The Timna National Park is of great interest to tourists who are vacationing in the Israeli resort of Eilat. It is part of the Wadi al-Arab Desert and is located 23 kilometers north of Eilat. The total area of the park reaches 60 kilometers.
About 10 million years ago, there was a rift in the earth`s crust, which stretched from Asia Minor to Africa. This rift exposed many minerals that began to be mined in the Neolithic era. The valley of the Timna National Park is shaped like a horseshoe. On all sides, it is squeezed by rocks that have different shades of color: red, black, yellow, white.
Historical sights of Timna Park
Timna Park is the oldest place on Earth, where the Egyptians began industrial mining of copper in the 14th century BC. Copper is a very soft metal, so people learned to process it earlier than iron. Weapons, tools of rural labor, and jewelry were made of copper. The famous Eilat Stone, which belongs to the category of semi-precious stones, was found in the Timna Park. It is a mixture of lapis lazuli and malachite.
Copper mines are narrow holes that descend several tens of meters deep into the rocks. To this day, several dozen mines have been preserved, and once there were thousands of them. In the museum at the entrance to the park, you can see how the ancient copper-smelting furnace looked like, as well as the tools used for mining.
According to one version, copper was mined here in the era of the biblical King Solomon, so Timna Park was called "King Solomon`s Mines". A large number of adventure films were made about these mines in the world cinema. Later it was proved that the copper was mined here not by the Israelite King Solomon, but by the Egyptians during the Ancient Kingdom.
At the foot of the Pillars of Solomon are the ruins of a small Egyptian temple of the Goddess Hathor. It was built in the 14th century BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Seti. The temple had the appearance of a square courtyard of 15 x 15 meters. Hathor was the goddess of love and motherhood.
On the slope of one of the rocks, you can see rock paintings that date back to the 15th century BC. They depict chariots, people and animals. These rock carvings are called "Chariots" and "Ireks". They were made by the first Egyptians who appeared in this land.
Natural attractions of Timna Park
The road, which is accessible by car, runs along the entire valley of the Timna National Park. Along the entire length of this road, there are numerous hiking trails that lead to the main attractions.
The most famous attraction of Timna Park is the Stone Mushrooms. They are weathered rocks, similar to those that can be seen in Turkish Cappadocia. The Mushrooms of Timna Park consist of red rocks. They have narrow "legs" and wide "hats".
There is also a Spiral Pillar in Timna Park. As a result of erosion and weathering, a spiral "ladder" was formed around the central pillar. Here you can see the Natural Arches. The arch can be accessed via a trail that runs along the Pink Canyon. The trail starts near the Mushroom, goes along the Timna stream, passes by the Roman Cave and ends at the Arch.
A very interesting natural attraction of Timna Park is the Solomon Pillars. These are red sandstone rocks that symbolize the pillars of the First Jewish Temple, which was built by King Solomon. Among these rocks, there are small paths that you can climb deep into.
Deep in the valley of the Timna Park is an artificial lake. A tourist center has been built on its shore. There is a café. On the shore of the lake you can sunbathe, relax on the sun beds. Bicycles can be rented here. The park has 14 kilometers of bike paths.
