At Angels’ Forest, It’s The Hour Of The Cyclamen

Blossoming flowers are only part of the attraction at a historical site near Kiryat Gat with finds that date back to the Talmudic period.

According to one of numerous legends, King Solomon wore a beautiful crown decorated with delicate cyclamen blossoms. Hundreds of years later, when the First Temple was destroyed, and the Jews were exiled to Babylon, they took with them the royal crown. The cyclamens that bedecked the crown were devastated by the tragedy, and bent their heads in sorrow. And that is why, even today, cyclamen flowers bow their heads.

Of course, you may prefer the botanical explanation: The cyclamen’s humble blossom protects its pollen from getting drenched in the rain.

Cyclamen are blessed with other natural defenses as well: The undersides of their heart-shaped leaves are often purple, a color that heats the leaves and helps keep cyclamen warm during freezing winter days.

Vast carpets of stunning cyclamen are flowering at this very moment throughout Angels’ Forest, a site near Kiryat Gat that was developed for the public by the Jewish National Fund. But although blossoming flowers may be reason enough for a special trip to Angels’ Forest, they are only part of its attraction.

Read the full article over at The Times of Israel