Desert Temptation

Desert Temptation, originally uploaded by ! . © Angela Lobefaro . !.

© Angela M. Lobefaro

Thanks to gadihext and to his very friendly family for the fantastic hospitality!

The Timna Valley is located in southern Israel in the southwestern Arabah, approximately 30 km (18.6 mi) north of the Gulf of Aqaba and the town of Eilat. The area is rich in copper ore, and has been actively mined by humans since the 6th millennium BCE.

Timna Valley Park is a National Park in the Negev desert of Israel, located approximately 30km north of Eilat [1].

The Park is noted for its natural sandstone formations, including King Solomon's Pillars, the "Mushroom", "Arches" and "the Sleeping Lion".

It includes what are believed to be the oldest Copper mines in the world, dating back to at least 4000 BC and worked almost continuously by (among others) the Egyptians, Romans, Nabateans and Ummayads.
markers to Timna Park

Rock carvings, including "the Chariots", and ancient inscriptions are visible as well as mining shafts, the remains of ancient copper furnaces and a temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Hathor.[2]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timna_valley
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timna_Valley_Park