Rujm el-Hiri Archaeological Site

Address: Rujm el-Hiri (Gilgal Refaim), Golan Heights, Israel

Hours: Open daily (outdoor archaeological site)

Admission: Free

Rujm el-Hiri, often called Gilgal Refaim, is a Bronze Age megalithic monument in the Golan Heights, northern Israel, notable for its large concentric stone circles and central cairn. The monument covers a roughly circular area about 150 metres in diameter and is a prominent archaeological landmark in the region.

The monument was constructed in the Bronze Age by an unknown prehistoric community and has been interpreted by archaeologists as having ritual, funerary or astronomical functions; its precise purpose remains uncertain. Excavations have recovered material from the central cairn and shown repeated use and modification over time.

The site sits on a basalt plateau in the northern part of Israel’s Golan Heights, within Israel’s Northern District. It is reached by rural roads from nearby communities and sits amid low volcanic hills and grazing land.

• Visitor practicalities: Accessible by a short marked trail and picnic area; best visited outside the peak summer heat when the site is exposed and there is clearer visibility across the Golan plateau.
• Also called: Also known as Gilgal Refaim, the monument is one of the largest Bronze Age megalithic ceremonial sites in the region and is visible as a large circular stone formation from a short distance.

What to See#

• Central cairn: A low central stone cairn occupying the middle of the monument; excavations have revealed funerary deposits and it serves as the focal point of the concentric rings.
• Concentric stone circles: Five concentric rings of dry-stone walls and cleared stone fields that form a circular complex measuring roughly 150 metres across, with radial gaps and outer cairns visible on the surface.

• Visit Rujm el-Hiri early in the morning or late afternoon for the best light on the stone rings and noticeably fewer visitors than at midday.
• Park at the small lot beside the access road and follow the marked path to the monument-stick to the trail to protect fragile archaeology and to reach the main viewing ramp.
• Most visitors concentrate on the central cairn; walk the outer rings and the adjacent ridge for wider panoramas of the Golan landscape and additional smaller cairns that are easy to miss.
• Avoid weekends and Israeli national holidays when local visitor numbers rise; weekday visits give you a much quieter experience and better photo opportunities.