Tancredi Tower, Medieval defensive tower in Old City, Jerusalem, Israel.
Tancredi Tower was a medieval fortification at the northwestern corner of Jerusalem's Old City. Its foundations lie beneath the current Ottoman walls that visitors see today, leaving only archaeological remains as evidence of its original structure.
The tower was built during the Fatimid period in the 11th century and received its name from Tancred of Antioch during the First Crusade in 1099. It was destroyed in 1219 by al-Mu'azzam Isa, marking the end of this fortification's active period.
The tower's name recalls Tancred of Antioch, a leader during the First Crusade who played a significant role in Jerusalem's medieval history. You can sense the layering of different peoples and periods at this location along the Old City walls.
The tower's remains lie beneath the existing city wall and are not visible as a standing structure for visitors to see directly. Archaeological excavations near the northwestern corner of the Old City walls provide the main way to understand and study this historical site.
Medieval maps referred to this fortification by another name, Turris Nebulosa, which appears on 13th-century cartography. This alternative designation reveals how the site was known to distant mapmakers before it faded from active use and memory.
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