 Aerial view of Minat al-Qal'a | |
 Interactive map of Minat al-Qal'a | |
| Location | Israel |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°46′48″N34°37′17.5″E / 31.78000°N 34.621528°E /31.78000; 34.621528 |
| Palestine grid | 114/132 |
| Type | Fort |
| History | |
| Periods | Umayyad Crusader |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Ruin |
Minat al-Qal'a (Arabic:مِنَاة الْقَلَعَة,lit. 'harbour of the fort';Hebrew:מצודת אשדוד ים,romanized: Metzudat Ashdod Yam,lit. 'Ashdod Yam Fortress'[a];Latin:Castellum Beroart) is a medievalcoastal fort protecting the port known asAshdod-Yam (lit. "Ashdod-on-the-Sea"), which was historically separate fromAshdod proper but whose archaeological remains are today located on the southern beach of the sprawling modern city of Ashdod. The fort was built by theUmayyads and later restored by theCrusaders.[2][3][4]
The medieval Arabic name wasMahuz Azdud, "harbour of Azdud", after centuries of being known as "Azotus paralios" (Greek for Ashdod-on-the-Sea)[4][5] The modern Arabic name, Minat al-Qal'a, means "The harbour (mina) with the fortress (qal'a)", while the modern Hebrew name, "Hurbat Ashdod Yam" means the "ruins of Ashdod-on-the-Sea."
The fort was built by the Umayyad CaliphAbd al-Malik ibn Marwan (reign 685–705 CE) before the end of the 7th century on top of Byzantine-era remains. It was in use during the 10th-11th centuries, and was restored and used again by the Crusaders in the late 12th century after sustaining serious damage from the1033 earthquake.[3][6] The fort was meant to protect the port from raids by theByzantine navy, while the port itself was used by the same navy to exchange Muslim prisoners for ransom.[6][7][8][9]
Archaeological excavations show that the fort was restored and reused during the Crusader period.[3] They come to prove what was already known from documents from the era, which indicate that Nicolas de Beroard, a knight of lord Hugh of Ramla, was in charge of the stronghold in 1169. From this period it is known asCastellum Beroart.[10]
The port stops being mentioned during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods, making it likely that it was destroyed by the Muslims along with the other port cities from the coast of Palestine, due to fears that they might again be used by Crusader invasions from the sea.[6]
In 1863Victor Guérin visited and described it,[11] while in 1873-4, it was described byCharles Simon Clermont-Ganneau.[12]In 1882, thePalestine Exploration Fund'sSurvey of Western Palestine described it as being apparently from "the Middle Ages".[13]
The almost rectangular fortress (35×55 meters) was enclosed by a six to seven meters highcurtain wall. It has four solid corner towers, and two semicircular ones flanking each of the two huge gates that gave access to the stronghold from the west and east.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help){{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)| International | |
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| Geographic | |
