Apollonia II

I have posted on Apollonia before, but most of this is new. I had trouble waking anyone in the family this morning as the boy and nephew went to bed late - so I set out on my own. I decided to revisit Apollonia, which is 10 minutes down the road, on the sea front. The settlement was originally started by the Phoenicians at the end of the sixth century BCE. They called the place Arsuf after one of their gods. They used the places as a harbor and a place to make purple dye from snails. Then came the Greeks (who named it Apollonia - after Apollo) and the Romans and the city grew and grew. During the Byzantine period (fifth and six century CE) the city became the main port of the Sharon plain - complete with a water system, wine and oil press and glass industry. In 1101 the Crusaders conquered the city and named it Arsour. During the Crusades the city went back and forward between Christian and Moslem hands. In 1241 the fortress at the northern end of the city was built. It stood for 24 years until in 1265 the Marmeluke Sultan Bibars took the city and stormed the castle and burned it to the ground.

As usual I was the only person around. I had a great time walking around. Nice place and close.

These are the remains of a Roman villa built outside the walls. Nice sea view, wouldn't mind living there myself.
A water cistern. It has plastered walls. The inhabitants stored rain water in large cisterns all over the city.
A view of the crusader castle from the north.
Inside the keep.
The sea is slowly eating away at the limestone cliffs below the city. They have begun a big rescue project that requires building a breakwater to protect the cliffs from erosion. You can see the northern side of the ancient harbor in the water.
These were the rocks that were hurled at or by the Crusaders. They found 2200 of these near the gates of the castle.
This is the moat surrounding the castle.

A nice place with a sea view. Who could ask for more.