Mt. Bental Israel

Location Name
Mt. Bental, Israel

Street Address
The Golan, off road 9088 near road 87 in Qatsrin

City
near Qatsrin

Type of Prayer Place
Park, scenic overlook, bunker

Description
Mt. Bental is a nature preserve/scenic overlook/memorial and is not a Holy site as such, but we used it as a place of prayer because of it’s panoramic view of Syria in order to pray for Syria and the peace of the borders of Israel. Mt. Bental offers a panoramic view of the Golan and Syria with a view towards Damascus. It is the site of a very intense tank battle between Israel and Syria in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War. The outnumbered Israel troops with only 160 tanks were able to repulse the Syrian army with 1,500 tanks. However many Israeli soldiers were killed and the valley is also known as the Valley of Tears and holds a certain reverence in remembrance of those who have lost their lives. The site includes a bunker which you can enter and explore, a coffee shop, and sign posts that point in different directions toward other places in the Mideast and the world. Atop the bunker is a sculpture commemorating the soldiers.

How I used this place of prayer
We were on a day long prayer drive along the northern borders of Israel and this was a very poignant place to spend time praying for the peace of Israel and the Mideast. We visited in the late afternoon when few other visitors were present, so we were able to take time to silently walk in prayer while overlooking Syria.

Hours of Operation & Admission Requirements
Open every day during the day. No admission fee.

Contact Information / Sponsoring Organization
State of Israel

Personal Tips
If you want to explore the bunker make sure you bring a flashlight or use a flashlight on your camera as there is no light in the bunker except where there are small observation windows and most of it is pitch black. There are also steep stairs to navigate and it’s easy to bump into things, so wear good walking shoes. The Coffee Anan restaurant was not open when we arrived at around 4 in the afternoon, so I assume they are open for lunch time only. Also, I have read that in the winter the view may be obscured by clouds. We visited on a clear day in late April and were able to enjoy the amazing views.

Added by Karen Barber on November 10, 2013