Trekking through the Castel



Under the Castel is a secret room which is a lot
of fun to  explore.  Just make sure you have a
light with you!



   The ruins of the Castel sit upon the top of Moaz Zion, overlooking the road to Jerusalem. "Castel" was the Arabic name for the older side of Meveseret, and was taken from the English word "Castle," named for the castle on the hill, built during the Second Crusader Period. If you are going by public transportation, you need to ask for "the Castel," not Meveseret Zion. While the town is officially Meveseret, the natives still refer to it only as the Castel.  

   In 1948, the battle of the Castel was the key fight which opened the road to Jerusalem, allowing for the conquest of the western part of the city. There is a wonderful story of how this was accomplished, but you need to see the place to really understand it.

   My husband's family was one of a community of Kurdish Jews who moved into the area right after the Independence war. The Castel is still predominately Kurdish in origin as the families stay close to one another. My husband and I reside next to my in-laws.

   One of our favorite Shabbat hikes is going up to explore the Castel. What is fascinating is that the remains of the main building show all the different time periods, from the Crusaders until the 1948 War for independence.

   The lookout from the top of  Castel is the best (in my opinion) of the surrounding hills of Jerusalem, with a 360 degree view. The Arab Israeli village of Abu Gosh stands just over the hill, making the connection between the cities obvious by their close proximity. Jerusalem is in the distance on the other side. The hills are mapped out on a monument  and it’s easy to see why this was such an important place in the history of the land of Israel, as a look out, a connection between the cities, and a welcoming post on the way to the city of Jerusalem.

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