Mount Avital, Dormant volcano in Golan Heights, Israel.

Mount Avital is a dormant volcano in the Golan Heights with steep slopes made of dark basalt rock. From the top, the view spans across surrounding terrain marked by volcanic formations and vineyard fields below.

The mountain held military importance during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Israeli forces positioned there to counter Syrian advances. The conflict left its mark on how the region is understood today.

The mountain's slopes are tied to local grape cultivation, as volcanic soil naturally suits vineyard farming. Walking around the area, you encounter rows of vines that shape how people use the land today.

The summit holds an Israeli military base, so the top itself is not open to visitors. The scoria quarry on the eastern flank was turned into the Avital volcanic park, opened in 2013, with free entry, explanatory signs and ranger stations. Access is from the Golan; the caldera floor below holds fields of Kibbutz El-Rom.

The valley at the centre of Mount Avital is not a crater but a depression formed when the northern part of the mountain subsided. Two small hills inside it, known as the Twin Tels, may be remnants of the northern ash cone destroyed by the eruption about 115,000 years ago.