Decades-Old Syrian Military Position in Golan Transformed Into Tourist Site

During clearance operations, more than 600 munitions were uncovered, including grenades, mortar shells, RPGs, and rifles.

By Ehud Amiton, TPS

A former Syrian army outpost in the Golan Heights will open to the public for the first time during the upcoming Sukkot holiday, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced Monday.

The Ein Alamin outpost, located near the well-known Officers’ Pool, was abandoned by Syrian forces during the 1967 Six-Day War and remained off-limits for decades due to mines and unexploded ordnance.

Over the past 13 years, the Defense Ministry’s Mine and Explosive Ordnance Clearance Authority has carried out extensive clearance work, making the site safe for visitors.

Spanning 45 dunams (11 acres), Ein Alamin is considered one of the largest Syrian positions ever built in the Golan.

It features combat trenches, underground bunkers, and about 15 structures that once housed soldiers.

During clearance operations, more than 600 munitions were uncovered, including grenades, mortar shells, RPGs, and rifles.

The site will be open October 8-9, during the intermediate days of the Sukkot holiday.

Visitors will be able to tour the outpost, meet mine clearance experts, view displays of recovered weapons, and even try detecting dummy mines.

Shahar Bak, head of the clearance authority, said the body has removed mines and ordnance from more than 45,000 dunams across Israel since its founding.

“Our work has allowed safe travel to tourist sites, the expansion of farmland, and the construction of thousands of homes and factories,” he said.

“We invite the public to visit Ein Alamin this Sukkot, learn about our work, and see a site that was closed for decades.”