The Ashdod-Yam Fortress (Qal’at el-Mina) was built in the late seventh century CE by Caliph Abd al-Malik (685-705 CE) on the ruins of a Byzantine settlement. The fortress served as part of a coastal defense system designed to prevent Byzantine invasions from the sea. This system included a chain of ribats (fortresses) along the Mediterranean coast, maintaining visual contact with each other. In times of danger, signals were conveyed through the lighting of beacons by day and smoke signals by night. In 1033, the fortress was destroyed by an earthquake and left abandoned. During the Crusader period (12th-13th centuries CE), the fortress was renovated and resettled, and its name was changed to Castellum Beroart. It was finally abandoned after the Crusaders were expelled from the region in 1290. The preparations for opening the fortress to the public included excavation and preservation efforts carried out by the Ashdod Tourism Department with the assistance of youth and children from educational institutions in the city.
The Ashdod-Yam Fortress
The Ashdod-Yam Fortress (also known as Qal’at el-Mina) was constructed by Caliph Abd al-Malik (685-705 C.E) towards the end of the seventh century C.E on the remains of a Byzantine settlement. This fortress was a part of a coastal defense system designed to deter Byzantine incursions from the sea. The system consisted of a series of ribats (fortresses) along the Mediterranean coastline, allowing for visual communication in times of danger, using beacon fires during the day and smoke signals at night. In 1033, the fortress was destroyed by an earthquake and left abandoned. During the Crusader period (12th and 13th centuries C.E), the fortress was reconstructed and reoccupied, and its name was changed to Castellum Beroart. It was eventually abandoned after the Crusaders were expelled from the land in 1290. The preparations for opening the fortress to the public involved excavation and preservation efforts conducted by Ashdod Tourism and the Antiquities Authority with the assistance of youth and children from educational institutions in the city.
