Shivta, also known as Subeita or Sivta, was an ancient Nabatean city founded in what is now Israel in the 1st century AD. The city was on the Incense Route, an important trade route that connected southern Arabia to the Mediterranean Sea.
Shivta was an important agricultural town and was known for its production of wine, olive oil and grain. The city was also an important trading center and a center for handicrafts, especially for the manufacture of textiles and leather goods. The inhabitants of Shivta were mostly Nabataeans, but there was also a mixture of other cultures, including Greeks and Romans.
In the 3rd century AD, Shivta was conquered by the Romans and incorporated into the Roman province of Arabia Petraea. Under Roman rule, the city experienced an economic boom and a period of growth. Many public buildings, including a theater and a bathhouse, were built and the city became an important commercial center in the region.
In the 7th century AD the city was conquered by the Arabs and slowly lost its importance. An earthquake in the 8th century AD destroyed many of the buildings in the city and as a result Shivta was eventually abandoned and forgotten.
Today, Shivta is an important archaeological site that can be visited and offers insight into the life of the Nabataeans and Roman rule in the region. The ruins of Shivta were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005.