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Château Pèlerin (Old French: Chastel Pelerin;Latin:Castrum Perigrinorum,lit. 'Pilgrim Castle'), also known asAtlit andMagdiel,[1] is aCrusader fortress and fortified town located about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of the modern Israeli town ofAtlit on the northern coast ofIsrael, about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) south ofHaifa. Château Pèlerin is located inside theAtlit naval base.
TheKnights Templar began building the fortress in 1218 during theFifth Crusade. One of the major Crusader fortresses, it could support up to 4,000 troops insiege conditions. It became for a short time the headquarters of the Crusaders; according toClaude Reignier Conder its architecture "must have made ‘Athlit perhaps the finest town of the period in the country".[2] It has been described as the "crowning example of Crusader military architecture",[3] althoughT. E. Lawrence found it lacking in elegance and imagination in terms of military architecture, settling on massiveness instead. In early August 1291, three months after theSiege of Acre, the forces ofAl-Ashraf Khalil conquered Atlit, which was at that point the last remaining Crusader outpost in Syria, thus permanently ending Crusader presence in the region.[4]
The fortress remained intact for several hundred years, until suffering damage in theGalilee earthquake of 1837. In the 14th century, it became home to a large concentration ofOirat Mongols. During earlyOttoman rule, in the 16th century, it was recorded in tax registers as a port of call and a farm. Later, in the 19th century, it was a small fishing village under the influence of the local al-Madi family.
It was depopulated of its Palestinian inhabitants in 1948. In modern times, the castle is part of theAtlit naval base, a training zone for Israeli Naval commandos.
In theBordeaux Itinerary, the town is known in Latin as Certa.[5]
Construction began in early spring 1218 during the period of theFifth Crusade by the Knights Templar, replacing the earlier castle ofLe Destroit which was situated slightly back from the coast. The castle was built on a promontory, with two main walls cutting the citadel off from the land. The outer wall was approximately 15 metres high and 6 metres thick, with three square towers situated about 44 metres apart, projecting out by 12 metres with a level platform on the roof probably for artillery. In front ran a shallow ditch dug at sea level cut into the bedrock. The inner wall was approximately 30 metres high by 12 metres, with two square towers, the north and south each approximately 34 metres tall. As the inner wall was taller than the outer wall, defenders were able to shoot at targets over the first wall allowing greater protection from return fire by the besiegers. Part of the design of the castle included a protected harbour on the south side of the promontory. It also had three fresh water wells within its enclosure. The castle was capable of supporting up to 4000 troops during a siege, as it did in 1220. The settlement of Atlit developed outside the castle's outer wall and was later fortified. The castle's position dominated the north–south coastal route, and surrounding countryside allowing it to draw revenue from tolls and rents, going some way to pay for the running costs of the castle; as well as providing protection for pilgrims. The castle probably got its name from pilgrims who volunteered their labour during its construction. There is a large Crusader cemetery (80 x 100 metres) north of the castle, on the beach, containing hundreds of graves, some with carved grave markers.[6][7]
The castle was under the control of the Knights Templar and was never taken in siege due to its excellent location and design and its ability to be resupplied by sea. It was besieged in 1220 by theAyyubids, under the command ofal-Malik al-Mu'azzam. It came under siege by theMamluks underSultan Baybars in 1265, during which the settlement of 'Atlit was destroyed. With thefall of Acre and collapse of theKingdom of Jerusalem by the Mamluks underSultan al-Ashraf Khalil, the Knights Templar lost their main roles of defence of the Holy land and security of pilgrims to the Holy Sites. The castle could now only be resupplied by sea, so the castle was evacuated between 3 and 14 August 1291.
The castle was not demolished by the Mamluks as was their normal practice after capturing a crusader fortification and remained in good condition until it suffered severe damage during theGalilee earthquake of 1837, and was also further damaged byIbrahim Pasha in 1840, who used it as a source of stone for Acre.
Atlit | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 The village of Atlit in 1937 | |
 Map showing the "modern village" of Atlit, within the fortress walls, from the 1871-77PEF Survey of Palestine | |
| Palestine grid | 144/233 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Haifa |
| Date of depopulation | Not known[8] |
In 1296, during the beginnings ofMamluk rule in the coastlands of Palestine, 10,000 to 18,000Oirat Mongols entered the Mamluk realm as part of a defectingIlkhanid troop, followed by smaller waves of arrivals. Although they originally established themselves inCairo, most were eventually relocated to Atlit and northwesternSyria by the Mamluks.[9]
Theiskele (port of call or wharf) of Atlit, along with those of nearbyTantura andTirat Lawza generated annual revenues of 5,000akces in 1538, duringOttoman rule (1517–1917).[10] In 1596 Atlit was recorded as a farm that paid taxes to the government.[11]
In1799, it appeared as the village Atlit on the map thatPierre Jacotin compiled that year.[12]
During the rule ofAcre governorSulayman Pasha al-Adil (1805–1819), Atlit was the headquarters of local strongmanMas'ud al-Madi, who was appointed themutasallim (tax collector/enforcer) of the Atlit coast, which consisted of the territory that stretched fromUmm Khalid toHaifa.[13][14] In 1859, the population was stated to be "200 souls", and their tillage 20feddans, according to the English consul Rogers.[15]
An Ottoman village list of about 1870 showed that Atlit had 9 houses and a population of 33, though the population count included men only.[16][17] In 1881, thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine noted the existence of an hamlet covering a good portion of the ancient site.[15] A population list from about 1887 showed that Atlit had about 180 inhabitants; all Muslims.[18]
The population declined in the early 20th century; the1922 census of Palestine recorded a population of 86 people.[19]
A major excavation sponsored byMandate Authorities was undertaken by C. N. Johns between 1930 and 1934.
The castle was part of thearea used by the Mandate Authorities to house illegal refugees during the later Mandate period.
The castle is now part ofAtlit naval base, anIsraeli Navy base which is the headquarters of the Israeli Navy'sShayetet 13 naval commando unit. As a result, the castle is within a closed military zone and training area for naval commandos.
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The headquarters of the Crusaders were, however, farther north, at the great seaport of 'Athlit, the Castel Pelegrino of mediæval writers, Athlit, where first the new levies landed on the comfortless coast of the Holy Land. Very impressive must have been the general appearance of the town to the pilgrim. The church, a decagon, with its three eastern apses, the great hall of El Kaynifeh towering above all, the long vaults for stabling and storage, the groined roofs and noble masonry, with the strong surrounding walls, must have made 'Athlit perhaps the finest town of the period in the country.
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32°42′19″N34°56′02″E / 32.70528°N 34.93389°E /32.70528; 34.93389
