Middle East - Anthony Ham [246]
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TIBERIAS
04 / pop 40,100
Though not exactly an attractive lakeside town in the fashion of European hotspots like Garda or Geneva, Tiberias makes a convenient jumping-off spot for exploring the Sea of Galilee. With its tombs of Jewish sages and ancient ritual baths, it’s a popular holidaying spot for the ultra-Orthodox, who crowd its concrete high-rise hotels in high season. Come expecting the picturesque, though, and you’ll be sorely disappointed. Most of the town itself is a ’70s throwback decidedly lacking in glam or intrigue. You’ll need to head out further around the shores of the Sea of Galilee to find that magical, mystical feeling associated with the evocative, biblical name.
Information
Bank Leumi (HaBanim St) and Mizrahi Bank (HaBanim St)both charge a 4% commission.
Exchange Office (HaBanim St; 10am-7pm) No commission money changer.
Main post office (cnr HaYarden & HaBanim Sts; 7am-6pm Sun-Thu, 7am-noon Fri) Also changes travellers cheques.
Solnan Communication ( 672 6470; 3 Midrahov; per hr 20NIS; 8am-11pm) Internet café and international phone office.
Tourist office ( 672 5666; 9 HaBanim St; 9am-4.30pm Sun-Thu, 9am-1pm Fri) Located in the Archaeological Park, this office has free maps of Tiberias, Nazareth and the Galilee area.
Sights
The dignified but utterly incongruous mid-18th-century Al-Amari Mosque is one of the few historic structures in Tiberias’ Old Town; a second mosque, the waterfront Jama al-Bahr (1880), with a special entrance for those arriving by boat, now stands forlorn and abandoned. The pretty St Peter’s Church ( mass 6pm Mon-Sat, 8.30pm Sun), also on the waterfront, was originally built by 12th-century Crusaders, but the present structure dates from 1870. The boat-shaped nave is a nod to St Peter’s piscatorial profession.
If experiencing Tiberias itself is not enough, you could always spend some time at the Galilee Experience ( 672 3620; adult/student US$6/5; 9am-10pm Sun-Thu, 9am-4pm Fri), presenting an hourly audiovisual program in 12 languages, which recounts the story of Galilee, bringing in Abraham, Jesus, Napoleon and Israeli General Moshe Dayan along the way.
Uphill from the centre, the Tomb of Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon (Ben Zakkai St) is the final resting place of the Spanish physician, also known as Maimonides or Rambam, who worked in the court of the Muslim ruler Saladin. This revered rabbi, who died in 1204, was one of 12th-century Egypt’s most highly regarded sages. Legend has it that before his death in Cairo, he instructed followers to load his remains onto a camel and bury him wherever the camel expired. The creature apparently didn’t quite make it downhill for a dip in the lake.
Around 2km south of town, the archaeological site Hamat Tiberias National Park (adult/child 12/6NIS; 8am-5pm) was once the site of a famous Roman hot springs, though its major feature is a small synagogue dating from the 3rd to 5th centuries BC, with a beautiful zodiac floor. A small museum is housed in the reconstructed Turkish bathhouse. Walk here (30 minutes) or take infrequent bus 2 or 5.
Tours
If you’re a keen archaeologist, get in touch with Tiberias Excavations ( 02-582 5548; tiberiasexcavation.com)which holds annual week-long digs just outside Tiberias, run by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Costs for participation and accommodation vary; contact the group for more details.
Sleeping
HI Meyouhas Youth Hostel ( 672 1775; 2 HaYarden St; dm/s/d 90/180/270NIS)Once upon a time the swish Hotel Tiberias, built in 1862, this is a reasonable hostel though unsurprisingly lacking in the atmosphere of its glory days. Bare rooms are brightened with a few personal touches, and the views from the balconies are lovely. Take a room at the back to avoid traffic noise.
YMCA Peniel-by-Galilee ( 672 0685; www.ymca-galilee.co.il; s/d 200/290NIS; ) Put all thoughts of