Ashdod Travelers guide

Ashdod | Good to know 28 A B C Good to know Dune The last remnant of the shifting sands of the coastal plain lies at the southeastern end of the city of Ashdod, in the Sands Park. The great dune rises to the height of 35 meters and is over 250 meters long. The Center for the Performing Arts Ashdod's official cultural center has become one of the city's icons. The structure, located in the city's cultural center, was designed by architect Haim Dotan in 1999 but was only inaugurated 13 years later due to construction delays and financial difficulties. The hall, which is now considered one of the most beautiful and unique buildings in the country, hosts the best artists from Israel and abroad, as well as many cultural events. Wadi Sukrir The historical name of the Lachish stream, in the section that flows in the region of Ashdod. The name originates in the Arab village of Arab El Sukrir that was located next to it. In the city's early days, the stream was diverted south in order to enable the construction of the Port of Ashdod. Towards the end of that century, in 712 BC, Sargon The Second , king of Assyria, began his conquests of the region. He fortified the Philistine cities, including Ashdod, and by the end of the eighth century BC he had conquered vast areas in the land of Israel one after the other. It is interesting to note, that the only reference in the Bible to Sargon is in fact in the context of the city Ashdod: "In the year that Tartan came into Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and captured it" (Isaiah 20:1). When the Assyrians conquered the city the fortifications in Tel Mor were destroyed and the hill was abandoned. Settlement was not renewed until the Hellenistic period.