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Monument to the Negev Brigade

The Monument to the Negev Brigade, known locally as the Andarta, is a memorial by Dani Karavan for the Palmach Negev Brigade members who fell in the 1948 Arab Israeli War. Built between 1963 and 1968, it stands on a hill overlooking Beersheba from the east and is regarded as a symbol of the Negev and the city. The monument is made of raw concrete and consists of eighteen separate elements spread over 10,000 square meters. Its perforated tower and pipeline tunnel are symbolic references to wartime watchtowers and the water channel defended by the soldiers, while the concrete surfaces are engraved with names, badges, diary passages, battle records, Bible verses, and songs.

Aerial view of the Monument to the Negev Brigade, showing a concrete tower, curved walls, and geometric platforms on a dry landscape.
The Monument to the Negev Brigade seen from above, with its raw concrete forms set in a sparse desert setting.
June 2021 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Aerial view of the Negev Brigade Monument, a large concrete memorial with a tall cylindrical tower and curved walls on a dry hilltop.
The Negev Brigade Monument rises from a sandy hilltop overlooking Beersheba.
September 2013 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Monument to the Negev Brigade, with a tall cylindrical concrete tower and sculptural low concrete forms on a barren hill.
The Monument to the Negev Brigade rises from a dry hill near Beersheba.
May 2026 © ישראל פרקר · CC BY 2.5
The Negev Brigade Monument, a large angular concrete structure covered with inscriptions, stands on rocky ground beneath a clear blue sky.
The Negev Brigade Monument by Dani Karavan, shown with its sunlit inscribed concrete surfaces.
© · Public domain
Monument to the Negev Brigade, a large abstract concrete sculpture on a sandy hillside with a city in the distance.
The Monument to the Negev Brigade rises from a barren hillside, with an urban skyline visible in the background.
August 2009 © · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleMonument to the Negev Brigade
TransliterationAndartat hativat ha-Negev
Local nameAndarta
TypeMemorial monument
Original-language nameAndartat Hativat HaNegev

Creator

ArtistDani Karavan
Artist nationalityIsraeli

Historical context

Commemorated groupSoldiers and officers of the Negev Brigade of the Palmach
Historical event commemoratedThe 1948 Arab–Israeli War, especially the War of Independence / Negev campaign and the capture of Beersheba and the Negev
Historical contextBuilt during a period when Israel was erecting many physical memorials to those who fought and died in its wars
Date created1963–1968

Discovery and provenance

PurposeMemorial to the fallen members of the Negev Brigade

Location and ownership

LocationOn a hill in the northeast of Beersheba, Israel, overlooking the city and the Negev Desert
VisibilityVisible from far away
RoleLandmark of Beersheba and the Negev Desert
Site area30 dunams
National parkMonument to the Negev Brigade National Park
Park area295 dunams
Not part ofThe national park
Associated eventOperation Yoav

Physical characteristics

Area covered10,000 square meters
Number of parts18

Materials

Material detail17 of the 18 parts are concrete elements; the 18th part is the memorial garden/national garden
MaterialConcrete

Appearance

Symbolism of partsEach part symbolizes an aspect of the Negev Brigade’s history, the Palmach, the War of Independence, or the surrounding desert environment
Tower symbolismA perforated tower symbolizes a shelled watchtower
Tunnel symbolismA pipeline tunnel symbolizes a water channel in the desert defended by soldiers
Inscribed namesNames of 324 soldiers killed in the war are engraved in the concrete
Other inscriptionsPalmach emblem, soldiers’ diary passages, battle notes or registry, biblical verses from 2 Kings 2:12, and songs
Landscape / viewPanoramic view of modern Beersheba, the Beersheba Valley, and the southern Hebron mountains

Style

StyleMinimalist art; Brutalism; land art

Significance

Recognized asCultural heritage site by the Council for the Preservation of Israeli Heritage Sites
Symbolic significanceRecognized symbol of the Negev and Beersheba; visible landmark of the city
Artistic significanceOne of the most famous and outstanding examples worldwide of the use of concrete in minimalist art
Art-historical significanceOne of the first examples of land art and a precursor to the land art movement

Other

Nearby contextLocated next to a major memorial dedicated to the War of Independence
Geological settingThe hills of the park are geologically similar to the hills of central and northern Israel
Main rock typesLimestone and dolomite, including hard and soft limestone and chalk with flint layers
Vegetation zoneVegetation of the Arabian Desert
Restored / planted speciesAn iris species characteristic of the loess soils of the northern Negev was planted on the memorial hills as part of a conservation project
Historical flora noteAn iris formerly grew in the northern Negev and is now under serious threat of extinction
Nearby flowering areasNear the park, slightly north of its borders, there are areas where anemones and desert tulips (Tulipa agenensis) bloom