Yekhi'am Fortress is located in Kibbutz Yekhi'am, in the western part of the Galilee. When the kibbutz was settled in 1946, its original residents lived in the fortress ruins. The massive walls protected them when they were under siege during the 1948 War of Independence. These defense positions have since been restored and are now on view.
No one knows exactly when the Yekhi'am Fortress was built, but apparently it was initially part of the of the so-called king's fortress settlement in Mi'ilya. It was later sold to the Teutonic order, which purchased this area and the nearby Montfort Fortress. In 1265 the royal sultan Baybars captured and destroyed the fortress. Most of the buildings standing today are from the period of Zahir al-Amr, the Bedouin sheik who ruled the Galilee in the 1760's. Zahir al-Amr built new walls and towers and dug a trench around the fortress. During his time, this area was called Gidin.
We climbed to the top of the tower where we had a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside.
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