Zohar Canyon

The Zohar Fortress of Zohar Canyon (One of the Oldest Roads in the World)
The ruins of the fortress are built on top of a marlstone hill. The externa...
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The Zohar Fortress of Zohar Canyon (One of the Oldest Roads in the World)
The ruins of the fortress are built on top of a marlstone hill. The external walls that once surrounded the fortress have collapsed and are gone. The ruins were originally dated to the Roman-Byzantine period, although recent survey re-dated it to the Crusader-Mameluke period. Located within 1.5 miles of the south western shore of the Dead Sea. During these periods salt was a precious commodity which was carried along the salt roads into the heart of the empire. It is also known that Roman soldiers were paid with sacks of salt. The salt trade caravans that passed this point, ascending from the Dead Sea where it was extracted to Tel Arad and beyond. Therefore, it is likely that the fortress was used to collect taxes from this trade.
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