At the foot of the old Citadel a bench adds color to the black basalt stone you see everywhere in Tiberias.
I think there is a cafe up on the roof. But otherwise the 265 year old fortress is pretty much neglected and abandoned.
Happy "Bench on Friday" to RuneE at Visual Norway and all the other bench bloggers..
Isn't it sad to leave such of fortsd abandoned?
ReplyDeleteIt would be quite a tourist attraction won't it?
It is not often that one sees a bench that is so clearly BLUE! But, I agree with you and Ann: it is a pity that such old and historically valuable buildings are not taken proper care of. But I'm afraid that is a Global-wide problem.
ReplyDeleteThe tree and the bench work very well together! Too bad that the building cannot be preserved as well as the bench.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pity that this building is ruined. On the other hand: ruins have more historic atmosphere. I am always curious why and when and how the building was used. It kindles my imagination!
ReplyDeleteI notice a tree growing in the tower behind the railing; I wonder if it is in a pot, or not! Thanks for including the sign. I was interested that there is a menorah on one of the walls, even though the fort was built by a non-Jews.
ReplyDeleteI would dearly love to visit that cafe.
ReplyDeleteThat first photo is terrific, Dina! These old structures are so interesting and full of mystery.
ReplyDeleteDo you know why so little attention is given towards restoration on this particular structure?
ReplyDeleteDimple, secondary use of building stones was common. The men needed a nicely cut stone, it didn't matter if it had a menorah or not. Once I saw a simple old Arab house in the West Bank re-using a Jewish stone for the lintel, and the menorah was upside down.
ReplyDeleteTo all who asked about the lack of restoration of the citadel, I can only give you my impressions and gut feelings after 3 weeks in Tiberias. The whole town seems to be run-down, not just the antiquities. Over the decades, the town has been populated with new immigrants from poor Eastern Europe and North Africa. I think the little money that the municipality has must be concentrated on social services and housing. The money that is invested to attract foreign and Israeli tourism goes into big hotels. Restoration of falling down antiquities costs a lot, and not everyone is interested in visiting old stones. Jerusalem is the city that everyone loves and that foreign philanthropists love to give funding to. Not Tiberias.
Petrea, I bet that cafe has no wireless.
ReplyDeleteDimple, dunno about the tree. It was getting dark and I didn't see a way up and not a soul was in sight for a block around, so I didn't venture up there. The sign in the tower mentioned an art gallery, but it obviously failed.