Hi,
It is my day back to the base as an army man, and I decided to stop on Khirbet Berg (Berg ruins) on the way back.
The place is a small hill in the south of Golan Heights, which hosts the ruins of a Syrian village, deserted on the Six Day war (1967).
What is interesting about the place is the construction method used here – a Hauranic construction method.
The Huaran is a region east of Golan Heights that has very similar geological and geographical properties. As it was very poor region (and still is), the method of construction was by using the Basalt rock that covers the area as building material.
Like in many places where rock was the main building, the arch is a main element (that is because it allows to span a distance with a material that only works in compression).
But the construction element that is amazing and not seen much is the use of rock as beams and slab. The Basalt rock spans between beams that span on other beams or arches. This is a kind of ribbed slab, something I have not seen in that kind of ancient and basic construction.
And while hiking on Golan Heights, IDF had started getting into Gaza city itself. Guri has sent out home for refreshment, so at least from this aspect, we will have a quiet weekend.
Take Care
Gad
To get to Khirbet Berg, I had to park on the other way of the road and cross the kettle fence through the gate
The view from the gate
The short walk in the ruins is part of Golan trail
A first building you bump into. No roof but with remains of mortar on the walls
Behind it, you can leave the trail and walk between what used to be a Syrian village
Mount Peres and the wind turbines
Looking at the buildings from the other side
The building on the other sids, also dangerous, and the look inside
A tree with a bullet box and an explanation on a sosoldier
The hill with the rest of Khirbet Berg
First cistern
A bunker on top of the hill
Look on the thickness of the walls
The second cistern
The South villa
A staircase craved from one piece of Basalt rock
A column with head on the basement level
The column head holding the beams
The slab made of Basalt plates
The thickness of soil above the plates
The whole system
The door opening is held by Basalt beams, just like in Yarda
An arch and openings. The windows are typical for Hauranic architecture
The arch is holding Basalt beams which holding the Basalt slabs
A set of arches on the room behind the windows might be stable.
The roof of the room that might have been a stable
The east road on Golan Heights looking north
And just before you take west to go around Quneitra, you can Mount Hermon ridge in all it its beauty. In the middle you can see the Israeli posts and on the right the summit.
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Gaza strip fighting
IDF soldiers in Gaza (source: IDFanc)
A PUMA APC with a Tzefa Shiryon (source: IDFanc)