Ramla is a short, about thirty minutes, drive from Tel Aviv. It’s notable for its museum and White Tower but in recent years, travellers have been visiting because of another curious attraction – the Pool of Arches.
Descend the stone stairs and once you are underground you’ll find yourself in a mysterious new world – but one that was built well over a thousand years old, in 789 AD.
It was created as an underground reservoir to provide water to the inhabitants of Ramla and its roof is supported by a series of arches, hence its name. The ceiling is more in keeping with that of a cathedral than a storage system for the town’s water supply.
When it was first created all those years ago, it was only used for about a hundred and fifty years and it fell into disrepair. It lay there unknown to the outside world until the nineteen sixties when it was rediscovered by an archaeologist who recognised its ancient significance.
This encouraged the authorities to restore it and today, visitors can visit the pool and use the several rowing boats that are supplied to drift through the arches. You can see more photographs and read reviews at TripAdvisor.
See the video below.
HOW TO FIND RAMLA AND THE POOL OF ARCHES
Ramla, Israel
