Nov: Nature Nearby and Archaeology in the Northern District

Near Nov is the Irus Habitsot Nov nature reserve, also known as “Aho Nov.” Archaeological sites such as Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo, by contrast, are part of the broader Northern District travel destination.

Nature Near Nov

The nature reserve is a refuge for rare plants that grow in wet habitats, including the yellow flag iris and the common daffodil. The reserve is at the entrance to Hasfin. Blooming is seasonal, and the meadow is dry in summer; conditions for wildflowers therefore change over the course of the year. If you are especially interested in the plants, the time of year is an important part of this nature experience.

A short circular trail follows a walkway beside the access road back to the village parking lot. Its loop gives the walk a clear finish, while blooming conditions remain seasonal.

Archaeology in the Broader Northern District Travel Destination

At Tel Hazor in the Northern District, visits focus on the upper city. Its structures include Solomon’s Gate, a gate with six chambers and two towers dating to the 10th century BCE. The Canaanite palace used by the kings of Hazor in the 14th and 13th centuries BCE dates to the Late Bronze Age. It is considered the most elaborate palace in Israel and one of the most significant in the Levant. Tel Hazor’s fortifications are also considered the finest example of their kind in the area stretching from southern Turkey to the northern Negev. The gate and palace thus lead to different historical periods, while the fortifications offer another archaeological focus.

Tel Hazor preserves significant remains of an underground water-collection system, an ingenious engineering achievement adapted to the geography and designed to store water. In the water system, steps three meters wide are cut into the walls of the vertical shaft; the excavated shaft is 45 meters deep. The three meters refer to the width of the steps, while the 45 meters refer to the shaft’s depth. This makes the water technology understandable both in terms of its function and its construction.

Tel Megiddo offers a different archaeological focus in the Northern District. It is one of three tells preserving significant remains of cities with biblical associations and closely linked to events in the Bible. A temple complex from the Early Bronze Age is exceptional for the number of its temples, the continuity of its cult activity, and its documented ritual practices. In the Iron Age, Tel Megiddo’s orthogonal city plan had few parallels in the Levant. “Orthogonal” means laid out at right angles; the term helps explain the shape of the city plan. The temple complex and the city plan offer different perspectives on Tel Megiddo: cult activity and urban planning.

To choose based on historical interests, consider the different focuses: Tel Hazor combines water engineering, a gate, and fortifications; Tel Megiddo combines temple worship and urban planning. These regional examples can thus be distinguished by their engineering and military architecture or by their religious and urban history.

Discover more destinations: Tur'an, Kfar Hess, Lavi, Mizra‘, Amirim, Kahal, Sde Yoav, Kerem Ben Zimra.

See the broader travel overview: Israel.