'Little Rome' in the heart of Israel

Article and photos: Thu Giang

Miniature Rome

Located 40km north of Tel Aviv on the way to Haifa, Caesarea was built by King Herod the Great before Christ and named in honor of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus. In the past, wherever they went, the Romans built a system of walls, moats, ramparts, fortresses... to mark their territorial sovereignty. The Romans established the most modern infrastructure of their time everywhere. King Herod the Great not only built the city but also built a seaport - a great architectural work with all the amenities for a civilized society at that time.

The city had a castle, temples, theaters, markets, a hippodrome, public baths and an aqueduct system to serve the more than 100,000 inhabitants at that time. It can be said that Roman culture penetrated the lives of the people of Israel, most clearly shown in the architectural works that gradually sprung up in Caesarea.

It is hard to imagine the beauty of this city because it is truly a magnificent architectural masterpiece with many long rows of columns starting from the city head leading to the open air theater that can hold up to 4,500 spectators and is fortunately still preserved almost intact. Fragments of more than 1,300 columns have been found under the sea. These columns were built with marble brought from Italy and Egypt. Many warehouses were built along the harbor to store goods coming from many countries around the world.

Vivid ancient traces

Traces of Caesarea’s glory and grandeur can still be seen in the ruins I saw here. I was secretly grateful, and could not help but admire the talent of those who came 2,000 years ago, even 3,000 years ago. At one time, this city was considered more important than the holy city of Jerusalem. That was in the 7th century, Muslim invaders attacked and destroyed Caesarea. 5 centuries later, the Crusaders extended the waterworks and restored the city as a great fortress, and this architecture still exists today.

I was most impressed with the Colosseum - bearing the mark of ancient Rome with an oval-shaped arena and wooden steps, stairs and corridors cleverly designed to create the fastest exit. A large square with about 3,500 seats was built, which was also the place where many executions took place. The two-story curved arena was enough to accommodate the entire community of residents of the city at that time. The exit consisted of many corridors. Standing here, I seemed to go back in time to the Roman period with horse races for the entertainment of the kings of that time. The Romans considered horse races a religion, an indispensable part of spiritual life. Therefore, they donated a lot of money to buy good horses, did not hesitate to spend effort to build this arena, even recruited good riders, and were willing to pay for high-level training courses.

Next to it is the ancient Roman theater with its distinctive architecture. All of these buildings are located in a complex and have been restored into a resort and sightseeing spot for tourists. The creativity and ingenuity of talented architects have incorporated the “new” into the “old”; these ancient buildings have become bars, restaurants and souvenir shops right on the beach, making many curious tourists come here. Imagine sitting and watching the sea, watching the ancient buildings right next to you in the afternoon. The yellow sunlight shining on the rocks makes this building even more unusually beautiful.

Another unique feature that attracts tourists to this place is the modern restaurants designed right in the ancient architectural works. It created something very impressive for me from the moment I arrived here. Outside are the ancient golden stone blocks of the remaining works, when stepping inside is a modern style that makes every visitor surprised. The restaurants and souvenir shops are all elaborately and beautifully decorated as if inviting visitors to come here.

I went to a bar built on an ancient fortress overlooking the sea, ordered a beer and tabouleh, a local tradition. Not far away was the Roman aqueduct, a true reflection of the Romans' engineering talent. To supply the city with water, sometimes from far away, they built many underground aqueducts or elevated aqueducts. Water from the sea flowed through pipes buried underground. Aqueducts were installed to bring clean water about 10 miles away to the city, standing tall right on the stunning Caesarea beach. As the last rays of the afternoon sun slowly set over the vast sea, the sky turned from gold to red to purple, a captivating sunset moment.

Watching the sun sinking into the sea suddenly calmed my heart, all the worries of a long, busy day seemed to disappear. I walked to the beach, leaned against the arches of the water pipe project, the golden color shining on the rocks looked like someone was lighting a fire… All of it created an unforgettable Caesare in me.

More information:

-How to go?

From Ho Chi Minh City, fly with Thai Airways to the capital Tel Aviv, transit in Bangkok; round trip ticket is about 1,500 USD. From Ben Gurion airport, drive to Caesarea about 1 hour. You can rent a car or take a bus from the airport.

- Weather:

Like other parts of Israel, Caesarea gets very cold in winter. Fall (late September to early November) is one of the two best times to visit Israel.

Luggage:

During the fall and winter, there is a difference in temperature between day and night. Therefore, you should bring a thick coat to ensure your body is warm for the moments of enjoying the wonderful atmosphere by the campfire and watching the bright stars in the night sky.

You should also prepare comfortable clothes for walking around. In addition, you should also bring sunscreen to protect your skin under the harsh weather of the desert.

- Small note:

+You should exchange money to make it easier to shop here. Israel's currency is the Shekel.

+ About Visa: you should ask the Embassy to make a separate visa card and not stick it on your passport to avoid difficulties when you enter other Muslim countries for travel later.

-Souvenirs to buy:

+A book about Caesare past and present, to get a clear view of this city.

+ Black and white sketches

+ Judaica porcelain crafts.

The Thanh