Acropolis
The acropolis of Canaanite Aphek is located in the courtyard of an Ottoman fortress. In 1571, Selim II ordered the massive fortress known as Binar Bashi to be constructed on top of mound of Aphek. Unfortunately, construction of the fortress destroyed much of the earlier strata on the acropolis, and its massive walls cut through the Middle Bronze palaces in Area B. In the center of the fortress, a large structure was built atop the Egyptian governor’s residency, designated Palace VI. The building contained a large courtyard, measuring 11.5 m x 15 m, and a mosque, 11.5 m x 7.5 m, with stone walls more than 1 m thick. A total of 24 small, mostly uniform rooms, averaging 3.5 m x 3.5 m in size, stood along the perimeter of the mosque, while its courtyard once served as barracks. In the northwest corner, the mosque’s walls widen to form the base for a minaret. The entire complex was built according to a firman (edict) issued in 1571.