Caesarea - The Ancient Roman CityCaesarea is a small city on the Mediterranean coast on the way between Tel Aviv and Haifa. It is mainly known for its glorious past as a Roman city.The city was given as a gift to king Herod the Great by Caesar Augustus in the year 30 BCE. Herod named the city after his Caesar. 
As far as construction is concerned king Herod was quite a guy. It took him a couple of decades but Herod built an incredible city including: harbor, walls, temples, amphitheater, fountains using water from miles away and a modern drainage system. The city was very impressive and is comparable to Herod’s construction work in Masada and Jerusalem. Not for nothing he was named ‘The Great’. 
Cesarea was actually the capital of Israel for a few centuries after being established by Herod. 
Above you can see a part of the ancient Roman aqueduct (a conduit that resembles a bridge but carries water over a valley). Picture by Hoyasmeg. 
In later times Byzantine Cesarea grew even larger than during Herod’s time and when emperor Anastasius was in power (491-518) there were many public buildings, shops and a hippodrome. In later centuries the city changed hands and control a few times between the Islamic conquest and the crusaders. The battles over the city left destruction and for a few centuries until the end of the 19th century it was only a small village. On the left is a picture of the mosaic in the Roman bath house. Picture By Hoyasmeg. Cesarea today is quite a tourist attraction. Following archeological digging in the city – a beautiful antiquities park was opened to the public. By visiting the city you can get a very good idea of how an ancient Roman city looked like. You can walk along the city walls and temples and watch a performance at the rebuilt amphitheater – if there is one when you visit. The Caesarea amphitheater is one of my favorite places in the world to watch a concert as the atmosphere is very unique. 
In the crusaders fortress you can find a great restaurant that is called (what a surprise) ‘The Crusaders’. The food is really good and you literally sit above the water. If you have enough time check out the beach – it is clean and fun to bath in. 
My son Rafi is (patiently) waiting for the food... The crusaders restaurant in Caesarea, Israel. The modern town of CaesareaA walking distance from the antiquities park and the tourist attractions there is a small town called after the ancient city. In Hebrew - Kaysaria. Many of Israel’s rich and powerful residents are living in this town which also has some of the best hotels in Israel and one of only a few Golf courses (Golf is not that big in Israel to say the least).So…On the way from Tel Aviv to the northern part of Israel, I hope you will stop at Cesarea for a few hours. I guarantee you’ll love it! Return from Caesarea to the Home Page |