Shivta National Park

An ancient Nabatean and Byzantine city in the Negev Desert, 43 km southwest of Beersheba, Israel, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 as part of the Incense Route. Founded as a Nabatean caravanserai in the 1st-2nd century CE, Shivta preserves one of the best Byzantine-era settlements, with walls standing to the second story. The site features three churches, a mosque built beside the central church after the Islamic conquest, cobbled streets, and an elaborate water system. The Nabatean-Byzantine village produced an estimated two million liters of wine. It was abandoned in the 8th-9th century CE.