Travel Route: the Lost City – Hirbet Dan’ila, Loop-trail

מידע נוסף

Following road 899 from Shlomi (Eastwards), travelers pass the entrance to the Goren Park. Keep driving in this direction. If you have reached the entrance to the settlement of Granot Hagalil, you have missed the entrance you are looking for and must go back about a hundred meters (~109 yards). Search for the sign north to the Sarakh stream, and enter. After a drive of approximately one kilometer (~0.620 mile) come to a stop at the large parking lot; from the parking lot the signs and the grove will lead you to the antiquities site.
Albeit the name ‘Lost City’, the archeological site at hand was originally an agricultural farm from the early Roman period (first Century A.D) that turned into a small agricultural village during the Byzantine era (Fourth Century A.D) whose livelihood was based on growing olive groves and producing oil. The village was abandoned by its inhabitants and re-inhabited during the Crusader period (12th Century A.D) and again during the Mameluke period (14th Century A.D).
The ruins of the village were discovered by the archeologist Rafi Frenkel as early as the establishment of the State of Israel, but the preservation process, including the restoration and reconstruction of houses, alleyways, water holes and five oil presses, was completed only recently. Some of the oil presses were built from stone, while others were hewn from the rock; inspections date them to different eras, so that most of them did not work at the same time.
The Walking trail embarking from the parking lot is a loop-trail that returns to the starting point after a tour among the ruins. The short trail appeals to children as well, but due to the water holes discovered in the area, please make sure your children are close by. Have a pleasant trip.