Caesarea founded by the Great King Herod between the years 22-10 BCE. The new city constructed on a previously small Hellenistic town named Strato’s Tower. Herod dedicated the Caesarea to his mentor, the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar. Caesarea Marittima (not to be confused with Caesarea Philippi, a town on the Jordan River sources built by his son Herod Philippi), constructed to apply mainly to the gentile population of the kingdom. The city served as the capital of the Judea province during the Roman and Byzantine periods. The Caesarea roads layout were a standard Roman grid, Cardo streets from north to south and Decumanus streets from east to west. The city had Palaces, Theaters, Amphitheaters, Hippodromes, Roman baths, Public Toilets (Latrinas), Temples, Aqueducts and big Harbor. The harbor, one of the biggest in the Roman Empire, named Sebastos (meaning in Greek "The Great" and Latin "Augustus") after his mentor emperor. The Harbor administration, separate from Caesarea, governed directly by King Herod. In the Byzantine period, the city reached its zenith with almost 100,000 inhabitants. The Muslims conquered the city in 630 AD, the Crusaders in 1099 AD, and the Mamelukes in 1253 AD. Afterward, the place was abandoned for centuries. Bosnian refugees were settled here by the Ottomans in the 19th century. From the 60 th of the 20 th century, Caesarea is a small upscale town stretched at the outskirts of the old city. Today, you can visit one of the most impressive archeology sites in Israel. You can walk through the Roman theater, the Hippodrome, the palaces, the Roman and the Byzantine city center, the temples hill and the pleasant harbor. You can enjoy the restaurants, cafes, and galleries within the city walls, you can walk to the north along the Aqueduct on the beautiful beach or visit the local art Ralli museum.