Belvoir's Weak Point


Belvoir, one of the strongest Crusader castles, dominates the ford over the River Jordan.
Belvoir, one of the strongest Crusader castles,
dominates the ford over the River Jordan.

Krak des Chevaliers in the Lebanon has the reputation as the strongest and most dramatic of the crusader castles in the Middle East, but in my opinion Belvoir runs it a close second.

Set high on the hills overlooking the Jordan Valley and an important ford, the castle was a textbook example of concentric fortification. Built of the local black basalt, it was surrounded by a dry moat 90' deep and wide and defended by a series of salley ports cunningly concealed in recesses in the walls.

Its strength was shown when, after the Battle of Hattin, a small garrison hopelessly defied Saladin and kept his forces at bay for eighteen months. It only fell when Saladin discovered its weak point.