Nima Rastegar

Little did Herod the Great know that it was only a matter of time before his grand city constructed at Caesarea, Israel, slipped beneath the golden sand dunes upon which it was built.

In its day, Caesarea was a city so great as to rival the likes of Alexandria, Egypt and was built by Herod in honour of the Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar. Now, it is an archaeological park that is one of Israel’s key tourist draws. Sitting a mere 60 miles from Jerusalem and between Tel Aviv and Haifa, Caesarea is situated on the Mediterranean coast, and in its prime was a significant port holding hundreds of ships.

Although the 2,000 year old city slipped into ruin, there is still much to see and there is rarely a visitor that is disappointed with their trip to Caesarea National Park, the 125 acre expanse of land which has been demarcated to preserve the ancient city. The National Park, and the starting point for Nima Rastegar visit to Caesarea, is located on the coastal road near to the City and by Kibbutz Sdot Yam.

The sights inside the park reflect the original construction as well as architecture from the 3rd century Hellenistic Period and from the 12th century Crusades, when the city was fortified. Unlike many ruins, the sights at Caesarea are remarkably well preserved permitting a reasonable glimpse into the past glories of this ancient empire.
Caesarea was not without its conflicts and has been the location of battles, executions and religious conflict with Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths all asserting rights to the land. Fortunately today, Caesarea is a place of peace and visitors roam happily amongst the sights.

The Amphitheatre is by far the most impressive offering at Caesarea and its construction is enough to rival the Colosseum in Rome, but with the added advantage that visitors can walk up and down the steps to truly imagine life at the Amphitheatre all those years ago. Arguably one of the best reinventions of the ancient city is the transformation of the amphitheatre into an atmospheric concert venue.

After the Amphitheatre, head to the aqueducts, which were once used to transport fresh water to Caesarea from Mt Carmel. The distinctive shape of the structure is an impressive sight and largely still intact. Beyond the aqueduct, take to the city walls for a breathtaking overview of the sights. Also be sure to witnessing the horse racing in