Crusader Castle Arsuf (אַרְסוּף)

The origins of the settlement of Arsuf date back to the 6th or 5th century BC, when it was founded under the name Arshuf. Named after the Canaanite-Phoenician god Resheph, the site flourished as a center for purple production. In 1101, a Crusader army under Baldwin I of Jerusalem conquered the city. The Crusaders, who called it Arsur, rebuilt the city walls and established the Lordship of Arsuf. This initially belonged to the royal domain of Jerusalem but was granted to John of Arsur in 1163. After his childless death, the lordship passed to Melisende, the daughter of his brother Guido. Through Melisende's marriage to John of Ibelin in 1207, Arsuf came into the Ibelin family. Their son John of Arsuf inherited the lordship, which he passed on to his eldest son Balian. Balian sold the lordship to the Knights Hospitaller in 1260 or 1261. After its conquest by Saladin in 1187, Arsuf returned to Christian hands after the Battle of Arsuf in 1191. However, in 1265, the fortress was captured by the Mamluks under Sultan Baibars I, its walls and the fortress were razed, and the population dispersed.

The ruins of the Crusader Castle of Arsuf are located in the Central region of Israel, approximately 23 meters above sea level, directly on the coast.

Today, visitors can explore the remains of the Crusader Castle of Arsuf and experience the historical atmosphere of this once strategically important site.

• Crusader Castle of Casal des Plains (Fortress), approx. 18.8 km away
• Crusader Castle of Mirabel (מגדל אפק) (Fortress), approx. 19.1 km away
• Crusader Castle of Qalansawe (قلنسوة‎, קַלַנְסֻוָה) (Religious building), approx. 19.3 km away
• Crusader Castle of Hurvat Burgata (Fortress), approx. 19.3 km away