Can you imagine a world without glass? This idyllic stream, Nahal Naaman, holds a secret, a secret whispered through time, about the very invention of glass. This small ribbon of water, snaking its way from the foothills of Mount Carmel to the Mediterranean Sea, wasn’t always just a beautiful natural feature. It was historically known as the Belus River and the Romans believed that this was where glassmaking began. Legend says that the river contained a unique type of sand perfect for glassmaking, and in those ancient times, sailors on the sea noticed how the sand would melt and form glass when exposed to the heat of shipwrecks and fires. Pliny the Elder, a Roman writer, mentioned the Belus River with its vitreous sands. He even referred to it as “Pacida,” which is based on the name Baal, a powerful Phoenician god. The Nahal Naaman, a vital source for the local communities, is not just a stream but a silent witness to the world’s fascination with glass. The sparkling water reminds us that we’ve taken a journey through time, and we’ve been touched by the stories of this ancient world.
Purification Center
A colossal undertaking. That’s what the Haifa Purification Center represents. Right here before us stands a testament to human ingenuity