Mini Israel, Miniature park in the Ayalon Valley, Israel.
Mini Israel is a miniature park near Latrun in the Ayalon Valley, covering 60,000 square metres, with models displayed over 35,000 square metres. Its paved paths form a Star of David, each triangle representing a region: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Galilee, Negev and the Center. About 350 models are built mostly at 1:25 scale from polyurethane and small stones, painted with waterproof paint. The trees are real bonsai, and the models include 30,000 figures, 4,700 cars and 175 ships.
Eiran Gazit conceived the park after visiting Madurodam in the Netherlands in 1986; planning began in 1994, delayed by the First Intifada. Built on land owned by Kibbutz Nachshon, it cost $20 million, with 15% from the Israel Tourism Office, and opened in November 2002. A team of over 100 people, including many immigrants from the former USSR, built the models.
Signs at each model are in Hebrew, Arabic and English, and the park's slogan since its opening has been "See it all - small". The models were built by a team of over 100 people from different communities and religions in Israel, among them many new immigrants from the former USSR. Since 2021 a "Land of the Bible" compound has displayed models of the Menorah, the Ark of the Covenant and the Third Temple.
Open daily except Saturdays from 10 AM to 8 PM during summer months, the park charges 69 shekels for adults with family packages available, offering guided tours, 3D cinema experiences, and special activities during Jewish holidays.
Beside the park lies an unmarked mass grave of about 70 to 80 Egyptian commandos killed nearby in the 1967 Six-Day War; the military censor barred publication until 2022. The park's trees are real bonsai, about 20,000 of them, and the paths are laid out in the shape of a Star of David.
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