Arsuf (also known as Arsur or Apollonia) was a Crusader city and fortress located in what is now Israel, about 15 kilometres north of Tel Aviv.
Arsuf was settled in the 6th or 5th century BC, and was known as Arshuf (the name comes from Reshef , the Canaanite-Phoenician god of fertility and the underworld). Arshuf grew in size as the result of its production of purple dye, which it exported to the Roman Empire.
In 1101 Arsuf fell to a Crusader army led by Baldwin I of Jerusalem. The Crusaders, who called the city as Arsur, rebuilt the city's walls and created the Lordship of Arsur in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. In 1187 Arsuf was captured by the Muslims, but fell again to the Crusaders on September 7, 1191 after a battle between Richard I of England and Saladin.
John of Ibelin, Lord of Beirut (1177-1236) became Lord of Arsur in 1207 when he married Melisende of Arsur (born c.1170). Their son John of Arsur (c.1211-1258) inherited the title. The title then passed to John of Arsur's eldest son Balian (1239-1277).
In 1265 Arsuf fell back under Muslim rule when Baibars, ruler of the Mamluks captured it. The city walls and fortress were destroyed, and the city became uninhabited.
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Last updated: 10-21-2005 13:53:15
