DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.10358#0135
I IO
PICTURESQUE PALESTINE.
which borders the seashore, and the western slopes of Carmel. These ranges gradually
approach each other till they almost meet at Tell es Semak (Sycaminum) at the foot of the
headland of Carmel (see map). From this point to Athlit the road, a very ancient one, on
which the ruts of chariot wheels may be traced here and there, runs just within the ridge of
rock, and the traveller only obtains occasional glimpses of " the Great Sea " through narrow
fissures made fertile by winter torrents. The only village in this, the northern section of the
plain of Athlit, is Tireh, whose inhabitants are noted for their turbulence and daring. Its
houses of mud and stone are clustered together at the mouth of Wady el 'Ain (Valley of the
Spring), the central valley in the western slopes of Carmel, and are surrounded by cultivated
fields and orchards.
Exactly opposite to Athlit (Castellum Peregrinorum) (see page 100), the coast-road turns
abruptly and passes through a narrow and very ancient defile, cut through the broad ridge of
sandstone rock; it is just wide enough to enable two horsemen to ride abreast freely. There
are deep broad ruts in the roadway, made by chariot wheels many centuries ago. Lintels at
each end of this rock-cut passage show that it was protected by gates ; and there are the
remains of fortifications on the cliffs above. From this rock-cut passage Athlit probably
derived its mediaeval name of Petra Incisa. The old chariot-road from this point runs outside
or west of the sandstone ridge, but there is a narrow coast plain, which varies from half a mile
to a mile in width, between it and the seashore.
The fortress of Athlit, which was built by the Templars in 1218, on ancient foundations
whose history is unknown, stands on a rocky promontory which runs westward into the sea a
distance of about a quarter of a mile. There is a shallow shell-strewn harbour on the south
side (shown on page 100), and a rather deeper and much wider one on the north side, protected
by a reef of rocks, called by the natives " Buwabet " (the Portals). A large space of ground
adjoining the promontory was enclosed by a strongly fortified wall, which can still be traced ;
it starts from the northern harbour and takes a southernly direction for eight hundred yards,
and then runs westward to the sea, a distance of three hundred yards. Portions of this wall,
which was constructed of very large hewn stones, are still standing, but still more of it may be
seen in the western wall of'Akka, which was almost entirely rebuilt of stones carried away
from Athlit by Ibrahim Pasha, as related on page 79. Beyond the wall there was a deep
fosse through which the sea formerly flowed, thus entirely insulating the fortress, which may be
described as a miniature reproduction of the ancient Tyre (see pages 55 and 56), and it is
actually called Tyre in ancient chronicles of the Crusades.
The citadel of Athlit occupies a rectangular space in the centre of the promontory. Its
walls, fifteen feet in thickness and thirty feet in height, are constructed of sandy and rather
porous limestone from a neighbouring quarry. Lieutenant C. R. Conder observes that " the
masonry is all drafted and in situ, whence it has been supposed to be earlier work than the
Crusading erections, but the posterns of the towers have pointed arches" (see page 104) "in
drafted masonry, identical with that of the walls, showing that the Crusaders cut their own
PICTURESQUE PALESTINE.
which borders the seashore, and the western slopes of Carmel. These ranges gradually
approach each other till they almost meet at Tell es Semak (Sycaminum) at the foot of the
headland of Carmel (see map). From this point to Athlit the road, a very ancient one, on
which the ruts of chariot wheels may be traced here and there, runs just within the ridge of
rock, and the traveller only obtains occasional glimpses of " the Great Sea " through narrow
fissures made fertile by winter torrents. The only village in this, the northern section of the
plain of Athlit, is Tireh, whose inhabitants are noted for their turbulence and daring. Its
houses of mud and stone are clustered together at the mouth of Wady el 'Ain (Valley of the
Spring), the central valley in the western slopes of Carmel, and are surrounded by cultivated
fields and orchards.
Exactly opposite to Athlit (Castellum Peregrinorum) (see page 100), the coast-road turns
abruptly and passes through a narrow and very ancient defile, cut through the broad ridge of
sandstone rock; it is just wide enough to enable two horsemen to ride abreast freely. There
are deep broad ruts in the roadway, made by chariot wheels many centuries ago. Lintels at
each end of this rock-cut passage show that it was protected by gates ; and there are the
remains of fortifications on the cliffs above. From this rock-cut passage Athlit probably
derived its mediaeval name of Petra Incisa. The old chariot-road from this point runs outside
or west of the sandstone ridge, but there is a narrow coast plain, which varies from half a mile
to a mile in width, between it and the seashore.
The fortress of Athlit, which was built by the Templars in 1218, on ancient foundations
whose history is unknown, stands on a rocky promontory which runs westward into the sea a
distance of about a quarter of a mile. There is a shallow shell-strewn harbour on the south
side (shown on page 100), and a rather deeper and much wider one on the north side, protected
by a reef of rocks, called by the natives " Buwabet " (the Portals). A large space of ground
adjoining the promontory was enclosed by a strongly fortified wall, which can still be traced ;
it starts from the northern harbour and takes a southernly direction for eight hundred yards,
and then runs westward to the sea, a distance of three hundred yards. Portions of this wall,
which was constructed of very large hewn stones, are still standing, but still more of it may be
seen in the western wall of'Akka, which was almost entirely rebuilt of stones carried away
from Athlit by Ibrahim Pasha, as related on page 79. Beyond the wall there was a deep
fosse through which the sea formerly flowed, thus entirely insulating the fortress, which may be
described as a miniature reproduction of the ancient Tyre (see pages 55 and 56), and it is
actually called Tyre in ancient chronicles of the Crusades.
The citadel of Athlit occupies a rectangular space in the centre of the promontory. Its
walls, fifteen feet in thickness and thirty feet in height, are constructed of sandy and rather
porous limestone from a neighbouring quarry. Lieutenant C. R. Conder observes that " the
masonry is all drafted and in situ, whence it has been supposed to be earlier work than the
Crusading erections, but the posterns of the towers have pointed arches" (see page 104) "in
drafted masonry, identical with that of the walls, showing that the Crusaders cut their own