This aerial view of Tell Aphek (Antipatris) shows the square 17th century Turkish fort called Qal’at Ras el’Ain, built over the remains of earlier Crusader, Herodian, Israelite and Canaanite structures. The grid on both sides of the lower left wall is formed by the balks of excavation squares used by the current Tel Aviv University dig.
Throughout history Aphek has been a strategic crossroads. The cement sentry box inserted into the right corner of the fort is the most recent addition to Aphek’s fortifications; it was built in 1948 during the Israel War of Independence.