Wadi Qelt

Wadi Qelt

A trail through time

Wadi Qelt is a desert canyon that carries a stream from the hills near Jerusalem down to Jericho. An ancient road through it linked the two cities, and aqueducts from the Hasmonean and Herodian eras that fed Jericho's palaces and fields can still be seen. St. George's Monastery, a Greek Orthodox monastery founded in the fifth century, clings to the cliff face. Hikers walk the canyon in winter and spring when the stream runs. Parts lie in areas under Palestinian Authority control, and attacks on hikers have occurred, so most go in groups.

Glossary: Wadi Qelt