Ammonite Towers


Click on each image for a full-size picture.

A (3rd Circle)
Located in the embassy district, this complex has a round tower, standing about 8m high, and a rectangular section (3) stretching back 30-40m from the tower. The tower is open from the rear, east side (1,4), and rooms can be seen at different levels within the tower(2). The squared off rooms seem inappropriate for the round walls of the tower.
1 Ammonite Tower at Third Circle 2 Ammonite Tower at Third Circle 3 Ammonite Tower at Third Circle 4 Ammonite Tower at Third Circle


B (Mecca Street/Medina Tabiyah)
This complex is more a village than a tower. It is located near the end of Mecca Street, where it intersects with Medina Tabiyah. (Pictures #1, 2 are taken looking from the tower to the junction.)
1 Ammonite Tower at the Junction of Mecca Street & Medina Tabiyah 2 Ammonite Tower at the Junction of Mecca Street & Medina Tabiyah
The ruins lie almost entirely within a strong wall, perhaps 4m high is surviving in some places. It seems to have built in at least two stages, with some pottery from the Mameluke period being found.
Some of the internal buildings/rooms have dressed limestone for their doorways, whereas much of the structure is otherwise the un-dressed brown rock typical of the Ammonite Towers.
A gateway in the southeastern corner exhibits some of the dressed stone. The gate is shown in pictures 3, 4 & 5 (6 is taken from behind). The carving in the right hand side of the door seems to have a crescent mounted on a square (5).

3 Ammonite Tower at the Junction of Mecca Street & Medina Tabiyah 4 Ammonite Tower at the Junction of Mecca Street & Medina Tabiyah 5 Ammonite Tower at the Junction of Mecca Street & Medina Tabiyah 6 Ammonite Tower at the Junction of Mecca Street & Medina Tabiyah

The next sequence of pictures is facing south, in the middle of the complex. Observe the large stone lying at an angle at the top of a wall. It is visible in the later pictures also.
7 Ammonite Tower at the Junction of Mecca Street & Medina Tabiyah 8 Ammonite Tower at the Junction of Mecca Street & Medina Tabiyah 9 Ammonite Tower at the Junction of Mecca Street & Medina Tabiyah

Picture 11 shows a section of floor, resembling a portion of a mosaic.
10 Ammonite Tower at the Junction of Mecca Street & Medina Tabiyah 11 Ammonite Tower at the Junction of Mecca Street & Medina Tabiyah

C (Bayadeh Wadi Seir)
The ruin at the top of Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir stands opposite the UNRWA agency building. It is at the highest point of the ridge, which projects to the Jordan Valley in the west, gradually descending beyond this point. The tower is rectangular, open to the rear, and faces west along the ridge at the head of a steep valley. It holds a commanding position.
Around the tower, which stands about 8m high at most, the ruins of a village can be seen. Various dwellings have been partly excavated, but anything exposed is usually hidden by vegetation. Two rows of white limestone arches are prominent behind the tower. They seem to line what may have been a courtyard, and are placed in line with the north and south sides of the tower.

VIEWS
Looking south (1) and panning to the southwest (2) and then looking to the west (3) along the ridge.
Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir

Looking up the slope at the south wall (4,5), the SW corner (6) and the NW corner (7). The large boulders are similar to those seen at the other Ammonite Towers. The walls at the rear of the tower (8, north wall, looking east) have fallen to the ground, though no internal rooms are visible.
Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir
INSIDE
The walls look as if they have suffered over time. Most of the 'floor' is covered with stones from the wall, and the actual ground level may be well below what is visible. This corresponds with the tops of the arches being visible, to the rear of the tower,indicating that the courtyard level may be 2 or 3 meters below the rubble.
Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir
ARCHES
Six separate arches are visible, running East-West from the north wall (10, 11), and (but less visible) from the south wall (12). Some of them (13) have indentations carved into the tops, suggesting that they may have had structures (shops?) connected with them.
Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir Ammonite Tower in Bayadeh Wadi Es Seir

D (Rabiya)
Ancient Village in Rabiya Ancient Village in Rabiya

E (Khalda)

(Now I had those pictures somewhere! Where did they go?)