🏜️ Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev
Nabataean trade network and desert urbanism in Israel's Negev Desert
📋 Fast Facts
- UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2005 (ID 1107)
- Four Nabataean desert cities: Avdat, Haluza, Mamshit, and Shivta
- Active trade route from 3rd century BCE to 2nd century CE
- Transported incense, myrrh, spices, and luxury goods from Arabia to the Mediterranean
The Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev is an archaeological landscape spanning the southern Negev Desert in Israel, comprising four major Nabataean towns connected by a 100-kilometer trade corridor. This trans-desert network facilitated the movement of frankincense, myrrh, and other luxury commodities from southern Arabia to Mediterranean ports, representing one of antiquity's most significant long-distance trade systems. The site encompasses not only the four cities but also ...