Discover Ma'alot Tarshiha

Ma'alot Tarshiha brings together religious architecture, art venues, and activities for different age groups. For a cultural overview, it is worth considering each venue according to its own focus: churches represent different Christian traditions, while the Apter-Barrer Art Center brings together visual arts, crafts, and film. The Museum of the Founders is also part of the townscape; it is located in a residential neighborhood dating from the 1960s.

Churches and cultural sites

The Greek Orthodox Church in Ma'alot Tarshiha has a large dome and arches; its prayer hall is richly decorated with icons. The Greek Catholic Church in Tarshiha serves the local Christian community and belongs to the Melkite tradition. These represent two distinct perspectives: the Orthodox church is defined by its architecture and interior art, while the Catholic church is associated with the local community and the Melkite tradition. This distinction makes the town's different religious and cultural connections tangible.

The cultural sites also have different architectural histories. The Apter-Barrer Art Center and the art gallery are housed in a historic building that formerly served as a typical immigrant apartment block (Shikun Rakevet). The Museum of the Founders, by contrast, is located in a residential neighborhood dating from the 1960s. For the art center, the historical context refers to the building's former use; for the museum, it refers to the period when the neighborhood was established.

Art activities and events

The Apter-Barrer Art Center runs an art school and holds creative and arts-and-crafts workshops for children, teenagers, and adults. Its activities are therefore aimed at several age groups. If you are interested in a particular class, contact the center directly for information about current workshops and participation requirements.

The program also includes a documentary film workshop with an annual project. Its results are screened as part of Docaviv Galil, sometimes in the center's hall and sometimes at the municipal culture palace. In this way, the art center combines hands-on creative work with presentations of project results at two different venues.

Another art event tied to Passover is the sculpture festival at Lake Monfort: during the intermediate days of Passover, teachers and instructors from the Apter-Barrer Art Center hold art workshops there for parents and children. If you are planning a trip for these workshops, check the specific event dates and participation requirements in advance. The holiday connection makes this activity distinct in timing from the center's general program of classes and workshops.

Archaeological sites in the wider Northern District travel destination

In the wider Northern District travel destination, Tel Hazor offers a distinct archaeological focus. The visit centers on the upper city. Its highlights include Solomon's Gate, with six chambers and two towers dating from the 10th century BCE, and the Canaanite palace used by the kings of Hazor in the 14th and 13th centuries BCE.

Tel Hazor's water system is also remarkable: the excavated shaft is 45 meters deep, and steps three meters wide have been carved into its vertical walls. The complex represents an engineering achievement adapted to the geography for storing water. Tel Hazor's fortifications are considered the finest example of their kind in the area from southern Turkey to the northern Negev. These archaeological sites are part of the Northern District; in Ma'alot Tarshiha, the focus is instead on the churches, art, and cultural sites mentioned above.

Discover more destinations: Hosen, Menara, Yarka, Nazareth, Even Menachem, Yanuh-Jat, Kfar Vradim, Nes Harim

View the wider travel overview: Israel.