Muslim Fortresses in the Levant: Between Crusaders and Mongols (12 page)

The idea that the fotress was built as an answer to the construction of Belvoir (Kawkab) is questionable.
⁵¹
As a rule fortresses did not clash with one another and there are very few examples of two fortresses guarding a strategic site and belonging to two different opponents. Fortresses that were expected to guard river crossings or mountain passes were built directly on the pass or ford, like Baghrās which guarded the Belen mountain pass on the Amanus range or the Crusader fortress of Vadum Iacob that guarded an important crossing over the Jordan.
may have been built with the idea that it would protect a ford over the Jordan, but it is about 17 km. from the river. While
was being constructed (1184) it was no doubt considered a frontier fortress, although by the time the construction work was finished or shortly there after, the frontier lines had changed and moved considerably due to the Crusader defeat at the battle of
. Belvoir was captured by
(584/1188) after a lengthy siege and probably partly restored.
⁵²
It was held by the Ayyubids until
seized it from
Usāma, who up until then had governed also
.
decided later to raze Belvoir to the ground (609/1213).
⁵³
Following the peace treaty between Richard of Cornwall and
(1241), the ruler of Egypt, the fortress was given by Pope Alexander IV to the Order of the Hospitallers in 1255.
⁵⁴
Belvoir was probably taken by Baybars eight years later while the sultan was campaigning in the eastern Galilee. It was abandoned and never rebuilt by the Muslims.
⁵⁵

is located on a route branching off the Darb
which crosses the Sinai Peninsula from east to west, starting at
and ending at
(
Map 1.2
). The fotress probably existed well before
came to power, the initial construction perhaps dating to the beginning of the twelfth century or even earlier.