Persian Quarter and Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Persian Quarter

   Haifa climbs the northern slope of Mount Carmel in tiers, and halfway up, a golden dome catches the light above a staircase of gardens that tumbles all the way down to the old German Colony and the port. This is the Bahá'í World Centre, and the dome crowns the Shrine of the Báb, the founder figure of the Bahá'í faith, whose remains were brought here from Persia and interred on the mountainside. The nineteen terraces around it, with clipped lawns, gravel paths, cypresses and fountains, are among the most meticulously kept gardens anywhere, and together with the shrine of Bahá'u'lláh near Acre across the bay they form a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Persian connection runs through everything here, from the faith's origins in nineteenth-century Iran to the formal geometry of the planting.

   Read the complete Persian Quarter write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Persian Quarter is where the day begins. Next is House of ‘Abbúd.

2. 2. House of ‘Abbúd

   Acre sits at the northern tip of Haifa Bay, on a small peninsula that has been a port since the Bronze Age, and the House of Abbud is one of the Ottoman-era buildings of its old town, in a maze of stone lanes about a kilometre from the walls.

   Read the complete House of ‘Abbúd write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   House of ‘Abbúd comes up about 26 km into the recorded legs. Next is Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of.

3. 3. Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of

   In the second century AD, after the failed revolts against Rome, the centre of Jewish life moved to Galilee, and the Sanhedrin, the supreme rabbinical council, settled for a time at Bet She'arim, on a hill at the western edge of the Jezreel valley. Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi, the patriarch who compiled the Mishnah, the first great codification of Jewish law, lived here, and when he was buried in the necropolis, Jews from all over the diaspora wanted to be buried near him. The result is a vast network of catacombs carved into the soft limestone, listed by UNESCO in 2015.

   Read the complete Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 61 km into the recorded legs you reach Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of. Next is back through House of ‘Abbúd.

4. 4. back through House of ‘Abbúd

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete House of ‘Abbúd write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through House of ‘Abbúd, late in the day. Next is Persian Quarter.

5. 5. Persian Quarter

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Persian Quarter write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Persian Quarter. That is the ride.