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Why did the Mamluks raze Jaffa’s port in the 13th century?

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Tel Aviv–Yafo Beach and high-rise buildings in Tel Aviv–Yafo, Israel.

In the 13th century, the Mamluks razed Jaffa’s port and other coastal settlements to mitigate the ongoing threat posed by the Crusades. By destroying these ports, the Mamluks aimed to prevent Frankish invaders from using them as entry points for plunder and to force the urban population of Palestine to relocate further inland, away from the vulnerable coast.1