Israel Guide in 60 minutes!About the park:
A must for every tourist that comes to Israel
Mini Israel in Latrun is the “Showcase of Israel.” Exhibited in it are hundreds of amazingly exact models, at a scale of 1:25, of the most important architectural, historic, archeological, religious and social sites as well as buildings of importance to all religions and cultures inhabiting the country. The 25,000 miniature “Israeli” residents in the models are all… 7cm in height!!
Since its opening in 2002, Mini Israel has turned into one of the most popular tourist attractions, primarily due to its ideal location , and also because Israeli tourists of all ages, denominations and communities find their most beloved and cherished sites and buildings presented “at eye level.”
Exhibits are periodically updated and renewed, therefore each visit ensures discovering new corners, sites, scenes and attractions which were not there before.
Mini Israel, the Israeli city of miniatures, is located in the Latrun region, near the Armored Corps Memorial and the Trappist Monastery.
The exhibit extends over an area of about 35,000 square meters (7.5 Acres) and offers its guests:
A Visitors’ Center with a food court, a souvenir shop, a miniature tree (bonsai) nursery and a meeting hall where a movie on the creation of the site is screened.
We wish you a visit filled with complete enjoyment.
Sites to see:
Jerusalem - The Temple Mount & The Western Wall:
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and the largest of its cities.
At Mini Israel, we present the sites holy to all religions, archeological and historical sites in the Old City and its environs, buildings whose architecture is characteristic of the Christian influence of the nineteenth century, models of the first building outside the Old City walls, and the contemporary public and governmental buildings;
City center
Christian Nineteenth-century Architecture
National Institutions
Holocaust Commemoration
The Temple Mount – Mount Moriah-Haram el-Sharif
The Temple Mount is the holiest site to Judsaism and the third holiest place to Islam. The First and Second Temples stood here,and orthodox Jews refrain from entering the holy precincts.
The Western Wall:
First century BCE, King Herod the Great
This is the most sacred site in the world for Jews, after the Temple Mount. Because the
Western Wall was one of the few elements of the Second Temple complex not destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD CE, many legends surround it, and in the sixteenth Century it became the focus of pilgrimage and prayers for redemption.
The wall is 60 meters long. The first seven courses of stone date back to the days of Herod the Great.
The Western Wall Tunnel, parallels to the entire length of the Temple Mount.
The Southern Wall Excavations:
Beneath Robinson's Arch ran a Herodian –era street lined with shops. The excavations continue along the southern wall of the Temple Mount to a flight of monumental steps that once led via the Hulda Gates to the Temple. Near the steps are the remains of numerous ritual baths and other structures.
Mini Israel Guide to Nazareth & Sea of Galilee
Nazareth, scene of the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary and the city where Jesus grew up, is one of the most sacred cities in the Christian World.Models in Mini Israel:models no. 261,262,263
Models from Nazareth in Mini Israel:
The Salesian Church of the Adolescence of Jesus,-1904, dedicated in 1923
The Basilica of the Annunciation-1955, architect: Giovani Muzio
The Church of St. Gabriel and Mary's Well-1750-1755, The Greek Church of the Annunciation.
Mini Israel guide to the Dead Sea & Judea desert:
Mini Israel guide to Masada:
In 2001,UNESCO placed Masada on its prestigious list of World Heritage Sites
Masada is the story of the heroic stand of the Jewish rebels against Rome. Masada is also the story of the megalomania of king Herod who built his magnificent palaces on the cliff in the desert . Masada (First century BCE, King Herod, changes and additions 67-72 by the Zelots).
The Masada model is the only archeological model in the park that has been partially reconstructed in order to illustrate the character of the original buildings.
The northern palace Herod built a palace for his family on the northern side of the plateau, on three rock terraces.
The bathhouse:
King Herod's bathhouse at Masada was in the best tradition of Rome. The reconstruction shows a cross-section of the Tepidarium (tepid bath) and the Caldarium (steam room),where the system for heating the air and water can be seen. The restored frescoes, based on the original remains, testify to the opulence of the Herodian period.
The Synagogue:
Masada's synagogue is one of the most ancient discovered in Israel,and dates to the period of the second temple. The reconstruction shows the changes made by the Zealots, who created a geniza (A STORAGE AREA FOR WORN SACRED SCROLLS) in the floor of the building.
The Western Palace (The Administrative Palace):
This is the largest building on Masada,from which the fortress was administered when King Herod was present. During the siege , families of the rebels lived in the palace.Peek into the model to see the mosaics from King Herod's time, a cooking stove, and a bathtub built by the rebels.
Tel Aviv & The Coastal Plain:
The "first Hebrew city" was founded as a new quarter near ancient Jafa .
Among its important aspects, here the IDF General Staff is headquartered , most of Israel's books and newspapers are published here. Tel Aviv university, over twenty museums, the Israeli Philarmonic, The Israeli Opera Company, and the country's main dance troupes and theaters all call Tel Aviv home.
Jaffa:
Old Jaffa, one of the most ancients ports in the land, has been restored and now is a
shopping and gallery district. Christian tradition identifies the building with s minaret as the House of Simon the Taner, where Peter had a vision that directed him to preach the Gentailes (Acts 10).
Eilat, Negev & The Arava:
The models in Mini Israel:
The Ramon Crater
The Mitzpeh Ramon Visitor's Center
The Avdat Antiquities
Ben -Gurion's Hat
The Tomb of David and Pola Ben-Gurion
Ein Avdat Canyon National Park
The Oron Bridge
Beersheba: The Bedouin Market, The Great Mosque, Abraham's Well, The School for the Sheikhs's Children.
Mini Israel
Good summary of the park. Everything is very well reproduced and each visit can be must see new models. I advise anyone who wants to get to go preferably in the morning (the opening is at 10am) and on weekdays to avoid crowds of children. In addition, it is sometimes difficult to park. Admission is 80 Shekel.
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