Sepphoris

Sepphoris (also known as Zippori) is an ancient city and extensive archaeological site in Israel’s Northern District, notable for its Roman and Byzantine-era urban remains. It has been an important regional centre from the Hellenistic period through late antiquity.

Highlights of the site include a well-preserved Roman theatre and extensive mosaic pavements with figurative and geometric decoration dating to late Roman and Byzantine periods. The excavated houses, streets and public buildings show the scale and layout of a prosperous provincial city.

The city developed under Hellenistic and Roman influence and continued as an urban centre into the Byzantine era, accumulating architectural layers over many centuries. Excavations in the 20th and 21st centuries have revealed public buildings, residences and artistic floors that illustrate the city’s changing functions and prosperity.

Sepphoris lies in the hills of the Lower Galilee, approximately 6 kilometres northwest of Nazareth, within a landscape of cultivated hills and olive groves; the site is open to visitors as a protected archaeological park.

• Visitor time: The site is managed as an archaeological park with paths and information panels; allow a couple of hours to see the main mosaics and theatre.
• Proximity to Nazareth: Located roughly 6 kilometres northwest of Nazareth, making it easily reachable as a half-day trip from that city.

What to See #

• Roman theatre: A well-preserved Roman-period theatre excavated on the site, demonstrating the urban character of the settlement during Roman rule.
• Mosaic floors: Extensive mosaic floors and decorated houses from late antiquity, including figurative and geometric mosaics dated to the Byzantine period.
• Park and visitor centre: The archaeological park and visitor facilities include a museum display area showing finds from the site and interpretation panels for the main ruins.