Four towns in the Negev Desert, which flourished during the period from 300 BC to 200 AD, are linked directly with the Mediterranean terminus of both the Incense Road and spice trade routes: Avdat, Haluza, Mamshit, and Shivta.

As a group, these desert cities demonstrate the lucrative trade in frankincense and myrrh that took place from Yemen in south Arabia to the port of Gaza on the Mediterranean.

This resulted in transformation of Nabataeans from their semi-nomadic living style to the Hellenistic culture where organized government machinery functioned.

[4] The end of the incense route in the Negev Region of Israel, which included towns, forts, caravanserai and the irrigation system in desertic areas with links to the Mediterranean, has been inscribed as a cultural heritage site of the UNESCO's World Heritage List under Criteria (iii) as confirmation of the economic, social and cultural importance of frankincense to the Hellenistic-Roman world, and Criteria (v) for development along the route in severe desert conditions.

Agricultural development was distinctly visible in the four villages of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta, and in the four fortresses; and the caravanserai of Moa and Saharonim facilitating the stay of the traders.

It is surrounded by a wall built of limestone, and housed within it are the remnants of a Nabatean temple, a fort, a main street, two churches and a caravanserai.

The excavations have revealed presence of a town wall, caravanserai, big private residences, a market road, and bathhouses.

The finds unearthed so far have revealed remnants of double and triple storied houses, churches with apses, roads, a residence of the governor, a town square, a farm, wine presses, and many more.

[4] The fortresses in the area are: The Moa Fort and Caravanserai at the east end of the nominated site are close to the Jordanian border, and are built of dressed limestone.

Ruins of a well laid out water system sourced from underground springs and feeding the bathhouse through a canal to the caravanserai also exist at the site.

[4] Agriculture practiced by the Nabateans in the arid desert conditions where the annual precipitation is of the order 100 millimetres (3.9 in), is through a well developed irrigation system consisting of hundreds of small dams, channels, cisterns, and reservoirs which collect flood water.

The agricultural fields have been noted on the river banks and hill slopes in Avdat and central Negev where a very large number of water collection cairns built in stone are present.