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Goods traded along the Incense Route frankincense and myrrh. Both frankincense and myrrh were derived from sun-dried tree sap. These were used as perfume or burned as incense, and they were also in demand in burial rituals to assist preserving. Frankincense and myrrh were traded from the Yemen and Oman in the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean. They were used in religious ceremonies, in cosmetics, and embalming, which is why they were highly valued.

Source:

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1107/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/86338/8-trade-routes-shaped-world-history

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Outstanding Universal Value
Brief synthesis
The Incense Route was a network of trade routes extending over two thousand kilometres to facilitate the transport of frankincense and myrrh from the Yemen and Oman in the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean.

The four Nabatean towns of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta, with their associated fortresses and agricultural landscapes linking them to the Mediterranean are situated on a segment of this route, in the Negev Desert, in southern Israel. They stretch across a hundred-kilometre section of the desert, from Moa on the Jordanian border in the east to Haluza in the northwest. Together they reflect the hugely profitable trade in Frankincense from south Arabia to the Mediterranean, which flourished from the third century BCE until the second century CE, and the way the harsh desert was colonised for agriculture through the use of highly sophisticated irrigation systems.

Ten of the sites (four towns - Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta; four fortresses - Kazra, Nekarot, Makhmal, and Grafon; and the two caravanserai of Moa and Saharonim) lie along, or near to, the main trade route from Petra, capital of the Nabatean Empire in Jordan, to the Mediterranean ports. The town of Mamshit straddles the northern parallel route. Combined, the route, and the desert cities along it, reflect the prosperity of the Nabatean incense trade over a seven hundred year period, from the 3rd century BCE to the 4nd century CE.

The towns were supported by extremely sophisticated systems of water collection and irrigation that allowed large-scale agriculture. These included dams, channelling, cisterns and reservoirs. Evidence of all these features is widespread around Avdat and central Negev, as are the remains of ancient field systems strung along riverbeds and hill slopes.

The property displays an all-embracing picture of Nabatean town planning and building technology over five centuries. The combination of towns, and their associated agricultural and pastoral landscapes, present a complete fossilized cultural environment.

The remains of the Nabatean desert settlements and agricultural landscapes presents a testimony to the economic power of frankincense in fostering a long desert supply- route from Arabia to the Mediterranean in Hellenistic-Roman times, which promoted the development of towns, forts and caravanserais to control and manage that route. They also display an extensive picture of Nabatean technology over five centuries in town planning and building and bear witness to the innovation and labour necessary to create an extensive and sustainable agricultural system in harsh desert conditions, reflected particularly in the sophisticated water conservation constructions.

Criterion (iii): The Nabatean towns and their trade routes bear eloquent testimony to the economic, social and cultural importance of frankincense to the Hellenistic-Roman world. The routes also provided a means of passage not only for frankincense and other trade goods but also for people and ideas.

Criterion (v): The almost fossilized remains of towns, forts, caravanserais and sophisticated agricultural systems strung out along the Incense Route in the Negev desert, display an outstanding response to a hostile desert environment and one that flourished for five centuries.
Integrity
The towns and forts combined with their trade routes and their agricultural hinterland, in all they provide a very complete picture of the Nabatean desert civilisation strung along a trade route. Remains of all the elements that comprised the settlements - towns, forts, caravanserais, and agricultural landscapes are within the boundaries. The limited development of the region has given the sites considerable protection from development. None of the attributes are under threat.
Authenticity
The remains of the towns, fortresses and caravanserais and landscapes mostly express well the outstanding universal value of the property as reflecting and exemplifying the prosperity of the Nabatean incense trade.

It is acknowledged that the cities of Mamshit and Haluza have previously been subjected to earlier interventions that threatened their authenticity. As part of the current management action, the inappropriate reconstructions in Mamshit, which were based on a scenographic intention rather than a scientific approach, were removed in 2005. And, excavations at Haluza, partly left without sufficient post-excavation consolidation, were backfilled during 2005 - 2006.
Protection and management requirements
All of the nominated property is State owned. It is protected by national legislation, with all the component parts either being within designated national parks or nature reserves.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority manage the property on a daily basis, and the Israel Antiquities Authority manages the conservation and excavation activities on the designated structures.

All finance comes from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority budget, supported by site income, sales and government subsidy. The four towns each have specifically designated allocations. In low-income years, funds are spent only on maintenance and protection, with conservation subsequently taking place as external funding becomes available.

There is a need for a continuing comprehensive archaeological strategy for the whole property and also for each of the major towns to cover archaeological research, non-destructive recording and approaches to stabilization and repair.

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Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev

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Outstanding Universal Value Brief synthesis The Incense Route was a network of trade routes extending over two thousand kilometres to facilitate the transport of frankincense and myrrh from the Yemen and Oman in the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean.

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The Incense Route mainly traded ideas like religions, philosophies and artistic styles across ancient civilizations. New beliefs and cultural practices were brought as merchants and travelers moved between southern Arabia, the Levant, Egypt and the Roman Empire. Religions like Judaism expanded into Arabian cities through communities, while Christianity steadily reached the region from the Roman world, mainly through trading ports.

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The Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians benefited from the Incense Route’s trade. They benefitted from the Incense Route for cosmetic, medicinal and religious purposes by selling frankincense and myrrh. The Romans used incense in fumigations for cult worship, and they burned incense which was a form of worship in ceremonies and rituals. Valuable incense was transported to the mediterranean which also benefitted the Nabataeans because they got control over the route, which caused them to gain significant wealth. This also enabled protection and shelter due to the control that they had over this route.

Source:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah30211#:~:text=It%20was%20primarily%20used%20in,the%20gods%20and%20fed%20them

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People who traveled through the incense route were harmed by this trade because there were several challenges faced like running out of water, natural disasters, and wars. Pliny the Elder said that it took 62 days to complete the full journey of the Incense Route which makes it very difficult to access all types of goods and services in order to stay healthy and survive. Since they were in the Negev Desert in southern Israel, they had a “modern irrigation system”.

Source:

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1107/#:~:text=The%20Incense%20Route%20was%20a,Arabian%20Peninsula%20to%20the%20Mediterranean

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The Roman empire influenced this trade significantly more than anyone else; they bought valuable resources such as myrrh and frankincense, at one point the Roman Emperor Nero had a year's harvest of frankincense burned at his Mistress’ funeral. The Egyptian and Greek empires also benefitted by the frankincense and myrrh because it was used to burn incense, as perfume in cosmetics, medicine, and embalming.

Source:

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1107/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/86338/8-trade-routes-shaped-world-history