In many sources about the city of Beersheba (Israel), there are quite contradictory and ambiguous reviews. Someone writes that it is a sultry provincial town located in a desert area, and someone says that it is a rapidly developing locality. To form your own opinion about Beersheba, you need to come here and walk around the city.
General information about the city of Beersheba in Israel
Beersheba is a city with a history of more than 3.5 millennia. Here Abraham dug a well to water his flocks, and here he made a covenant with the king and sacrificed seven sheep. That is why the name of the city in translation means “Well of seven” or “Well of the oath”.
The capital of the Negev is located near the southern border of Judea The distance to Jerusalem is a little more than 80 km, to Tel Aviv-114 km. Beersheba is the largest city in southern Israel and the fourth largest in the country. The locality is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible, although the modern appearance of the city took only in 1900. Tourists who believe that there is nothing interesting here except the desert are mistaken. A trip to Beersheba will dramatically change your impression of this Israeli city, which looks like American megacities.
Interesting fact! The city of Beersheba in Israel is the only settlement in the Middle East where the square was named after the creator of Turkey-Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
The modern settlement was founded in 1900. Beersheba is the name of an ancient settlement that was previously located on the site of the city. In three years, 38 houses were built here, and the population was 300 people. Construction continued — a mosque was built, a viceroy’s house was built, and a railway connecting the city with Jerusalem was laid in Beersheba. Thus, at the beginning of the 20th century, a large industrial center appeared on the map of Israel. Today, about 205 thousand people live here.
The weather in Beersheba is typical of the steppe zone — in summer it is hot, there is no rain. Precipitation occurs only in winter, most of it falls in January. There are sandstorms at night and fogs in the morning. In summer, the air temperature rises to +33°C (+18°C at night), and in winter it decreases to +19°C (+8°C at night). Due to the low humidity of the air, the heat is more easily tolerated than in coastal cities.
Historical excursion
Previously, the site of Beersheba was a fairly large commercial and religious center of Canaan. Over the years, the settlement was ruled by the Romans, Byzantines, Turks and the British. Unfortunately, the new government ruthlessly destroyed all traces of their predecessors ‘ presence in the city. That is why the history of Beersheba in Israel has remained mostly on the pages of history textbooks.
In the 19th century, after the destruction that the Arabs brought with them, only ruins and a scorched desert remained on the site of the settlement. The Ottomans revived the city, while the plan assumed a clear chessboard structure — avenues and streets were located strictly perpendicular. During the rule of the Ottoman Empire, important religious and social facilities appeared in the city: a railway, a mosque, schools, and the viceroy’s house. However, the accelerated pace of construction did not prevent the British from attacking the city, knocking out the Turks from its territory. This happened in 1917.
Modern Beersheba is a bright, spacious, green city, which locals call the university, because Ben-Gurion University is located here. The appearance of the settlement differs from typical Israeli settlements — you will not find typical Israeli bridges, but there are many decent restaurants in the old quarters.
Interesting fact! The second largest Soroka Hospital has been built in Beersheba, and the historical part of the city, along with the national park, is listed as a World Heritage Site.
Beersheba Tourist Attractions
The centuries-old history of the Israeli settlement has left a rich cultural and religious heritage and, of course, many attractions. Nevertheless, today Beersheba claims the status of a high-tech settlement.
Travelers enjoy exploring the old neighborhoods, and make sure to check out Derech Hebron Street, where a Biblical spring has been preserved. Nearby is the Abraham’s Well Museum, where computer technology and animation demonstrate the development of Beersheba. Most of the attractions are concentrated in the historical quarters. Children are happy to visit the thematic museum, where they are introduced to the history of the development of railway communication, as well as the city zoo. For more than a century, the urban population has been coming to the Bedouin bazaar, where exotic goods are presented — carpets, copper products, oriental sweets, spices, hookahs.
Beersheba has many green spaces. A weaving factory is located in the industrial park area. 5 km from the city is a national park, where the ruins of an ancient settlement dating back to the 11th century BC are preserved, and there is an Israeli Aviation Museum. Nahal Beersheba Park, located in the forest, invites you to escape from the sweltering heat. The 8 km long park area includes hiking trails, playgrounds, and picnic areas.
Interesting fact! The city of Beersheba has no access to the sea, but the authorities managed to mitigate this disadvantage — a huge fountain with a length of 5 km was installed in the City Park, and a beach was equipped near it.
For fans of active recreation, there is a sports complex “Kunhiya”, an area for skating.
Aref El-Aref Residence
In 1929, Aref-el-Aref took up the position of governor, and built a house opposite his own residence. The columns for the building were brought from Jerusalem. A fountain has been preserved in the courtyard. Today, the building is occupied by a construction company that reconstructed the building. The villa was completely different from most of the yellow sandstone houses in the city.
Useful to know! Aref-el-Arefa is an Arab historian, politician, well-known public figure, journalist, and an officer in the Turkish army. During the war, he spent three years in Russian captivity.
Israel Aviation Museum
Located near the Hatzerim air base, it is considered the best aviation museum not only in Israel, but also in the world. The collection includes airplanes, helicopters of different historical periods, and civil aviation. There are anti-aircraft artillery, missile systems, elements of downed aircraft, and air defense systems. The collection includes modern aircraft models, vintage vehicles that took part in historical events. Among the equipment there are many copies of the period of the Second World War, there is an exhibition dedicated to Soviet aviation.
Photo: Beersheba, Israel.
It is noteworthy that the military base was built by local residents, not the British. In 1966, the first flight academy was opened on its territory. The museum complex was founded in 1977, but the attraction opened to the public only in 1991.
Interesting fact! The founder of the complex is the commander of the military flight base Yaakov Turner. Major General David Ivry helped implement the idea.
Practical information:
- tourists are shown historical films, the viewing hall is equipped right in the cabin of the Boeing plane;
- you can visit the exhibition every day except Saturday from 8-00 to 17-00, on Friday-it is open on a reduced schedule – until 13-00;
- ticket price: adult-NIS 30, children-NIS 20;
- you can get to the attraction by bus-No. 31, departure every hour, as well as by train, see the schedule on the official website of the railway;
- infrastructure: gift shop, cafe, recreation area, playgrounds, park.
Negen Museum of Art
The attraction consists of four small rooms where temporary exhibitions are held. The building was built in 1906 and is part of a complex of government buildings.
The museum is located in a two-story building. The facade is decorated with vaulted arches. The interior design fully corresponds to the status of the governor’s house. During the First World War, officers of the British Army lived here. In 1938, a girls ‘ school was located here. In the mid-20th century, the building housed the local municipality. Two decades later, the governor’s residence began to be used as an art branch of the Archaeological Museum.
Useful to know! In 1998, the building was declared an emergency. Reconstruction was carried out from 2002 to 2004.
A modern attraction is two exhibition galleries, where temporary expositions are presented. Here you can always see the works of famous and young Israeli masters-sculptors, artists, photographers.
There is also an Archaeological Museum on site, which displays artefacts discovered during excavations near Beersheba. The exhibition describes in detail the history of the settlement of the city in Israel, from the Hellenic stage to the present day.
Interesting fact! A separate exhibition is dedicated to traditions in Judaism and Jewish culture. The museum has an extensive library, so students often come here.
Practical information:
- Address: 60 Ha’atsmut Street;
- opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday – from 10-00 to 16-00, Wednesday-from 12-00 to 19-00, Friday and Saturday – from 10-00 to 14-00;
- ticket price-adult-NIS 15, children-NIS 10;
- you can get to the attraction by bus number 3 or number 13, as well as by train.
British War Cemetery
Soldiers who died during the First World War defending the approaches to Jerusalem from an attack by the Ottoman Empire are buried in the cemetery. The cemetery is organized according to the British principle-everyone is equal before God. Here, officers and privates, Muslims and Jews, Protestants and Catholics are buried in one row. There are still graves of unidentified soldiers in the cemetery. Many of the remains were moved to Beersheba from Jerusalem.
Useful to know! The attraction is located on Mount Scopus near the Hadassah Hospital and not far from the university.
The tradition of signing tombstones began thanks to Fabian Weir — a British Red Cross volunteer. The authorities supported the initiative of the soldier and conducted a census of those killed in the First World War, for this purpose a state commission for the management of war graves was created.
On the territory of the attraction there is a memorial in honor of the soldiers who died in Egypt during the First World War. A total of 1,241 people are buried in the cemetery.
Tel Beersheba National Park
The landmark in Beersheba in Israel is famous and popular among tourists. Historians often come here. In this part of Israel, ten archaeological layers were discovered, and an ancient water pump was found. By the way, thanks to the excavations, experts have determined that even in Biblical times people had engineering knowledge and applied it in practice.
All detected objects have been reconstructed. Most of the ancient settlement was inhabited by residential buildings, the market was located at the city gate,and the streets radiated from it. The main building in the city was a granary, unique in the fact that traces of grain were found in it. The largest building in ancient Beersheba is the ruler’s castle.
Interesting fact! During archaeological work on the territory of a settlement in Israel, a horned altar was discovered. The Bible says that horns are sacred — if you touch them, a person becomes inviolable.
Practical information:
- you can get to the attraction by following the Beersheba highway, follow it to the Shoket intersection, which is located south of Bedouin settlements (10 minutes from Beersheba);
- opening hours: from April to September-from 8-00 to 17-00, from October to March-from 18-00 to 16-00;
- ticket price: NIS 14 for adults and NIS 7 for children.
Where to stay and the cost of meals
The Booking service offers 20 accommodation options for tourists. The most budget option — $ 55-is a two-bedroom apartment. A classic double studio room in a 3-star hotel starts at$ 147, while a superior room costs$184.
As for food, there are no problems in Beersheba. There are many cafes and restaurants, and you can also have a snack in McDonald’s restaurants. Prices range from$ 12.50 for lunch at McDonald’s to$ 54 for an average dinner at a restaurant for two.
How to get to Beersheba
The nearest airport to the city is Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. You can get there by train. The journey takes about 2 hours, and the fare is NIS 27. Trains depart directly from the airport terminal and go to the Ha Haganah stop in Tel Aviv, where you will have to change to another train going to Beersheba. There are also flights from Haifa and Netanya.
Buses run from Tel Aviv to Beersheba:
- No. 380 (follows from the Arlozorov terminal);
- No. 370 (departs from the bus station).
The ticket price is NIS 17, and the frequency of flights is every 30 minutes.
Important! On Friday, public transport does not run after 15: 00, so you can only leave Tel Aviv until 14: 00. The only way to get to Beersheba is by taxi or transfer.
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