Crusader City


The original 9th-century walls enclosing this fortified Arab city were bulked out into a Crusader fortress by King Louis IX of France (St Louis), better known for building Ste-Chapelle in Paris. The ramparts, 900m long and 13m high, were made all the more impassable by a 9m-deep moat. To get an overview of the site, head up the slope from the minaret by the harbour.

A path leads to the remains (three rounded apses) of a 13th-century Crusader Church, built over the site of an older Byzantine church.

The ruined city, situated between the national park's northern entrance and the harbour, is accessible whenever the park is open.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Crusader Church

0.05 MILES

One feature of the Crusader City site in Caesarea National Park is this 13th-century Crusader-era church. It was built over the site of an older Byzantine…

2. Cardo

0.13 MILES

Outside the Crusader walls, a few hundred metres east (away from the sea) from the park's northern entrance, is the fenced-in, excavated Cardo (Byzantine…

3. Caesarea Experience

0.13 MILES

The park's visitor centre, aka the Caesarea Experience, is located on the harbour's jetty. Inside, a 10-minute film (available in seven languages)…

4. Bathhouse

0.14 MILES

The ruins of a large bathhouse are the only notable remnants of a Byzantine-era governor's palace at this site in Caesarea National Park.

5. Time Tower

0.16 MILES

Out on the the jetty, on the top floor of the Citadel, is the Time Tower, whose computer-generated graphics present the city at different periods in its…

6. Herodian Amphitheatre

0.23 MILES

Seven-lap chariot races and bloody gladiatorial contests in which prisoners and slaves battled lions and crocodiles were held in the 10,000-seat…

7. Promontory Palace

0.35 MILES

Jutting into the sea next to the southern end of the Herodian amphitheatre, the Roman-era Promontory Palace includes a pool believed to have been used as…

8. Roman Theatre

0.39 MILES

Israel's most ancient theatre is used these days for open-air concerts by top-tier international and Israeli talent. Built by Herod, the impressive…