Belvoir

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Not to be confused with the elegant castle in England, the Belvoir Fortress, known in Hebrew as “Kohav HaYarden” (Star of the Jordan), is located on the Naphtali plateau, 500 meters above the Jordan Valley, approximately 20 km (about 12 miles) south of the Sea of Galilee. The Hebrew name refers to the Jewish village which existed there during the Roman and Byzantine periods. The Arabic name is similar to the Hebrew: “kaukabn al-Hawa” (Star of the Winds). Since the security of the Jerusalem Crusader Kingdom of the 12th century was dependent on maintaining secure borders to the east, the Belvoir Fortress was designed accordingly and built with gusto. The construction of the castle began in 1168 by Gilbert of Assailly, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller. The castle originally belonged to a French nobleman; the name Belvoir, translated from the French means “beautiful view,” something which the fortress possesses until today. Visitors will attest to the fact that the view is breathtaking.

The Crusaders understood the strategic importance of the site, allowing the Belvoir garrison to easily monitor movement over the bridge crossing the Jordan River, including Naharayim. The fortress withstood the Muslim attack in 1180 but fell to Salah al-Din in January 1189. Between 1217-1218, the Muslim rulers dismantled the fortress, fearing that the Crusaders would attempt to reconquer and rebuild it. In fact, Belvoir was indeed ceded to the Crusaders but was not restored due to lack of funds. It remained in ruins until 1966 when a major restoration process began by removing the masses of rubble. It is the best preserved Crusader site in Israel.

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