Bani Qahtan castle () is found in the Syrian Coastal Mountains, about 40 km from

Latakia Latakia (; ; Syrian Arabic, Syrian pronunciation: ) is the principal port city of Syria and capital city of the Latakia Governorate located on the Mediterranean coast. Historically, it has also been known as Laodicea in Syria or Laodicea ad Mar ...

city. The Bani Qahtan Castle also refers to the small village surrounding the castle. It is administratively part of the

Ayn al-Sharqiyah Ayn al-Sharqiyah (, also spelled Ain esh-Sharqiye) is a town in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Jableh District in the Latakia Governorate, located southeast of Latakia. Nearby localities include Siyano to the northwest, Zama to ...

subdistrict of the

Jableh District Jableh District () is a district of the Latakia Governorate in northwestern Syria. Administrative centre is the city of Jableh. At the 2004 census, the district had a population of 196,171. Agriculture has remained the most important economic sec ...

Latakia Governorate Latakia Governorate ( / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat al-Lādhiqīyah''), also transliterated as Ladhakia, is one of the 14 Governorates of Syria, governorates of Syria. It is situated in northwestern Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay Province to the no ...

. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, it had a population of 347 in the 2004 census.General Census of Population and Housing 2004

History

The castle which was known as Bikisrail, was controlled by Byzantine doux of

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...

Niketas of Mistheia Niketas of Mistheia was a Byzantine official, originally from Mistheia, and '' doux'' of Antioch (1030–1032). He was an eunuch who held the titles of ''patrikios'' and '' rhaiktor''. Career In 1030, Byzantine Emperor Romanos III Argyros appoint ...

, in 1032. It was later captured by Crusaders led by

Tancred Tancred or Tankred is a masculine given name of Germanic origin that comes from ''thank-'' (thought) and ''-rath'' (counsel), meaning "well-thought advice". It was used in the High Middle Ages mainly by the Normans (see French Tancrède) and espec ...

in 1111. The castle was later mentioned as being a stronghold in the hands of Nizari Ismaili in 1131, who surrendered it to

Saladin Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known as Saladin, was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from a Kurdish family, he was the first sultan of both Egypt and Syria. An important figure of the Third Crusade, h ...

in 1188.

Structure

The castle is totally damaged and not much remained from it, as its ruins are dated back to the 12th century. It is reached by car road through

Baniyas Baniyas ( ') is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coastal city in Tartous Governorate, western Syria, located south of Latakia and north of Tartous. It is known for its citrus fruit orchards and its export of wood. North of the city is an B ...

Jableh Jableh (; ', also spelt ''Jebleh'', ''Jabala'', ''Jablah, Gabala'' or ''Gibellum'') is a Mediterranean coastal city in Syria, north of Baniyas and south of Latakia, with c. 80,000 inhabitants (2004 census). As Ancient ''Gabala'', it was a By ...

road from west. External walls are well preserved, which contain the whole massive of the castle. The castle is situated on a high mountain, accessible only from the south through a narrow piece of land.

References

Bibliography

* * {{Castles in Syria Castles in Syria Archaeological sites in Latakia Governorate Buildings and structures in Latakia Governorate

History

Structure

See also

References

Bibliography