Sepphoris (/sɪˈfɔːrɪs/; Ancient Greek: Σέπφωρις, romanized: Séphōris), called Tzipori in Hebrew (Hebrew: צִפּוֹרִי, romanized: Tzipori), and known in Arabic as Saffuriya (Arabic: صفورية, romanized: Ṣaffūriya) since the 7th century, is an archaeological site located in the central Galilee region of Israel, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north-northwest of Nazareth. It lies 286 meters (938 ft) above sea level and overlooks the Beit Netofa Valley. The site holds a rich and diverse historical and architectural legacy that includes Hellenistic, ancient Jewish, Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman remains. In the Roman period, it was also called Diocaesaraea. In Mandatory Palestine, Saffuriya was a Palestinian Arab town with a population of approximately 5,000 people at the time