Daliat-el-Carmel - Druze village

The Druze are an Arabic-speaking people who do not practice Islam, but have a secretive religion that draws heavily on the Bible and venerates Yitro (the father-in-law of Moses). They are extremely loyal citizens of the State of Israel. Daliat-el-Carmel is a Druze village located in the Mount Carmel region somewhere between Zichron Yaakov and Haifa. The drive to the village is absolutely stunning as the road winds among the picturesque mountains. Daliat-el-Carmel is known for its bazaar in the old city. It may be that on weekends, the bazaar is more impressive, but on the recent weekday morning that I visited, I found the bazaar to consist of one street of run-down shops selling primarily cheap tchockes made abroad. The only find was one shop that sells items specially weaved by the Druze. I am fascinated by this group and would like to learn more about them first-hand but, unfortunately the experience was a disappointment as the bazaar and adjacent streets lacked charm, ambience and any hidden treasures.

Daliat-el-Carmel - 20 km southeast of Haifa