Nahalal: Layout and History

Nahalal is known for its circular layout, which is visible from the air. In addition to this distinctive settlement design, the Slick, the cemetery and the historic People’s House offer different ways to connect with the area during your stay. You can explore both the character of the place and its history and exhibitions.

The Circular Layout

The layout is a striking feature of Nahalal: its circular shape can be seen from the air. This gives your trip planning a clear starting point, without the layout alone explaining the area’s other historical sites. You can consider the spatial impression as a subject in its own right and contrast it with the stories associated with the Slick and the cemetery. In this way, the settlement’s structure and its individual historical points of interest offer different perspectives on Nahalal.

The Slick and Its History

The Slick is located on the Abidov family’s property in Nahalal. Weapons belonging to the Haganah were hidden there. In the crucial period before the founding of the state, weapons were passed from the Slick to Haganah fighters. At the time, it was one of the largest and most central weapons caches. Concealment and distribution describe two aspects of its historical role: the Slick as a hiding place and the handing over of weapons to fighters.

Guided tours of the Slick with Ofer Abidov are available to the general public. He is a certified tour guide, belongs to the family on whose farm the Slick was built, and is a third-generation resident of Nahalal. If you would like to plan such a tour, check the current visiting arrangements in advance.

The Cemetery and Historic People’s House

Among those buried in Nahalal’s cemetery are the first people killed during the events of 1936. Others buried there include Moshe Dayan, Ilan Ramon and his son Asaf Ramon, Meir Shalev and Yehonatan Geffen. The cemetery is therefore a distinct historical point of interest, separate from the history of the Slick.

The historic People’s House features a permanent exhibition and temporary exhibitions. The two formats offer different exhibition experiences; check the current program before your visit to see which temporary exhibitions are on display. If you plan your time in Nahalal by theme, you can treat the historic Slick, the cemetery and the People’s House as separate stops, each with its own focus.

Archaeological Sites in the Wider Destination of the Northern District

In the wider destination of the Northern District, Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo offer additional archaeological sites. At Tel Hazor, the visit focuses on the Upper City. Among its structures is Solomon’s Gate, with six chambers and two towers dating from the 10th century BCE. The Canaanite palace was used by the kings of Hazor in the 14th and 13th centuries BCE; the Late Bronze Age palace is described as the most elaborate in Israel and one of the most important in the Levant.

Tel Hazor also preserves significant remains of an underground water collection system. In its vertical shaft, steps three metres wide are cut into the walls; the excavated shaft is 45 metres deep. Tel Megiddo is a biblical tell with significant remains of a city associated with biblical accounts. Its Early Bronze Age temple complex is considered exceptional because of the number of its temples, the continuity of cult activity and the documented ritual activities. The orthogonal city plan from the Iron Age has few parallels in the Levant.

Discover more destinations: Petah Tikva, HaZore‘im, Isfiya, Beit Alfa, Sitria, Ein Yahav, Sde Yoav, Had Nes.

Return to the main travel overview: Israel.