Hi,
Today, I have visited Ein Mokesh (which literally means mine spring). This is a large well, which was one of the water sources of the Circassian of Zivan, which dug about 120 years ago.
The village was abandoned on the Six Day War (1967) when Golan Heights were conquered by Israel.
After the war, the all area was mined because it was close to the Syrian border. But the real story, and how the place got its name, is that people walked through a live minefield to get to the well.
As the well is a water source, many animals walked through the minefield during the years, creating a safe path to walk on (I guess some of them lost their lives this way). To get there, you had to walk on this narrow path, or you might step on a mine and lose a leg or your life.
In 2011, the Israeli army removed most of the mines around, and now there is a clear way to get to the well.
Take Care
Gad
The sign on the road about Ein Mokesh, the other sign, is now used for tank sighting in
The start of the path to Ein Mokesh from the parking lot.
The ruins of the Circassian village Ayun a-Zivan (one of the 13 Circassian villages used to be in Golan heights)
The sitting area around the well
The well
A closer look in
A look inside
A water trough to feed the animals of the village
A military safe box used to store Pakal Cafe for visitors, named after Rina Shnerb, who murdered in Ein Bubin
Populus trees on the way back to the car and Mount Avital behind it. Aba loves the sound those trees make as he had one on the window by his bedroom in Ramot, so he planted one of those in Har Adar as well
On the road back, every water cross is a shelter.
A sign announcing the clearing of the mines in the area, just like around Mitzpe Gadot