Le Destroit

Le Destroit (also known as Districtum, Horvat Qarta, or Khirbat Dustrey) is a ruined medieval fortress, built by the Crusaders in the early 12th century CE, located near the town of Atlit, Israel.

Le Destroit fortress

History

The coastal road near Atlit ran through a narrow passage in the rock, making it an ideal location for robbers to ambush pilgrims and other travelers. In 1103, Baldwin I of Jerusalem was wounded by robbers in the area.[1] The tower fortress, which was situated on a ridge above the pass on the east side of the peninsula at Atlit, was built to protect these travelers.[2]

The army led by King Richard I of England camped at the fortress following the recapture of Acre in 1191.[1] However, when the larger Castrum Perigrinorum was completed in 1218, Le Destroit was dismantled by the Crusaders so that it couldn't be used by the Muslim enemy as a staging ground for an attack on the main castle. Today the castle's podium, stables and moat, cut into the sandstone rock, can be seen.[2]

References

Johns, C.N.; Pringle, Denys (23 May 2019). Pilgrims’ Castle (‘Atlit), David’s Tower (Jerusalem) and Qal‘at ar-Rabad (‘Ajlun): Three Middle Eastern Castles from the Time of the Crusades. Taylor & Francis. pp. 14–15 and 94–98. ISBN 978-0-429-76134-8.
Boas, Adrian (27 September 2006). Archaeology of the Military Orders: A Survey of the Urban Centres, Rural Settlements and Castles of the Military Orders in the Latin East (c.1120-1291). Routledge. pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-1-134-42284-5.

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[JohnsPringle2019-1] Johns, C.N.; Pringle, Denys (23 May 2019). Pilgrims’ Castle (‘Atlit), David’s Tower (Jerusalem) and Qal‘at ar-Rabad (‘Ajlun): Three Middle Eastern Castles from the Time of the Crusades. Taylor & Francis. pp. 14–15 and 94–98. ISBN 978-0-429-76134-8.

[boas2006-2] Boas, Adrian (27 September 2006). Archaeology of the Military Orders: A Survey of the Urban Centres, Rural Settlements and Castles of the Military Orders in the Latin East (c.1120-1291). Routledge. pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-1-134-42284-5.