Belvoir

#144 Belvoir Castle
Kaukab al-Hawa "Star of the Winds" [Arabic]
Kochav HaYarden "Star of the Jordan" [Hebrew]
Northern District, Israel
1168-~1180
This is NOT an official Lego site

This early concentric castle was built in 1168 by the Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of St. John [or Hospitallers], Gilbert of Assailly [near Lyon, France]. The land, about 12 miles south of the Sea of Galilee, was purchased by the Knights Hospitaller from Velos, a French nobleman. The castle stands 1,600 feet above the Jordan River Valley, commanding the route into the Kingdom of Jerusalem from Gilead. It is the best preserved castle in Israel, though when visited by T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia) it was still considered to be a simple, single enclosure castle. Lawrence wrote in his 1936 Crusader Castles [Immel Publishing] "At Belvoir, Rey declares that there are traces of a square keep inside the ditch and wall, and this of course if true would be somewhat puzzling: neither Mr. Pirie-Gordon nor myself however could find the slightest trace of its existence. Rey was probably deceived by the wall of some Arab house."

Archaeologist E. G. Rey (1837-1916) would prove in the end to be much more observant than the 21 year old T. E. Lawrence. Between 1963 and 1968 the Israel Department of Antiquities discovered that Belvoir was much more complex: an early example of the concentric castle plan that was used not only in later Crusader Castles, but notably by Edward I in Wales. The castle was highly symmetrical with square towers at the corners of both the outer and inner castles, and curtain towers on all sides of the outer wall, especially at the complex entrance. Belvoir was to influence the design of castles for centuries to come.

At the time Belvoir was being built, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, Salah ad-Din Yusuf (aka Saladin) had forged a truce with the Kingdom of Jerusalem following his defeat by the knight Raynald of Châtillon, who had stayed in the Holy Land after the unsuccessful 2nd Crusade [1145-9]. Raynald however continued to hinder shipping and attacked caravans. Saladin besieged the city of Tiberias in 1187 and foolishly King Guy of Jerusalem took his army to meet him at the Horns of Hattin outside Tiberias, where Saladin scored a resounding victory. Saladin next captured Jerusalem then sent his army to besiege Belvoir. Fortunately the winter rains soon came and the muddy and demoralized Muslim army soon gave up the siege. Saladin returned in the spring of 1188 and on January 5, 1189, Belvoir surrendered. An Arab governor occupied Belvoir until 1219, when the Ayyubid ruler in Damascus slighted the castle. It was ceded back to the Franks in 1241 but abandoned in 1263 following the victories of Mamluk Sultan Baibars of Egypt. Belvoir was an Arab village when it was abandoned during the 1947-8 war. The Israelis soon removed all traces of the Arab presence.

Photos of the Lego Model under construction beginning August

On August 28, Belvoir Castle is laid out with minor adjustments made for the availability of tan slopes.	The ditch seems more pronounced on the north and west sides, so the model is thusly laid out.	After a bit more building, I've decided the inner castle needs to be defined so the center is filled with vertical and horizontal supports...	...upon which both the inner face of the outer castle and the outer face of the inner castle are defined.

On Labor Day, September 1, the switchback main entrance passage is mostly completed...	...as is the secondary bridge entrance on the west face of the castle.	It's now September 10 and I've raised the walls of both the outer & inner castles. All the doors are installed and many arrowslits are being added.	On Sept. 12 I've enough built to begin to roof the outer walls which contain the stables and storerooms.

The first level of the Eastern Tower also now has a floor	By September 19 the cistern and knights' bath is complete...	...and there is real sense about how the inner courtyard will look.	The switchback entrance ramp is embattled, but with 2-wide crenels separating the merlons.

The design work on the western gate bridge is also done - and parts ordered.	The bread oven outside the kitchen is heating up.	Finally the roofing of the outer castle is complete...	...and the construction of the inner castle resumes!

On October 25 the inner courtyard is virtually complete...	...and roofing of the inner castle begins. Bands of nervous arabs are checking out the progress.	On October 29 the western bridge is complete -- and guarded.	Hospitallers, Teutonic knights and other keep a wary eye on the native visitors...

Photos of the Lego Model Built August - November, 2014

The castle's main entrance is protected by the West Tower, bristling with arrowslits...	...and a fortified ramp through two gates.	The entrance is also overshadowed by the NW tower which rivals the donjon in size.	The secondary entrance is on the east side - a bridge crossing the wide dry moat.

Here is the view from the east, which gives nice display of the fortification.	The deep ditch/moat also extends along the south side of the castle.	The south face returns the ditch to open hilltop.	The view of Belvoir from the southwest.

Here is a close-up of the fortified main gate.	Looking at the switch-back from the West Tower courtyard.	The bridge over the dry moat to the East Gate.	There are also three postern sally-ports.

Here is a detail of the back of the West Tower.	The door into the outer courtyard.	Detail of the cistern and the bath.	The inner East Tower serves both as the main entrance to the Inner Castle and as the Donjon.

The postern door of the Inner Castle opens near the cistern.	The east half of the Inner Courtyard with main entrance and Chapel.	The northwest view of the Inner Courtyard details the kitchen and oven.	Another view of the Donjon with Watch Turret and bell to signal prayers, meals and warnings.

The Arabs have discovered that Belvoir has been completed.	Saladin and his army prepare to attack.	The warning bell alerts the various knights to prepare for battle.	Belvoir will not be taken in battle. She only surrenders after a nine month siege!


One of the surviving gates	A panorama of the ruin [Google Maps offers an impressive walk-about]	A cellar in the castle


Pre-excavation Plan from T. E. Lawrence' 1936 book Crusader Castles	Floor Plan from Hugh Kennedy's 1994 book Crusader Castles	Floor Plan with key


Conjectural Drawing at Belvoir National Park in Israel	Another drawing of what Belvoir might have looked like

Build Your Own The other plans are too large for me to copy. Sorry.

Lego Plan


South Elevation	East Elevation