One of the most important historical sites in the village of Al-Burj
A castle of the 12th century and its military and civil purposes
Al Burj village has several archeological sites, and the most important one is Al-Burj castle , an historical fortress which has been there since the Crusaders’ invasion. The information panel placed there by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities indicates that it was built on the ruins of an archeological site. The excavations in that area proved the presence of an archeological site used in previous eras, and that the original structure dates to the Roman era and was reused later, during the Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic eras. The current structure of the fortress dates to the 12th century.
The strategic and most important use of the fortress is as a watch tower to monitor the road that connects the western slopes of the city of Hebron with its southern areas. It also connects Jerusalem and the Sham area (in the north) with the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
The fortress is a rectangular structure with facilities such as bedrooms, tunnels, water cisterns and rooms for grain storage. It was surrounded by stone walls with a 30-meter-wide defense trench hewn out in the rocks to keep it safe from invaders.
The fortress also has ruins of a small church adjacent to its southern wall. During the Nakba of 1948, the fortress was used to house Palestinian refugees, and some families built their houses on some of its parts, however, most families left the fortress and built their own houses on the eastern side of the fortress since it was impossible to build to the west towards the Palestinian territories that were occupied in 1948.
Quick overview
-
Opening days
Open daily
-
Opening times
All day
-
How to reach
By taxi:
From the bus station in Star Street, near the Nativity Church in Bethlehem to the Hebron taxi station then to Dura and Al-Burj -
Reservation & Price
No need for booking
Suggested periods
- Autumn
- Spring
Visiting Rules
Basic rules:
All visitors are invited to observe the basic rules of respect for the preservation of monuments and nature
Conservative dress code
Covid 19 rules:
Visitors are requested to wear a mask in enclosed or heavily crowded areas and to maintain the safety distance indicated by the regulations in force