Dimona is a small town in the north-eastern Negev desert of Israel. It is the third-largest city in the Negev, with population of about 34,000. Dimona is mostly known for the nearby nuclear research facility, which according to various unofficial publications is the home of Israel's nuclear weapons program.

Understand

Dimona was settled by immigrants from North Africa in the 1960s. A sect of Black Hebrews who left Chicago in search of self-fulfillment (as Christians) in the Israeli desert arrived in Dimona. Whitney Houston has relatives among them.

Get in

By bus

The most convenient way to get to Dimona is by bus from Beer Sheva.

By train

• 1 Dimona Railway station. This station was opened in 2005 as was the branch line from Beer Sheva. The line has some importance for freight, but in 2009, Dimona was the least busy station in the whole Israeli network in terms of passenger boardings. The station is somewhat outside town, which might also explain the relatively low passenger numbers. Israel Railways serves the town roughly three times per day and direction.  

Get around

Walk. Or take one of the five local bus routes.

See

The Black Hebrew Israelite community lives mostly in a neighborhood in the east part of the city. These are African-Americans who immigrated to Israel several decades ago, and follow practices similar to those of Judaism. They are welcoming to outsiders, and their celebrations of holidays like Passover and Shavuot are very colorful.

Do

Dimona is generally quite boring, where the only excitement may be the occasional wind storm. You can't even see the famous alleged nuclear site from the city.

Go next

• Mamshit, a ruined Nabatean city, is located in the Negev about 5 km southeast of Dimona.

Routes through Dimona

Tel Aviv, Jerusalem ← Beer Sheva ←

N  S

→ Eilat