The Tel Shikmona National Park in Haifa has reopened to the public following two years of development and conservation work costing some NIS 3 million. The funding was provided by the Foundation for the Preservation of Open Spaces, and the project was led by Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, in collaboration with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, the Haifa Municipality, the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa, and the Israel Antiquities Authority.
As part of the work, archaeological excavation walls were presented in various areas across the mound, paths were paved, and explanatory signs and benches were installed. According to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, the work was carried out with special care so as not to damage the archaeological layers that have not yet been exposed and those that were covered.
Tel Shikmona is the oldest archaeological site in Haifa, dating back to the 15th century BCE. The mound is identified with the Byzantine city of Porphyreon, the name of which means purple: From the biblical period until the Byzantine era, the place was known as a center for the production of purple dye, which was extracted from sea snails. In the center of the ruin sits a church with mosaic floors.
The site was declared a national park in 2008, and to its west lies the Shikmona Sea Nature Reserve. In 2023, the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research institute, adjacent to the mound, received funding from the Foundation for the Preservation of Open Spaces to preserve the findings and open the site to the public.
Attending the opening ceremony were Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav, Israel Nature and Parks Authority Director-General Raya Shurki, University of Haifa Rector Prof. Mouna Maroun, and representatives of the partner organizations.
Entry to the national park is adjacent to the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research institute. By car, visitors arrive via Hubert Humphrey Street, and on foot, access is available via the promenade from the south.