Hippos in Golan Heights
Israel - Eilat - Haifa - Jerusalem - Tel Aviv
The Hippos in Golan Heights was previously a Greco-Roman city which later turned into an archaeological site. Located on the eastern coast of the Sea of Galilee, the Hippos in Golan Heights is situated on the flat top of a diamond shaped mountain, which is 350m above the lake. The city and the mountain are almost completely separated from the surroundings. There is just a narrow 'saddle' bridge which leads to the slopes in the west of Golan Heights. The Hippos in Golan Heights has got a rectangular shape. Its length from east to west extends for about 650m and the maximum breadth is about 170m from north to south. Previously the whole city was encircled within an impressive fortification wall.
The plateau over which the Hippos in Golan Heights is built, when viewed from the top appears somewhat like the neck and head of a horse. So the place is named as Hippos which is an ancient Greek word that means horse. The excavations carried out at Hippos in Golan Heights has uncovered many things like the forum of the city, the official cult temple, a big Hellenistic temple courtyard, the city gates of the Roman and also two Byzantine churches. Golan Heights is a beautiful place to visit especially for those who love history since it is filled with historical sites. Apart from these it has many beautiful landscapes, waterfalls, picnic spots, interesting cycling and hiking trails for all the tourists.