Belvoir Fortress: A Crusader Stronghold in Israel

Visitor Information

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Official Website: www.parks.org.il

Country: Israel

Civilization: Crusader

Remains: Military

History

Belvoir Fortress, situated within the municipality of the Haifa District in modern-day Israel, was constructed by the Crusaders during the 12th century as a strategically placed stronghold overlooking the Jordan Valley.

The site’s history extends far before the Crusader era. It lies on the eastern edge of the Issachar Plateau, a region settled since biblical times and known as part of the territory allocated to the tribe of Issachar. Archaeological evidence indicates an ancient Jewish presence here, most notably a synagogue dating back to the third century CE during the Talmudic period. This early settlement highlights the location’s longstanding significance.

In the early 1100s, the area was under the control of the Velos family, of French origin, who established a fortified manor between 1138 and 1140. This establishment served both administrative functions and defensive purposes amid the changing political environment of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.

A key transformation occurred in 1168 when Ivo Velos sold the estate to the Knights Hospitaller, a military order active in the Crusader states. The Hospitallers dismantled the original manor and erected the imposing concentric fortress that remains visible today. This fortress expanded the order’s domain to roughly 200 square kilometers, securing crucial eastern access points in the Crusader kingdom.

Belvoir Fortress gained prominence during the Muslim-Crusader conflicts. Most notably, it withstood a prolonged siege by Saladin’s forces after the Battle of Hattin in 1187. The fortress held out until January 1189, eventually surrendering under honorable terms. Following Saladin’s death, his successors took control but chose to dismantle the fortress between 1217 and 1218 to prevent it from falling back into Crusader hands.

In 1241, Crusader forces regained possession of Belvoir briefly but did not restore the stronghold. Ultimately, the fortress definitively passed to Muslim control in 1263 and fell into lasting abandonment for several centuries. During the 18th century, a Bedouin village named Kaukab al-Hawa arose amid the ruins, reflecting a new phase of settlement that lasted until 1948, when Israeli forces captured the area during the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Excavations began in the 1960s under archaeologists Nehemia Zori and Meir Ben-Dov, uncovering much about the fortress’s layout and revealing reused items from a nearby Byzantine synagogue. Further joint Franco-Israeli archaeological work commenced in 2013, emphasizing detailed studies of the fortress’s architectural elements.

Remains

Belvoir Fortress presents a striking example of a concentric castle design, in which a smaller inner fortress is enclosed within a larger outer wall, creating multiple layers of defense. Primarily built from black basalt stone quarried locally from the dry moat surrounding the fortress, the construction also incorporated white limestone imported from more distant sources. This combination of materials contributes to the fortress’s distinctive appearance.

The outer enclosure forms an approximately square boundary with a perimeter of around 480 meters. Its walls are robust, measuring about three meters thick and reinforced with iron and lead clamps to improve strength. A dry moat surrounds the fortress on three sides, measuring about 20 meters across and dipping 10 to 15 meters deep. The eastern side benefits from a natural steep slope, reducing the need for man-made defenses there.

Defense was further enhanced by the inclusion of multiple towers along the outer walls. Large corner towers project outward, accompanied by smaller intermediate towers between them, all rising about seven meters tall. Some towers feature concealed sally ports—small secret doors—that allowed defenders to make surprise sorties into the moat around the fortress.

Access was controlled through a main entrance located at the southeast corner. This gate employed a bent passage, forcing any assailant to slow down and change direction as they advanced. It was equipped with a mechanical portcullis—an iron grating that could be dropped to block entry—and defended by seven narrow arrow slits designed for archers. A secondary western gate featured a drawbridge, which included a wooden section that could be removed to prevent crossing.

Inside the outer walls lies the smaller inner fortress, also square in plan with a perimeter of about 160 meters. This inner stronghold stands approximately two meters higher than the surrounding walls and contains towers at each corner. It served as the last line of defense and the command center during sieges.

Within this inner keep are vaulted halls functioning as the knights’ dining area, kitchens with three large ovens, residential quarters, and a chapel situated on the upper floor of the gate tower. These internal rooms highlight the fortress’s role not just in defense but also as a self-sufficient center of daily life for its occupants.

Water was a critical concern for the fortress’s defenders, and the site included carefully plastered cisterns designed to collect rainwater via a system of channels and pipes. Additional water supplies were brought from a nearby spring known as Ein Hadid, ensuring the garrison’s needs could be met even during long sieges.

Interestingly, a bathhouse reminiscent of a Turkish bath (hammam) was uncovered in the fortress’s northeast corner of the outer courtyard. This feature would have provided hygiene and relaxation facilities for the knights and soldiers stationed there.

The fortress’s walls are hollow and constructed with barrel vaults—curved masonry ceilings—that created two floors within the wall thickness. The lower floor was used for storage and housing horses, while the upper floor served as a protected walkway with crenellations (notched battlements) behind which archers could defend the fortress safely.

The strategic design of Belvoir prevented attackers from deploying siege engines effectively, thanks to the wide moat and thick walls. The bent entrance forced enemies to slow and expose themselves to defenders. This careful planning helped the fortress resist prolonged attacks during the Crusader period.

Among the archaeological discoveries at the site are carved stone blocks reused from a nearby Byzantine synagogue. Some of these blocks feature decorative menorahs and friezes, indicating that materials from earlier religious structures were incorporated into the fortress walls. This reuse links the fortress to the region’s layered history.

Today, Belvoir Fortress remains one of the best-preserved Crusader castles in Israel. Its extensive ruins stand largely in situ, offering a well-maintained glimpse into medieval military architecture and the complex history of this strategically placed stronghold.