Ibelin was a crusader castle in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem at the town of Ibelin, later known as Yibna, and today southeast of the modern Israeli city of Yavne. Very little remains of the castle, but its ruins have been located in the center of Yibna, today known as "Tel Yavne".[1]
It was the fief of the noble house of Ibelin, which later achieved great prominence in the kingdom. Ibelin was built in 1141 by King Fulk of Jerusalem to guard the kingdom's southern border, though its importance declined as the border moved south. It remained the centre of the Lordship of Ibelin, until the collapse of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1187. The castle was captured by Saladin in 1187 after the crusader defeat at Hattin, and was destroyed.
The ruins of the Crusader fort of Ibelin are at the top of the tell.