While people flock to the Holy Land to see incredible ancient sites on dry ground, there are some which are open to divers only; the submerged ruins of Caesarea Maritima include the remnants of many ancient buildings and monuments, plus what remains of King Herod’s fabled harbor, which dates back to about ten to twenty-five years before the birth of Jesus Christ, more than two thousand years ago. Let’s take a look at some of the incredible things you can see when you visit this amazing underwater museum.
The Marvels of Caesaria Maritima
Named to flatter Caesar, this ancient city was the seat of the Roman prefect shortly after it was founded, and after Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 CE, it served as a provincial capital. For hundreds of years, it served as a government seat, all the while undergoing small changes. Today, one can still see Roman aqueducts, along with many other elements which were reconstructed after archaeologists began studying the area in depth during the middle of the 20th century. For example, a complex of Crusader fortifications and a Roman theatre can be seen, along with a hippodrome and the Tiberium, plus a huge moat.
In the area where King Herod built his palace, on a promontory jutting out into the sea, divers can now follow four different paths that lead to a variety of notable sites. Once an important part of the trade in luxury goods including spices, precious stones, textiles, drugs, cosmetics, and other items, Herod’s port was lost to time until it was rediscovered in 1960, with research beginning in earnest in 1975. Today, there are a total of 28 marked points of interest for divers to see.
Here, in what was at one time the largest artificial harbor in the Roman Empire, you can learn more about the methods used for constructing the harbor itself, plus you can see some amazing underwater artifacts, including the ruins of an ancient lighthouse and breakwater, along with a Roman shipwreck and the port’s original foundations.
The harbor is thought to have succumbed to an earthquake about 100 years after it was originally constructed. Today, its remains lie in silence, at depths from very shallow to about 29 feet beneath the surface. With one trail accessible to snorkelers and the rest suitable for divers, this underwater museum is one of the most amazing places you may ever dive, following the many who actually constructed this site so long ago, some holding their breath, and others perhaps working from the safety of an early diving bell.
Along the way, you’ll see enormous sunken columns of granite and marble, raw marble blocks and coffins which were part of the cargo carried by the Roman ship, a cluster of six ancient anchors which were gathered and assembled by excavators for divers to view and compare with ease, plus many other artifacts and plenty of Mediterranean marine life.
There is a dedicated diving center at Caesarea Maritima, which offers year-round tours, plus full equipment rentals, dive instruction, and a wealth of information about the harbor and artifacts, plus trips to other nearby sites.