If the authorities fail to find the promised funding, the ancient seaport – one of the country’s most popular attractions – may be doomed.
By MAURICE PICOWCaesarea beach 311(photo credit: Maurice Picow)
The ancient Roman and Crusader seaport of Caesarea may be in danger of “reclamation” by the sea, unless efforts are made quickly to fortify it from the Mediterranean’s encroaching waters.So says Ze’ev Margalit, who manages the Nature and Parks Authority’s Department of Planning, Preservation and Development.Margalit, the NPA’s chief national parks architect, has been involved in excavating and preserving other archeological sites, including Israel’s most famous one at Masada, and the Seleucid-Roman Hippos-Sussita archeological site east of Lake Kinneret.He told Metro that the deterioration of the ancient cities of Ashkelon, Apollonia and Caesarea is caused by the sea’s waves, which control sand coming from the Nile Delta, the chief supplier of “good sand” found in the eastern Mediterranean.That sand is carried north by the currents and was a good influence on the amount of sand found on Israel’s coastline – that is, until marinas, power plants, seaports and other structures were built along the coasts. These structures cause the sand coming from the Nile to be partially blocked against these structures’ southern side, and therefore not properly distributed.“In short, the main problem affecting the deterioration of coastal archeological sites like Caesarea is a lack of sand in the eastern Mediterranean,” says Margalit.This was also the case in King Herod’s time, he notes, seen by the way the sea “cut” through the aqueducts which were built to carry water from the Carmel mountain range to Caesarea on the coast.“The aqueduct has been literally cut down the middle by the sea,” he explains.Originally built between 22 BCE and 15 BCE by Herod the Great, and dedicated to Caesar Augustus, this seaport became known as the one of the largest man-made seaports in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was lauded by the historian Josephus Flavius as “being as large as the one at Piraeus, the major harbor of Athens.”Although mostly destroyed during the early Muslim conquest in the sixth century CE, Caesarea was later captured by the Crusaders, who built a large fortress on the ruins of the Roman and Byzantine settlements; much of these Crusader ruins is still visible today.The great seaport of Herod, however, had begun to deteriorate even during Roman times owing to the relentless pounding of the same cruel sea that is now threatening to destroy what remains of the once-great harbor.Wrote Josephus: “Although the location (of the seaport) was generally unfavorable, King Herod contended the Nature and Parks Authority, and we talked to Haim Weizman, an NPA staff member, who pointed out the damage being caused by seawater entering underneath embankments at the eastern end of the small fishing boat harbor – which is all that remains of Herod’s glorious Port of Sebastos, the Greek name for Augustus, the reigning Roman emperor at the time of the port’s construction.“See how the sea is eating its way into the embankment.If it is not stopped, the entire segment will fall into the sea, along with the restaurants and other structures above it,” Weizman said.Besides seeing the sea entering both the port’s small sea wall and the cliff sections that Weizman pointed out, sections of the ancient port that still remain can be seen to the north, including parts of an ancient sea wall that is crumbling into the sea.The port area has a scuba diving club that offers underwater “tours” of the submerged ancient port, complete with waterproof area maps.Anyone who has been to Caesarea in years gone by can now see the site in its present condition, with the sea lapping at the end of the harbor where a public beach used to be. What’s left of that beach is now closed to the public, and large signs state that the beachfront is closed for “renovation work.”Despite this reality, the Caesarea Park is one of Israel’s most-visited sites; and on any given day, numerous tour buses stop there, bringing both foreign and local visitors to see the archeological excavations and dine in the area’s restaurants.THE PARK’S Roman amphitheater is also a popular location for concerts held during the year.Margalit is in charge of the renovation and repair work needed to preserve one of the country’s most popular historical sites. He told Metro that the Caesarea port area needs to be repaired by bringing in “imported” sand from elsewhere, building a new and larger breakwater outside the port, and creating bunkers to cause incoming sand to flow in, serving as a barrier against the surf.But, says Margalit, one of his biggest problems is dealing with government bureaucrats.“There are simply too many committees and other government bodies involved, and as of now, all I have received are promises.“For example, the government pledged NS 400 million to repair sandstone cliffs along the coastline so they don’t fall into the sea; but so far, they [the government] have not given a single shekel toward this work. The restoration work in Caesarea is estimated to cost around NS 60m., and will take at least three years to complete.“We are now presenting our case before the government authorities, and hope to be able to receive some small amounts of money (NIS 2m. to NIS 3m.) to at least start the most urgent parts of the work before it’s too late,” he says.Margalit notes that although the world’s seas have risen slightly due to what many attribute to global warming, the lack of natural sand is the most serious cause of the ongoing deterioration process in Ashkelon, and in Apollonia, north of Herzliya. When asked what will happen to Caesarea’s ancient port site if nothing is done, Margalit replies very frankly: “Whether it takes one winter or 10 winters, the ancient city and port will be damaged beyond repair. We need to do something immediately, and in a very short time – no more than five years.“Changes are occurring in front of our eyes. But when we try to get some action on these projects, the government doesn’t want to cooperate."
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