We are located in the southern part of the fortress. Here, too, there was a hewn and partially built watchtower. Water tanks were carved in it. Behind it begins the descent to the southern ditch. It was he who separated the fortress from the rest of the shell rock ridge. You can go down into the moat and round the hill from the west. On the way, if you are very careful, you can see letters partially carved into the rock on the south wall of the moat. These are the letters Ain and Tav. Many researchers believe that these letters denoted the borders of the Phoenician city of Atlit. It originated in the tenth century BC and is the first port city on the site of modern Atlit. Translated with Google Translate
Atlit is a small town south of Haifa. In the shadow of the capital of North, Atlit is an unremarkable province. However, acquaintance with this place will amaze us with the diversity and depth of the events that took place here. Let's start, oddly enough, with the cemetery. Knights and pilgrims are buried there. This is the only cemetery in the Middle East from the Crusades' time in such good condition. Then our path will run to the refugee camp, which has become an immigration museum. Here we are, witnesses, for the incredible fate of people, secret paths of illegal immigration, and a really recreated atmosphere of those years: the presence of barbed wire, guard towers, disinfection, and wooden barracks tarred by the scorching sun. Then, after a short picnic, we will climb to the ruins of the Crusader fortress De Strua. These are the only sites associated with the history of the Crusades that can be visited in Atlit today. And finally, we will go to the secret azure lagoon, where you can swim and find the shells of the famous mollusk, which gave itself the most expensive and prestigious paint of the ancient world - purple.
Don't be afraid to get lost in new places!
