CountryThe most famous castle in Israel is Masada, ranked #27 of 9,079 in the world — followed by Tower of David and Walls of Jerusalem.
The Castle Map atlas charts 5 fortresses and 18 ruins in Israel. They span more than 20 centuries — from Tower of David (founded 150 BC) to Birya Fortress (1945). Every one is plotted with its photo and story on the interactive castle map of Israel.
Map of castles in Israel
On the map they cluster thickest around Umm al-Fahm — 22 within a 100 km day trip, then Afula (21) and Hadera (21). The northernmost is Hunin Fortress, the southernmost Masada — about 213 km apart.
Planning a visit? Day-trip guides: Castles near Jerusalem · Castles near Tel Aviv · Castles near Haifa · Castles near Afula · Castles near Ashdod · Castles near Umm al-Fahm — and 3 more in the city index.
By region: Castles in the Levant.
Castle routes in Israel: The Crusader castles of the Levant (7 stops, the Syrian coast to southern Jordan). See all 22 castle routes.
See them on the map →When they were built
Of the 23 landmarks mapped in Israel, 17 carry a sourced founding date. Most were founded in the 12th century — 6 of them. 16 predate 1500 and 1 was built after 1700.
