Three new attractions created by UK-based Continuum Group for the Caesarea Development Corporation have opened at the world famous archaeological site, Caesarea Maritima, on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, north of Tel Aviv in Israel.
For the past six years, Continuum’s multimedia division, Mindwave Media, has been developing the £3.75m interactive attractions to interpret the site, bringing its history to life through an AV show, a suite of talk-to interactives and a panoramic virtual interactive: from the days of King Herod through the crusades to the present day.
The AV show, Caesarea Reconstructed, is a 3D computer generated show explaining how Caesarea developed and changed over 2,000 years; covering the construction of the harbour by King Herod, church life under Byzantine rule, invasion by Arab armies in AD 648 and finally the harbour’s destruction by Sultan Baybars in 1265.
The second part of the project, Caesarea Stars, lets visitors interact with 12 key figures, including King Herod, St Paul – who was imprisoned in the city – and Baron Edmund Benjamin de Rothschild – who set up the Caesarea Development Corporation to develop the site.
Visitors can use touch screen technology to make the characters appear in front of them and answer questions.
The third element is the Time Tower, which is situated in the site’s tallest building, on one of the harbour walls, and allows guests to look through a virtual window and explore the city and its features at different periods throughout its history.
The three attractions offer a choice of six languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Hebrew.
Jeffrey Maytom, a director of Continuum and head of Mindwave Media, said: “It’s the sort of archaeology we dream of in this country, but it’s a complicated story. If you just stand and look at the remains, it’s hard to separate Herod from Pilate from Louis IV, so we put forward a masterplan for the site, demonstrating how it could be preserved and interpreted.
“The three elements represent period, people and place and together they help visitors understand the 2,000 years of history that we have focused on. You can see where chariots used to race and where the harbour used to stretch to.”
The project was led by Continuum’s chief executive, archaeologist, Dr Dominic Tweddle.
“Caesarea is a landmark project for the attractions industry,” he said. “It pushes back the boundaries of interpretive displays.
“Following years of research and development, we are delighted to have completed such a ground-breaking project for this historically important site.”
While some of the ancient city has yet to be uncovered, much of its core has been revealed – including the temple platform, the harbour, the theatre and the hippodromes. The ruins have previously been open to visitors but without interpretation.
Outside the city walls, the site includes a popular beach, while the development also includes a new business park and housing. Details: www.continuum-group.com
