powered by FreeFind	Ashdod Yam 62 pictures     1.35 minutes HQ video Above Ashdod's sand dunes, a stone's throw form the coat, a fortress named "Kakat el Mina" can be found. This Arab name can loosely be translated as "Port Fortress". The fortress Port Fortress follows the rules of Moslem architecture and is comprised of a square shape building adorned by four towers rising above it, one tower erected at each corner. Two of the towers are rounded and the other two are square in shape. Grave' which can be found locally' was used as building material. The building boasts two gates, one gracing the western wall and the other the eastern. Each gate is enhanced by two semi circular pillars. The western side A moat surrounds the building on all sides except the western. The entry gate's threshold is slightly elevated confirming that admission into the building was by draw - bridge. The eastern side The fort was thought to be dated back to the Crusader period, yet recent archeological digs have retrieved earthenware and ancient Arab coins belonging to the 10th century A.D. These findings indicate that the fortress was in Arab hands form that time. During the early Arab period (7th - 11th century A.D.), the Arabs erected many such fortresses along the Mediterranean coast. These fortresses were used as look - out depots along the coast, against the forceful Byzantine navy. The Arab historian El - Mukdasi explains that the communication between these depots, as between Yavne to the north and Ashkelon to the south, was achieved by fire and smoke signals. Interestingly enough, after the Byzantine invasion of the area, these depots were not destroyed leaving them ready for reoccupation in the late 12th century A.D., following the Byzantine departure from the region. The center of the fortress Back to Israel Index