Ashkelon National Park

Ashkelon National Park
גן לאומי אשקלון
Nearest city	Ashkelon
Coordinates	31°39′50″N 34°32′45″E / 31.66389°N 34.54583°E / 31.66389; 34.54583

Ashkelon National Park (Hebrew: גן לאומי אשקלון, Arabic: متنزه قومي عسقلان) is an Israeli national park consisting of the ruins of ancient Ascalon and Palestinian village Al-Jura, situated along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea southwest of the city of Ashkelon.

The national park encompasses the heart of ancient Ascalon. It is surrounded by a wall built in the mid-12th century by the Fatimid Caliphate. The wall was originally 2,200 meters in length, 50 meters in width and 15 meters in height. The remains of the wall are located in the eastern and southern parts of the national park.

The site contains archeological remains of the different civilizations that lived in the area, including Canaanites, Philistines, Persians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Muslims and Crusaders. Roman remains include marble and granite columns and capitals, a Roman basilica and Roman statues. The site also features a Middle Bronze Age gate with the world's earliest arch, dating back to approximately 1850 BCE. ^{[citation needed]}