Page 18 - Discover Israel Magazine - 2017 edition

While nestled in a highly pastoral
landscape, Montfort Castle
reminds us of the stormy history.
Photo: Omri Avidar

The Mount Adir Observation Point
engages the landscapes, memories,
beauty and sorrow. Photo: Omri Avidar

shop there. Christians and Muslims have lived
alongside each other in Tarshiha for centuries,
and you can see lovely and well-tended
churches and mosques in close vicinity to
each other.

Over the generations in Tarshiha, outstanding
craftspeople have set up shop close to the
market and have earned a reputation for
themselves throughout the entire country.
Tarshiha's blacksmiths became famous
for their quality work, which included all
agricultural tools used in the field, horseshoes
and equipment, and all forms of kitchenware.
But the knife makers, who proudly engrave
their names on the shiny blades, surpassed
all the others. Even today, you can watch the
last of these craftspeople plying their trade at
the ancient workshops.

And let's not forget the carpenters, with their In recent years, Tarshiha has become a The tour to the Crusader castle of Montefort,
furniture, doors and delicate and finely styled culinary powerhouse, with people coming in the side streets of Tarshiha and the stunning
windows that can still be found in many throngs to eat typical Galilean Arabic dishes, views from Mount Adir, will give you but
houses around the Galilee today. Among the baked goods or Arab sweets. Additionally, a small taste of the Galilean tapestry that
carpenters, the most famous were those who don't forget to visit the gourmet restaurants includes secrets, views and moving personal
made the musical instruments. As can be and the fun modern pubs with a great stories...
expected, musicians and singers followed, atmosphere.
some of whom became famous. Hakhmat Come visit and get a taste of the Galilee.
Shaheen, the composer, his son Simon, the In short, a visit to Tarshiha, the nice little
oud and violin virtuoso, and Ibrahim Azzam, village, opens a window to the past, where The author is a tour guide who specializes in the
the fabulous singer, who became famous you can meet authentic craftspeople, taste Galilee area and runs private tours all over Israel.
throughout the entire Arab world are but a fabulous food, listen to good music and www.omri-travel.co.il, omri.avidar@gmail.com,
few. Tarshiha boasts a music school. Bands understand that coexistence among the +972-54-4957737
from the village perform everywhere and yet, religions can be a reality.
every Saturday, you can hear the sounds of
the oud, kanun and violin being played in the
alleys by the village youth.

18 D I S C O V E R I S R A E L