High in the Upper Galilee, Safad is relatively a newcomer to the history of the land of Israel. It was established first as a Crusader stronghold in the 12 th century. In the 13 th century, Safed, the largest fortified city of the Second Crusaders Kingdom, was protecting the eastern frontline against the Ayyubies. The city surrendered to the Mamluks on a false promise, and all its Crusaders executed. The Mamluks kept Safed as a major stronghold and administration center. In the 16th century, under the Ottoman rule and Jewish domination, the city flourished spiritually and economically. Here is where the Jewish Kabala developed to its current state and where some of the most important Jewish Halacha books were written. This golden age was short, by the end of that century, this prosperous community vanished. The city served as a provincial center throughout the Ottoman rule. Today you can visit the Crusaders/Mamluks fortress, the old 16th- century synagogues, watch the landscape of the Lower and Upper Galilee, stroll through its picturesque alleys, and enjoy the local life, a mixture of local artist and their galleries versus the dominant extrovert ultra-orthodox way of life.