The vulture's nest - Nimrod Fortress  (Kalaat Namroud in Arabic) stands  impressively alone above the Banias spring. The fortress overlooks the forested valleys and  the magnificent landscape of the area. The fortress was built in 1228 by the Ayyubi governor Al-Aziz 'Othman as a strategic move. Frederick II's army was headed from Acre to Damascus and Al-Aziz 'Othman saw the fortress as a way of blocking the road to the troops.
After the royal sultan Baybars (1275 B.C.E.) captured the fortress, he transformed it into a huge fortified complex.
The tour of the site passes through the impressive gate and alongside the monumental lintel. The text of the large inscription on the lintel is ascribed to  Baybars era . The nearby toilet is from the same period. On the way to the donjon, constructed as an independent internal castle, visitors can see the reservoirs and the large watchtowers at the complex. Quite interesting is the well-disguised secret passage, built of grand stones, which connected the fortress to the outside world.

 

 

 

 

Nimrod Fortress National Park can be found  on Route 989 between Kiryat Shemona and Mount Hermon, 30 minutes from Kiryat Shemona.

Phone # 972-4-6949277
Open daily 8am-5pm (Apr-Sep) 8am-4pm (Oct-Mar)