The cities on the coast of Palestine had a small plain then a mountain range that ran parallel to the coastline and Jerusalem was beyond that. The only way through the mountains was just one pass and to pass through you had to climb Mount Carmel first, then through the Latrun valley to Jerusalem but Latrun had a great fortress guarding the pass. Roman legions, templars, pilgrims, crusaders all atttempted to pass through that valley. In 1936 Brits built a fortress on the other side of the valley that looked down on that fortress guarding the pass.
I was posted to the
Tegart fort for around two months. A few weeks later we were moved after an explosion. I was sent to that fort that guarded the pass, now a 15th century Monastery to peace and quiet. All these 14th, 15th monasteries were forts converted. Coventry White friars built a monastery of same dimensions and shape.