Tegart Forts Conservation Policy
The firm published a research and policy document that includes both contemporary and historical background on the Tegart fort structures in the Land of Israel. The study examined historical influences dating back hundreds of years to the Crusader period, along with events that took place during the 20th century and led to the construction of the final fortifications in the Land of Israel – the Tegart forts.
Background and Introduction
The Tegart Forts are a series of sixty-three forts built by the British Mandate in Palestine in the 1940s. These fortifications were dispersed throughout the country, close to main roads, within and outside major cities, and near borders. These structures served as police stations and were built according to the plan of Sir Charles Tegart. Their construction constituted one of the largest construction projects in the region. Construction of this large-scale enterprise was carried out at unprecedented cost and at record speed. The Tegart forts are an important milestone in the architectural and military history of Israel.
The forts were built with high-quality reinforced concrete, ushering in an era of large-scale reinforced-concrete construction. A typical plan for the forts consists of a rectangular structure with a flat roof surrounding a courtyard, with outer walls forming the fortifications and two defense towers positioned at opposite ends.
We studied the methods and means of planning and construction, but also the underlying cultural concept that guided the British administration, whose roots were embedded in centuries-old physical, religious, and cultural heritage.
With the outbreak of the War of Independence, the establishment of the State of Israel, and the transformation of the forts into strategic arenas, the forts underwent a cultural appropriation. They were assimilated into the military heritage and the narrative surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel and became symbols of Israeli rule and power for the following eight decades.
The Document
The document reviews the history of the fortresses from their planning, through their construction and the struggle for control over them in the 1948 war, to their various uses today. We examine a series of fortifications designated by UNESCO, using them as a basis for assessing the Tegart forts as a unique phenomenon. The paper points to the historical and cultural strata that underlie and influenced the planning of the Tegart forts.
Case studies of several forts were presented in order to demonstrate the values they express, the dilemmas involved in their conservation, the conclusions drawn from the study, and recommendations for further action in light of the accelerated development and construction in the State of Israel in recent years.
The document was published by the Council for the Preservation of Heritage Sites in Israel and has been adopted by the Planning Administration as an official planning policy document to be used as a basis for the conservation of the Tegart fortresses in Israel.
