Shouting Hill
Encyclopedia
The Shouting Hill is a hill in the Israeli controlled portion of the Golan Heights. The hill is situated near the Druze
village of Majdal Shams
in the area of the Golan that is occupied by Israel
. During the Six Day War, Israel captured the majority of the heights. The Shouting Hill is located just close to the ceasefire line
that separates Syrian controlled territory and the territory occupied by Israel.
The Druze community members of the Golan Heights were separated after the war. Very few visits were allowed between the families from both sides of the ceasefire line. Israel and Syria are still in an official state of war. There is also no telecommunications or mail allowed between the sides. So, some families started to come to this hill from both sides of the border to see and talk (actually shout) to their relatives on the other side. The families usually use a megaphone in their shouting.
However, with the advent of mobile phones, people don't do this as often, except on special occasions like weddings or when they want to see each other and they use binoculars.
The hill is close to Majdal Shams, at the foot of Mount Hermon
, separated from the village by a valley. On the Israeli-occupied side there is security zone that stretches over the valley next to the village, then there is the Syrian controlled side with a UN observation post. It is 1100 meters high. The shouting point is 3 km away from the nearest homes of Majdal Shams and 2.5 km away from the border line.
The Shouting Hill has become a minor tourist attraction. It has also became a pilgrimage site for people interested in the Middle East conflict.
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
village of Majdal Shams
Majdal Shams
Majdal Shams is a Druze village in the northern part of the Golan Heights, in the southern foothills of Mt. Hermon. Since the June 1967 Six-Day War, the village has been controlled by Israel, first under martial law, but since 1981 under Israeli civil law, and incorporated into the Israeli...
in the area of the Golan that is occupied by Israel
Israeli-occupied territories
The Israeli-occupied territories are the territories which have been designated as occupied territory by the United Nations and other international organizations, governments and others to refer to the territory seized by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967 from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria...
. During the Six Day War, Israel captured the majority of the heights. The Shouting Hill is located just close to the ceasefire line
Purple Line (border)
The purple line was the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria after the 1967 Six Day War.-History:Syria gained independence from France in 1946 and on May 14, 1948 the British withdrew from Palestine as Israel declared its independence. Syrian forces participated in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War...
that separates Syrian controlled territory and the territory occupied by Israel.
The Druze community members of the Golan Heights were separated after the war. Very few visits were allowed between the families from both sides of the ceasefire line. Israel and Syria are still in an official state of war. There is also no telecommunications or mail allowed between the sides. So, some families started to come to this hill from both sides of the border to see and talk (actually shout) to their relatives on the other side. The families usually use a megaphone in their shouting.
However, with the advent of mobile phones, people don't do this as often, except on special occasions like weddings or when they want to see each other and they use binoculars.
The hill is close to Majdal Shams, at the foot of Mount Hermon
Mount Hermon
Mount Hermon is a mountain cluster in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its summit straddles the border between Syria and Lebanon and, at 2,814 m above sea level, is the highest point in Syria. On the top there is “Hermon Hotel”, in the buffer zone between Syria and Israeli-occupied...
, separated from the village by a valley. On the Israeli-occupied side there is security zone that stretches over the valley next to the village, then there is the Syrian controlled side with a UN observation post. It is 1100 meters high. The shouting point is 3 km away from the nearest homes of Majdal Shams and 2.5 km away from the border line.
The Shouting Hill has become a minor tourist attraction. It has also became a pilgrimage site for people interested in the Middle East conflict.