Tiberias Sights

  1. Al-Amari Mosque

    As out of place as a pin-stripe suited gent at a teenage rave, the dignified little Al-Amari Mosque looks threatened and lost squeezed between some gaudy shops and a brusque concrete supermarket. Built by Daher al-Omar in the mid-18th century, the mosque is one of the very few buildings in Tiberias that predates 1948. It is generally held that its construction was partly paid for by the town's Jewish community, presumably grateful to the sheikh for being permitted to return.

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  2. Church & Monastery Of The Apostles

    By the water's edge, south of the Radisson Moriah Plaza Hotel lies the Church & Monastery Of The Apostles. This Greek Orthodox complex is on the site of a Byzantine monastery that was destroyed by the Persians in the 7th century. Since then the complex has been rebuilt and destroyed numerous times; the buildings standing today date from the late 19th century but have been restored as recently as 1975.

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  3. Hammat Tiberias National Park

    Israel's spa craze actually has a 2000-year-old history which started at the hot springs of Hammat Tiberias when, during Roman times, they were the focus, if not raison d'être, of a community of 40,000 fervent bathers. Check out the history of the site at the Hammat Tiberias National Park, which features a small museum in what was originally part of a Turkish bathhouse. The main highlight is a synagogue dating from the 3rd to 5th centuries AD, which has a beautiful zodiac mosaic floor.

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  4. Jama al-Bahr Mosque

    Built in 1880 with a special entrance for those arriving by boat. The mosque stands forlornly abandoned, and no one appears to have any plans to utilise its potential.

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  5. St Peter's Church

    Hidden along the northern promenade it is worth looking out for the lovely Franciscan church built by 12th-century Crusaders. The Muslims converted it into a mosque, and you can make out an area of uneven stone on the southern wall filling in the hole where a mihrab (prayer niche indicating the direction of Mecca) was carved. Later, the Turks used the building as a caravanserai before it was rebuilt as a church in 1870. .

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  6. Tiberias Beaches

    Water pollution, lack of water…there's a never ending list of problems facing the Sea of Galilee, but what really seems to aggravate both locals and travellers the most is the illegal privatisation of the beaches. Some stretches of shoreline are now completely fenced off, with owners charging up to ₪120 for a bit of fun in the sun.

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  7. Tiberias Hot Springs

    The old traditions of relaxation and rejuvenation at Hammat Tiberias are maintained by Tiberias Hot Springs. It has both a health centre for people with serious skin conditions and a modern resort centre on the shore of the lake which is great for enjoying a good soak in one of the mineral baths. Treatments such as Swedish massage and mud wraps are also available.

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  8. Tomb of Meir Ba'al Hanes

    One of Judaism's holiest sites is the Tomb of Meir Ba'al Hanes, the 2nd-century rabbi who helped to compile the Mishnah.The tomb is marked by two synagogues: Sephardic, the one on the left with the white dome; and Ashkenazi, with the blue dome. In the courtyard of the Sephardic synagogue is a pillar topped by a large bowl, and four days before the Lag B'Omer holiday a bonfire is lit here on the Pesah Sheni (second Passover).

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  9. Tomb of Rabbi Akiva

    A white dome covers the cave-Tomb of Rabbi Akiva. Born in AD 50, he was one of the great Jewish scholars, and was killed by the Romans for his role in the Bar Kochba Revolt (AD 132-35). Take bus number 4 from Ben Zakkai St to get to the tomb.

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  10. Tomb of Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon

    The tomb of Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon 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 camel was apparently drawn to Tiberias.

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