The Negev Desert of southern Israel holds many secrets from the distant past. Its landscape and environment are no longer what they were during the Byzantine period, which roughly extended from the 5th century AD through to the mid 15th century (when its capital Constantinople fell), but one of its secrets is a group of six abandoned Byzantine cities – the ‘Magnificent Six’ – that once flourished in slightly cooler and wetter conditions than today. These desert cities survive as well-defined ruins, sitting at the heart of extensive formerly farmed landscapes. Such agriculture produced the necessary economic resources to sustain the dynamic settlements growing within this arid region.
One of the Magnificent Six is the town of Shivta, which stands around 350m above sea level, within the western section of the Negev Desert, close to the Israeli–Egyptian border. The site and its hinterland were inscribed onto the UNESCO list in 2005; its designation is based on the conservation of its architecture and the value of its ancient cultural heritage.
During the late summer of 2018, when average temperatures in the Negev are around 33ºC, common sense suggested that a visit to this remote outpost of civilisation should be conducted in the late afternoon. Although the temperature was a major factor, the rich orange setting sun provided an additional motive, projecting eerie hues and tones onto the limestone ruins, sending jagged shadows stretching across the ancient streets.
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