Mi'ilya

A great tour in the village of Mi'ilya in the Western Galilee.

The tour guide Elias, who lives in Mi'ilya, took us to great places. In Mi'ilya live about 3300 Greek Greek Christians. You can get to these places alone and for free, but there is no substitute for a tour with the locals.

Here are several of the fascinating sites we saw:

📍 The antiquities under Chateau du Roi - natives of Mi'ilya lived in Rome for about thirty years and specialized in cooking there. They returned to Mi'ilya and opened this Italian restaurant. In their cellar, a huge cistern and an old wine factory from the Roman period were discovered. Behind the restaurant, there is a beautiful view of the area. The floor of the restaurant is transparent and below it you can see the remains.

📍 Church Square - In the square you will find a small and beautiful Greek Orthodox church and 3 statues with interesting stories: A statue commemorating the Crusade of the King of Hungary to Mi'ilya, a statue of Tumarkin in protest of land expropriation in 1979 to erect Mitzpe Hila and a statue of St. Mary.

📍 Arak distillery - Basel, the owner told us about arak distillation traditionally. The distillery is located in a house that his family built in 1914. Inside you will see how they once lived in an Arab village.

📍The mosaic in the house of the Araf family - when the family members wanted to renovate their home, they found a Byzantine floor with a mosaic of a church. It dates to the fourth or fifth century. This is how they live, with two rooms that are a museum. They let travelers enter and see the antiquities for free.

The garden that the landlady cultivates is stunning in its beauty.

📍The Eagles Cliff - one of the most impressive viewpoints of the area. Please note - the place is not fenced. It is not advisable to get there with children.

Elias' Phone number for booking tours is: 0522829963

Enjoy 🤗