Al-Qastal, Jerusalem
al-Qastal
القسطل | |
|---|---|
al-Qastal hill | |
| Etymology: "castellum" or castale | |
1870s map
1940s map
modern map
1940s with modern overlay map
A series of historical maps of the area around Al-Qastal, Jerusalem (click the buttons) | |
al-Qastal Location within Mandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 31°47′44″N 35°8′39″E / 31.79556°N 35.14417°E | |
| Palestine grid | 163/133 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Jerusalem |
| Date of depopulation | 3 April 1948 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.4 km2 (0.54 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 90 |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Ethnic cleansing by Yishuv forces |
| Current Localities | Mevaseret Zion Castel National Park |
Al-Qastal ("Kastel", Arabic: القسطل) was a Palestinian village located eight kilometers west of Jerusalem and named for a Crusader castle located on the hilltop. Used during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War as a military base by the Army of the Holy War, virtually all of its residents fled during the fighting and the village was eventually captured by the Palmach.