The Museum of Bedouin Culture, Southern District, Israel

4.0 (30 reviews) Spent Ranking #15 in Beersheba Speciality Museums

I loved the Jo Alon Center (Bedouin Museum)

This is a small museum at Kibbutz Lahav, not far from Beer Sheba. We arrived by rental car, it was not hard to find. There is a very nice small museum which I highly recommend. I believe the displays are all labeled in English. But I also highly recommend paying a bit more for a guided tour. The only problem there is that the tour guide we had only spoke Arabic and Hebrew, so if you don't understand one of those languages or have someone with you who can translate, the tour wouldn't work. We also bought simple but interesting pita/cheese rolls there. After the tour, we were invited into a traditional Bedouin tent for tea. Yes, it's a tourist spot, but we were the only visitors there, and I believe most visitors are Israelis, especially students, not foreign tourists. It's very different and interesting, and I highly recommend making a stop here.

Address

Kibbutz Lahav, Beersheba 85335 Israel

Mobile

+972 8-991-3322

Website

http://www.joealon.org.il/

Current local date and time now

Monday, May 13, 2024, 13:07

User Ratings

4.0 based on (30 reviews)

Excellent
34%
Good
43%
Satisfactory
17%
Poor
3%
Terrible
3%

Reviews

  • 4SaraJerusalem 5:00 PM Jul 13, 2015
    Bedouin culture as it was in the past
    The museum of Bedouin Culture is located half way between Kiryat Gat and Beer Sheva. Displays include many items and pictures from Bedouin history in the Negev area. Although many items are impressive, the display itself is a bit old fashioned, and the entire museum presents a culture which is almost no longer relevant to present day Bedouin life. There are guided tours - I'm not sure about languages, and there is a documentary film. In the yard there is a large traditional Bedouin tent, where you can get tea and continue chatting with some of the museum's staff. This is a nice activity for children and an important endeavor to preserve culture and artifacts. This visit should be complemented with visits to present- day Bedouin villages, such as Houra, where Bedouin women established a weaving cooperative.
  • 3plaherspla1 5:00 PM Jan 9, 2013
    Something to see
    A friend took me there and showed me the projects that are in the works. The women were hard at work and the class was full.

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