Gamla, alt. sp. Gamala was an ancient Jewish city on the Golan Heights. It is believed to have been founded as a Seleucid fort during the Syrian Wars which was turned into a city under Hasmonean rule in 81 BCE. During the Great Revolt, it became an important stronghold for rebels and because of this Gamla is a symbol for the modern state of Israel and an important historical and archaeological site. It lies within the current Gamla nature reserve and is a prominent tourist attraction.
The acropolis of Gamla
Prospect of the Sea of Galilee as seen from the mountain top ruin of Gamla
Reconstruction of the Roman Ballista
Break in the fortress wall
The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a hilly region in southwest Syria. Most of the region has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War, and subject to a de facto Israeli annexation in 1981. Geologically, the term refers to a wider basaltic plateau bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon with Mount Hermon in the north and Wadi Raqqad in the east.
Temple of Pan at Banias and the white-domed shrine of Nabi Khadr in the background.
Ruins of the ancient Jewish city of Gamla, home to one of the earliest known synagogues. The city was destroyed by the Romans during the First Jewish–Roman War
Nimrod Fortress, built by the Ayyubids and hugely enlarged by the Mamluks
A minefield warning sign in the Golan
