Carmelite Monastery of St Elijah

North Coast


Spectacular views and surprising kitsch greet visitors to this lofty monastery. The Carmelite Monastery of St Elijah is known to Arab and Jewish Israelis as the Muhraqa ('it burns'), as it is believed to be where Elijah offered a sacrifice to God, answered by a fire from the heavens – while the competing offering from 450 prophets of Ba’al was ignored (1 Kings 18). The monastery garden is inhabited by quaint frog statues and garden gnomes, plus a fairy-light-strewn Virgin Mary. Also on the Catholic complex is a chapel (built 1883) and the lodgings of monks from the Discalced Carmelite Order ('discalced' is a fancy way of saying 'barefoot').

From the roof (access is via the shop), you can see the Mediterranean, Mt Hermon (when it's clear) and everything in between. Out front is a peaceful little garden with a statue of Elijah and a small walking trail.

The Muhraqa is 5km south of the centre of Daliyat Al Karmel; bear left at the signposted Y-junction.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby North Coast attractions

1. Shrine of Abu Ibrahim

3.41 MILES

This square little building is fronted with Jerusalem stone and topped with a small red dome. The shrine is dedicated to Abu Ibrahim, who the Druze…

2. Beit Oliphant

3.47 MILES

Signposted as Beit Druze, this was the home of the Christian and early Zionist Sir Laurence Oliphant and his wife Alice between 1882 and 1887. The…

3. Beit She’arim National Park

3.53 MILES

Nestled between Mt Carmel and Lower Galilee, spellbinding Beit She’arim is pitted with ancient catacombs, many of which you can enter. In the 2nd century…

4. Studio Magal

6.59 MILES

Ceramics (including Judaica), mosaics and expressionist paintings (oil and watercolour), the latter by Ben-Tzion Magal (1908–99).

5. Janco–Dada Museum

6.6 MILES

Glimpse into the creative mind of Marcel Janco at this 1983-built museum dedicated to his life and works. It was Janco’s idea to establish this community…

6. Ein Hod Gallery

6.65 MILES

A good intro to Ein Hod's artistic community is this gallery of local sculptures and paintings. The exhibition space dates to 1953, when the creative…

7. Nisco Museum

6.77 MILES

This offbeat collection of mechanical music instruments was assembled by New York–born Nisan Cohen, who's happy to play records from his Yiddish music…

8. Eshkol Tower

7.8 MILES

A lift shudders its way up to the 30th-floor observation area of Eshkol Tower, the brazen high-rise topping Haifa University. Designed by renowned…