Belvoir Fortress, Crusader castle on Issachar Plateau, Israel.
Belvoir Fortress is a Hospitaller castle on the eastern edge of the Issachar Plateau, 4 km west of the Jordan River. Its outer rectangular wall with square corner and side towers encloses a square inner keep with four corner towers and one on the west wall. The moat was cut on three sides, and the vaults inside the walls sheltered defenders from siege engines.
The Order of Hospitallers built the fortress in 1168 to strengthen control over the region. It fell to Saladin's forces after a prolonged siege in 1189.
The Arabic name Kawkab al-Hawa, "Star of the Winds," was recorded by the 13th-century historian Abu Shama, who wrote that the castle was "fixed among the stars, like an eagle's nest and the dwelling place of the moon." The Hebrew name Kokhav HaYarden, "Star of the Jordan," comes from the Jewish village of Kokhav whose remains lie on the site.
The site sits on a summit 312 m above sea level, with cliffs dropping about 550 m to the Jordan Valley, roughly 4 km west of the river. The moat cut on three sides and the collapsed upper storeys make footing uneven, so sturdy shoes help. The national park entrance is near the access road south of the Sea of Galilee.
The fortress combines an outer rectangular wall with an inner fortification connected by an intricate network of gates and suspended bridges. This double-ring design was an innovative defensive strategy that could confuse attackers navigating the space.
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