Trip to the Timna Valley

The desert of southern Israel is as beautiful as it is hot. On Saturday, the group made the short drive up to the Timna Valley, located roughly 30 km north of Eilat, for a bit of hiking and sightseeing.

Map Credit: Google Maps. 

The area is full of interesting geology and archaeology. The colorful sandstone is rich in copper ore, and copper mining has taken place in the area since the 5th millennium BCE.

Green veins of copper-containing minerals within a coarse sandstone matrix. 

The valley has been made into a recreational park managed by the Jewish National Fund, and also contains a large nature reserve, protecting local populations of gazelle and ibex which roam the valley. We spent the day hiking around various parts of the park, observing the beautiful, desolate landscape and searching for signs of the ancient people who once occupied the valley in hopes of obtaining the precious copper ore.  Check out the slideshow below for some great pictures of the local geology, archaeology, and of course the local tourists (that's us!)

Trip to Timna