Afula (Hebrew: עפולה) is a city in the Northern District of Israel, often known as the "Capital of the Valley" due to its strategic location in the Jezreel Valley. In 2023 the city had a population of 64,578.
Afula's ancient tell (settlement mound) suggests habitation from the Late Chalcolithic to the Ayyubid period. A fortress was built at the site during the Crusader or Mamluk period.
The Jezreel Valley (Biblical Hebrew: עמק יזרעאל, romanized: ʿĒmeq Yizrəʿēl, LXX Koine Ιεζραελ), or Marj ibn Amir (Arabic: مرج ابن عامر, romanized: Marj ibn ʿĀmir, lit. 'Cultivated Meadow') is a large fertile plain and inland valley in the Northern District of Israel. It is bordered to the north by the highlands of the Lower Galilee, to the south by the highlands of Samaria, to the west and northwest by the Mount Carmel range, and to the east by the Jordan Valley, with Mount Gilboa marking its southern extent. The largest settlement in the valley is the city of Afula, which lies near its center.