SHIVTA NATIONAL PARK

Shivta differs from other nabatéennes towns in the Negev, which are not on a main commercial road. Built without walls, the city was probably a large farming village.

Roman ruins dating from the period of the founding of Shivta (th century BC) can be admired in the southern part of the city. Most of the remains date from the Byzantine era (from the th to the th century. ). In the absence of natural water sources, Shivta's water supply was based on surface runoff, requiring meticulous urban planning to drain water from the northern roofs of the city to large reservoirs located in the centre. However, an additional water supply was made possible by the construction of an aqueduct that brought water from a high point located 2,5 km northeast of the city.

By exploring the ruins, do not miss the main church, the two secondary churches and the monks'cells. One of the other particularities of the park is the Colt house (now the Shivta Farm), which was used by the archaeologists led by H. Colt (the son of the famous American arms manufacturer) who fouillèrent Shivta from 1933 to 1934.