Golan Heights - bees, Eucalyptus on a rough basalt plateau with ancient history
Wild beehive
The bees built this hive on a dry stalk!
The beehive was very active. It was built on a couple of straw-looking stems, dry and yellow. It didn't look like such flimsy infrastructure would hold this hive, with all its bees and honey. But it holds it, swaying in the wind and all. The bees found this place, an open field in the Golan, a perfect location for their productive colony.
Golan Heights
Map of the Golan Heights. Source: public domain
The Golan is a high basalt plateau north-east of the Sea of Galilee. It is an important location. it overlooks the Jordan Valley, the Kineret or Sea of Galilee, Tiberias on the west side of the Kineret, and further areas extending south and north.
Concrete structures, maybe a bunker, in chaotic arrangements, Golan Heights
A strategically important area, the Golan saw many battles since before the Roman Empire. 1973 and 1967 are two of the most recent wars fought over this territory between Israel and Syria. Today The western part of the Golan is held by Israel and the eastern part by Syria. Since 2014 multiple different militias are trying to establish forward bases in the Syrian Golan, among them Lebanese forces, Iranian militias, Syrian rebels and other factions.
Black basalt structure. Golan black basalt is in high demand as a building material. Golan Heights
On a recent trip to distant corners of the Golan Heights I found charming solitude here. Constant wind blew warm and dry. Fresh air carried a hint of Eucalyptus scent. Chaotic looking structures - concrete or the tough local black basalt rock - were scattered around, probably destroyed by tank fire or other heavy military gear.
These structures may have been used as shooting range targets
Sounds of nature
The rushing wind and buzzing bees were the only sounds around. A large tree provided much needed shade, a curved rock smoothed by decades of erosion acted as a comfortable duvet. I sat there taking in the beauty and enjoying the breeze.
Fenced mine field, Golan Heights
The eagles of Gamla
Gamla, Golan Heights. Image: public domain
Griffon vulture in flight, Gamla, Golan Heights
Photo: Вых Пыхманн, Griffon vulture (gyps fulvus) in flight, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Вых Пыхманн, Griffon vulture (gyps fulvus) in flight, CC BY-SA 3.0
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The Golan supported human habitation for hundreds of millennia. It had major cities such as Sussita (est. 200 BCE) which was a Polis (city-state), and Gamla, a city built on the narrow top of a vertical cliff, a sort of an eagle nest place.
Sussita, Golan Heights.
Photo credit: מיכאל איזנברג, Sussita, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credit: מיכאל איזנברג, Sussita, CC BY-SA 4.0
Indeed eagles live around the cliff. You'll see them gliding with the wind at eye level with us while standing on top of Gamla flat-top cliff. The eagles population here is in danger. Shocked by high voltage power lines and poisoned by agricultural poisoning. A local nature preservation association saves the eagles, breeds them and releases eagles in the area.
Relief in the shade
Traveling the trails-less-traveled of the Golan, you'll find serenity and nature. It will uplift your spirits, refresh your oxygen supply and charge your soul with positive energies.
Grafity, Golan Heights
I must visit the Golen after all the rian this year
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should be an amazing flower show these days and it will stay green long after most of the country yellows up
Nice post! When I was in Golan it was covered with snow! So nice to see these pictures with sun and heat!
thank you! there's so much more in the Golan than what I had time to cover
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