History of Acre

Allocated to the tribe of Asher under the Israelites, Acre would come under the rule of the Assyrians (9th century BC) and the Phoenicians (6th-4th centuries BC) before being conquered by Alexander the Great. It would later be ruled by the Egyptian Ptolemid Dynasty, Syria’s Seleucids and form part of the Hasmonean Kingdom, then being taken by the Romans in 63 BC. From 638 AD, Acre became an Arab city, part of the Caliphate of Cairo.

All of these cultures and civilisations left their mark on the Old City of Acre. The ruins of various fortifications and structures can still be seen there today. However, the overwhelming character of Acre is defined by two later periods, denoting the city’s time under the Crusaders and the Ottomans.

The Crusaders took Acre in 1104 and proceeded to build an impressive set of fortifications, much of which remain. This was a time of great development and prosperity, with the erection of many public buildings such as bathhouses, markets, shops and churches. However, from 1187, Acre fell to the Muslims and proceeded to change hands many more times including falling to the Crusaders yet again under Richard the Lion Heart in 1191.

From 1517, Acre – then in a poor state due to damage from several conflicts – came under Ottoman rule, although it was not until the 18th century that reconstruction began taking place. The Ottoman redevelopment of Acre was sympathetic to the Crusader buildings, with their remaining structures being used as a basis for new construction. At this time, Acre experienced yet another period of prosperity, with many new public buildings, including mosques and homes.

Acre is also famous for being the site of a failed siege by Napoleon in 1799 and being the location of a prison for political dissidents under the British Mandate.

Acre today

Visitors to Acre can see its impressive fortifications, sites related to the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitallers, such as the Knights’ Halls, sites of the Bahá’í Faith, the old city walls and the many remaining public buildings, most of which originate from the Ottoman and Crusader periods. The Old City (Akko) takes a good day to explore (although an overnight stay is worth it if you’ve got the time) – look out for the excellent food on offer.

Getting to Acre

Acre is about 25km north of Haifa, on Israel’s Mediterranean coast. Buses 361 and 371 both run from Haifa to Acre. Trains also run between the two cities, taking about 30 minutes.

History of Arsuf

Founded by the Phoenicians in the 6th or 5th century BC, Arsuf was occupied by the Persians, Seleucid Greeks (from where it gained the name Apollonia), Romans, Byzantines, Muslims and finally the Crusaders who captured the town in 1101 AD. In 1191 AD Richard the Lionheart defeated Saladin here in the Battle of Arsuf.

The area was fought over throughout the Crusader period and, from 1261 AD the fortress of Arsuf was occupied by the Knights Hospitaller. However, just four years later the Mamluk Sultan Baibars captured the fortress after a 40-day siege. His forces destroyed the town and the site was abandoned.

Arsuf today

Today, Arsuf has been excavated and is now part of Apollonia National Park. Visitors can see the remains of the Crusader fortress, including evidence from the final battle. The clifftop setting and impressive defensive moat bring to life the scale and drama of the once-mighty castle. Also on show are the remains of a Roman villa, which highlights the diverse nature of the settlement at Arsuf.

Visitors can wander through the remnants of Crusader chambers and the site contains useful information on the various areas of the ruins. The site itself takes only about an hour to view, and contains some pleasant coastal and tranquil walkways. The view over the cliffs to the glittering Med below is glorious.

During the holidays, events are often held here for children and the site can make for a good family day out. Purists be warned, those core historians seeking to explore the atmosphere of the ancient ruins should check ahead to avoid these events, as the site can be overrun with children dressed as pirates!

There’s a small entrance fee charged as the site is part of a wider national park. Signs are in English and Hebrew, but relatively minimal.

Getting to Arsuf

Arsuf is on the fringes of Tel Aviv – about 20 minutes drive from the centre of town, on the Mediterranean coast. Buses 601 and 606 will get you there from central Tel Aviv.

History of Avdat

Avdat was founded around the 3rd century BC, and quickly became one of the most importrant cities on the trading route known as the Incense Route which ran from the Mediterranean to south Arabia. Behind Petra, it was the second most important city on the route for around 800 years. The main commodities along this route were frankincense, myrrh and spices.

Avdat prospered under the Nabateans from 30 BC to 9 BC, during the reign of King Aretas IV, but needed to be rebuilt after it was destroyed by Arab tribes in the late 1st century BC. This was carried out under Nabatean King Rabbel. However, in 106 AD, during Rabbel’s reign, Avdat was captured by the Romans, who built a military camp and bath house on the site.

Avdat remained prosperous throughout the Byzantine period, but an earthquake in 630 AD seriously damaged the city. Only a few years later, the city was taken by Arab forces.

Avdat today

In addition to well-preserved fortifications, the ruins at Avdat include a caravanserai, homes, a Roman military camp, fourth century churches, a street and a bathhouse. Many of the ruins are Roman, but the Nabatean influence can still be seen, including the ruin of a temple.

The visitor centre is next to the petrol station on Route 40: there’s a relatively useful film on the history of the Incense Route which is shown regularly. From the visitor centre, you can walk or drive up a steep path to the ruins of the ancient city itself.

There’s plenty to explore and it is a remarkable site – it’s not normally too crowded, and if you go early or late you may well get the place (virtually) to yourself.

Getting to Avdat

Avdat is just off Route 40, about 50 minutes south of Be’er Sheva. Bus routes 64 and 65 run between Be’er Sheva and Mitzpe Ramon regularly (normally twice an hour but it’s worth checking before you set out): you can hop off at Avdat. Remember Friday afternoon and Saturday is respected as shabat, and no buses will run.

It was at the Ayn Jalut Battlefield that the Bahri Mamluks of Egypt defeated the Mongol Empire and prevented them from further expanding at the time (the Mongols would go on to capture Damascus and Gaza). Today, what remains is simply a set of fields with nothing to mark the battle site.

Ayn Jalut Battlefield history

Expanding further westward, the Mongol Empire armies of Hulagu Khan captured and sacked Baghdad in 1258 and shortly after, the Auuybid’s capital Damascus. Hulahu demanded that Islamic ruler Qutuz of Egypt surrender, but instead he killed the envoys and put their heads on the Bab Zuweila gate of Cairo. Hulagu returned to Mongolia with most of his army, leaving behind 10,000 troops under General Kitbuqa.

Hearing the Mongols had departed Qutuz advanced quickly with his warrior-enslaved Mamluk army from Cairo to Palestine. It was at the Spring of Harod that his forces met with Kitbuga, and using hit and run tactics combined with feigned retreat and impressive flanking manoeuvres, the Mamluks pushed the Mongols back towards Bisan.

After a final attack, Kitbuqa was killed and the Mongols defeated – prevented for the first time from expanding their influence. This was also the first time a Mongol army did not return to avenge the defeat.

Ayn Jalut Battlefield today

Today, the site of the Ayn Jalut Battlefield is situated within Ma’ayan Harod National Park and a kabbutz (housing compound) in modern Israel. As there are no surviving detailed descriptions of the battle, it is in fact difficult to place the exact spot of the battlefield and therefore to preserve it.

Make sure to take plenty of water and wear comfortable footwear, as Israel is very hot between April and November, and the ground is uneven with the path often covered in weeds and hard to find. The Spring of Harod is also nearby to visit.

Getting to Ayn Jalut Battlefield

You can reach Ayn Jalut Battlefield via the 71 road, a 35 minute drive from Nazareth. There is parking within Gid’ona. For public transport, the 67 bus stops at Gid’ona and runs every 2 hours on the hour.

History of Beit She’an

The site itself has an extensive history dating back to around the 5th millennium BC and was a significant settlement by the Bronze Age period. During the Late Bronze Age, when the Egyptians ruled the area, Beit She’an served as the administrative centre of the region.

As the Egyptians lost control of the region, around the 12th century BC, the Egyptian city was destroyed by fire and a Canaanite city rose in its place, before the Philistines conquered the area. It was during this period that Beit She’an gained a Biblical reference when the Israelites under King Saul were defeated at the Battle of Mount Gilboa – it is said that the body of Saul was hung from the city’s walls, along with the bodies of his sons. The city was then captured by the Israelite king David and formed part of the Israelite kingdom until its destruction by the Assyrians in 731 BC.

Following this period the city was later re-founded as a Hellenistic settlement and was known as Nisa Scythopolis. As with many of the ancient cities in the area Beit She’an was later incorporated into the Roman Empire and survived under Roman and later Byzanine rule for several centuries; it was one of the ten cities of the Decapolis league. Most of the remains of Beit She’an which can be seen today date back to this period, which is when the city reached its zenith with a population approaching 50,000 by the 5th century AD.

The city continued to function after the 7th century Arab conquest, despite seeing a decline in its prominence and size. However, it was not war or man-made destruction which signalled the end of Beit She’an, rather a major earthquake which struck the region in 749 AD and devastated the city. There were subsequent periods of occupation after this event – including a period of Crusader rule which saw the construction of a Crusader castle – but the ancient city itself fell into ruin.

Beit She’an today

Today visitors to the site can explore the remains of ancient Beit She’an (also called Bet She’an, Beth Shean or Bet Shean) which sits on the eastern side of the modern city of the same name.

Among the ruins are the impressive colonnaded main street (known as Paladius Street), parts of the defensive walls, the reconstructed Roman theatre, an ancient amphitheatre, Byzantine bathhouse and even structures dating back to the Egyptian and Canannite periods, such as a large Canaanite temple and the ancient house of the Egyptian governor. The remains of the Crusader castle can also be visited as well as a Mamluk-era mosque.

Alongside the ruins sits the Biblical Mount Gilboa, which affords excellent views of the surrounding area, and visitors can also purchase tickets for the impressive sound-and-light experience which is run at the site.

Getting to Beit She’an

Beit She’an is about 10km north of Israel’s border with the West Bank, just off Route 90. It’s roughly a 40 minute drive to Nazareth or an hour’s drive to Haifa. Bus 411/12 runs from Afula to Beit She’an quite regularly: you’ll need to change buses here if you’re coming from further afield.

Belvoir Fortress history

The fortress’ location was originally a Jewish village existing nearby during the Roman and Byzantine periods, the Hebrew name meaning ‘Star of the Jordan’. The French Crusader order of the Knights Hospitaller bought the site from Velos, a French nobleman in 1168 AD. The Knights were a Catholic military order of Saint John with a papal order to care and defend the Holy Land.

Belvoir Fortress was built by the Knights 500m above the Jordan River, commanding the route from Gillead to the Kingdom of Jerusalem and including a nearby river crossing. Belvoir boasted a concentric design with both outer and inner defensive walls. From this position Belvoir commanded the area and was the Knights’ most important castle, presenting a major obstacle to the Muslim attempts to invade the crusader kingdom from the east.

In 1182, King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem won the Battle of Belvoir Castle against the Ayyubid sultan, Saladin. However, the castle was soon after besieged by Saladin’s forces who gained victory over the crusaders at the Battle of Hattin. The siege lasted over a year and a half before the defenders surrendered in January 1189. Belvoir was occupied by an Arab governor until 1219 when Ayyubid rule in Damascas faltered, ceding the fortress to the Franks who controlled it until 1263.

Throughout the Ottoman period, the castle became the Arab village Kawkab al-Hawa. These inhabitants were forced out of the settlement by the Zionist military forces during the 1947-8 civil war when around 750,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from land that became Israel. The Arab buildings on the site were destroyed by Israeli authorities between 1963 and 1968 as tensions between Israel and Palestine increased.

Belvoir Fortress today

Today, Belvoir is open to visitors as Israel’s most complete and impressive Crusader fortress. After crossing a modern walkway over the deep moat, visitors will find much of the foundational structure in-tact, which allows you to clearly see the concentric defensive design of the castle, raised above the Jordan River.

Inside the castle walls, you can see the remains of everything the Knights Hospitaller would have needed: a cistern and bathhouse, a series of vaulted spaces likely used as stables, and of course the keep where soldiers lived. There is an information board giving you a good idea of the castle’s original plan.

Getting to Belvoir Fortress

Belvoir is located up a badly-paved road through rolling hills, just off highway 90. It is only accessed via car, and is a 2 hour drive from Tel Aviv-Yafo. There is parking on-site.