El-Kuliya Cave - Hermitage

The cave of El-Kuliya is located on the northern bank of Wadi el-Kuliya. Several karstic caves are located on the cliffs of the wadi. The entrance to the cave is at the upper face, about 12 m from the foot of the cliff, requiring a rope or ladder in order to climb up. The cave, originally a natural karstic cave was enlarged by hewing of the walls and ceiling. The cave is square in shape (6.5 x 3.5 m, 1.6 m high), divided into two parts: a form of vestibule at the entrance and a second, slightly lower part at the back. Just inside the cave there is a pile of ashlars that had been used on a wall at the mouth of the cave. This wall was still visible in the 1980’s (Elizur 1982). The floor of the vestibule part of the cave has a hewn, shallow basin with a drainage channel leading out of the cave. The walls have hewn niches and shelves. At the northern end, there is a shallow step that leads to the inner, central part. This step is covered with dark soil, small stones and pottery sherds. Along the eastern wall there is a long and narrow hewn bench with a niche at one end. The walls around the niche are plastered with a fine, grey plaster. The ceiling is plastered with a coarser plaster.