Golan Identity Trail

The Golan Heights, a region with a rich history and a unique local identity, has undergone dramatic changes over the years, shaping its landscapes and its inhabitants. Today, in the northern Golan, four Druze villages—Majdal Shams, Buq’ata, Mas’ade, and Ein Qiniyye—are home to about 30,000 residents who preserve their cultural and historical identity. Alongside these villages lie dozens of depopulated villages, emptied during the Six-Day War in 1967, when about 130,000 out of the region’s 150,000 residents were forced to leave their homes. These abandoned villages, built of basalt stone and clay and once centers of agricultural life, remain silent witnesses to the region’s dramatic transformations and to a fading cultural heritage.

Today, the abandoned villages of the Golan are in varying states of decay, lacking accessibility, planning recognition, or any conceptual presence in the landscape. This project presents them for the first time as a space of planning and preservation significance, integrating them into a regional network that connects them with the inhabited Druze villages. The aim is to reveal, make accessible, and preserve the historical heritage while strengthening local identity and creating a connection between past, present, and future.

The central vision is to create a tourist link between the Druze villages and the abandoned villages, through the rehabilitation and revival of the abandoned sites, the strengthening and preservation of Druze identity, and the highlighting of the Golan Heights’ unique history and heritage. Through the development of experiential trails and observation points, the reconstruction of historical buildings, and displays of traditional agriculture, the project seeks to raise awareness of the region’s heritage, transform it into a meaningful tourist destination, and reinforce connections between visitors and the local community.

The planning principles include the restoration of traditional local agriculture, the reconstruction and preservation of historical and cultural layers, the emphasis on Druze cultural identity, the development of trails and infrastructures connecting the inhabited and abandoned villages, the improvement of accessibility for residents and tourists, and the creation of sites and facilities that will enhance both the visitor experience and the historical connection of the region.