi, one of the hights places in the Negev.
Ein Uvdat, an oasis with fresh water all year long.
Nabataeans cities of Memphis, Uvdat, Shivta, Nitsana and several khans along the Incense road - a UNESCO heritage site.
Ancient church in Shivta. some of these churches are the oldest in the world.
2000 years old Nabataeans water cistern.
A natural bath in the middle of the desert. You have to be there to believe it...
Touring the desert.
Other sites include the Scorpions ascend, an amazing ancient route; Sde Boker, the house and grave of David Ben Gurion; Ashalim power plant, 140MV solar project; Carcom mountain, burning bush and cave painting.
We visit the Negev in all our tours. On the 7 and 14 day tours we also spend a night in the desert.