Until recently, the best thing about Apollonia was the view from its hovering cliffs. Just a small collection of Crusader ruins peeking out from within the weeds, Apollonia was located high above the Mediterranean Sea and offered a great venue for a romantic outing. Indeed, over the years lovers often shared a picnic while watching waves crash against the rocks. . .
At the beginning of the 21st century, however, Apollonia of the crumbling walls and barely recognizable ruins was transformed into a splendid National Park. Overnight, it seemed, there was something more to Apollonia than a fabulous view: there were fortress walls, a medieval gate, a kitchen, a banquet hall, and the all-important citadel keep. Remains of a Roman villa had been discovered near the entrance to the Crusader remains, and workers had cleared out and reinforced the moats that surrounded the citadel and the Crusader city.
Apollonia dates back to the seafaring Phoenicians, who called the settlement that they founded in the sixth century B.C.E. Arshaf after their war god Reshef. The place was perfect for their needs, since not only was there a small natural harbor in the sea, crucial for the commerce they carried out, but murex snails were readily accessible on the shore. That spelled money to the Phoenicians, who used crushed snails to produce purple dye for royal robes.
During the Hellenistic period, residents of Arshaf renamed their city Apollonia. In the first century B.C.E. Apollonia was captured by the Hasmoneans (Maccabees) and came under rule of the Jewish King Alexander Janneus. Next to occupy the site were the Romans, then the Byzantines, who greatly expanded the city. Moslems appeared in the seventh century, changing the name to Arsuf, and the Crusaders came along a few hundred years later.
The first Crusaders to try capturing Arsuf failed dismally. They couldn’t even besiege the city, because it was well supplied from the sea. So they decided to blockade the port, enlisting the help of the Genoese fleet that ordinarily traded with Arsuf. In return, the Crusaders agreed to give the Genoese an entire commercial street in the middle of the city. The Crusaders succeeded in conquering Arsuf, renamed it Arsour, and made it the capital of the southern Sharon region.
Plastered pits found at Apollonia were used by Byzantine residents for storing water and perhaps in glass production as well. They were cleaned out by three men on a special government program for the unemployed, who discovered buttons, a helmet, and bullets from a Mauser pistol! It is highly likely that the cisterns were used as a German position during World War I.
Apollonia’s moat, which encircled the fortress, is 30 meters wide and 14 meters deep. In its heyday, a bridge spanned the moat and ended in a main gate. The citadel was designed like a cloverleaf with semi-circular towers.
Because this is basically a Crusader site, explanatory signs sprinkled throughout the park are shaped like medieval shields. Some are accompanied by a spear-carrying “knight” – or topped by a fleur de lis that helps puts visitors into a heraldic frame of mind! One of the signs carries an illustration of the citadel. It also holds a copy of a seal that belonged to Belian the first, Seigneur of the southern Sharon country, who reigned from Arsour. Interestingly, all of the fortifications pictured on the seal were uncovered during excavations. They include a gate flanked by two semi-circular towers, two corner towers and a tall keep.
Apollonia’s second line of defense was the courtyard, and if the city walls were breached whoever survived would rush in here for protection. Visitors should note the niches located on either side of the gate, where a bar closed behind the heavy door – just like in the movies. The ancient floor hasn’t been touched at all, except to remove thousands of arrowheads that were stuck in the ground.
Although the town’s first buildings were erected right after the conquest, the citadel wasn’t put up until 1241. It remained standing less than 25 years, for the Mameluke sultan Baibars attacked in 1265. The city fell after 40 days of fighting; after another three-day battle, so did the fortress.
Arsour surrendered after Baibars promised to release the defenders. But he went back on his word, took them prisoner and forced them to destroy both the city and the fortress. Afterwards, he paraded them through the streets of Cairo and sold them as slaves.
Visitors to Apollonia should look for the citadel ovens, a grand hall, a grinding floor, and dozens of the 2,600 ballista stones discovered at the site. They can also climb up the keep: an octagonal stronghold that was 10 meters high and the last line of defense. Once the enemy had stormed the gates and entered the citadel, survivors climbed to the top of the keep – which, by the way, offers a fabulous view of the Mediterranean Sea.
