Citadels of Inner Syria

Qala’at Ibn Ma‘n : sits atop a precipitous volcanic cone to look at the city of Palmyra ( the ruins, as well as the new constructions of the city). The date of the first building is unclear but it is certain that the Lebanese prince Emir Fakhr al Din al Ma‘ani built the present edifice in the 17th century.

Qala’at Abi Hsain : The ruins of an ancient citadel in the village of Bsamas, Ariha south of Idleb . It was built during the Roman­ Byzantine period .

Hama . It sits atop the eastern peak of a mountain looking at al Ghab plain . It is unclear when it was built, but it is believed that it was constructed by the Romans and later restored by the Memlouks .

Qala’at Bouraq : A large citadel in village of Bouraq in al Sanamein, Governorate of Dara’a . The citadel was built by the Ottomans who used stones of the destroyed houses in the village to build it .

Qala’at Burqush : an ancient Roman ­Byzantine citadel in the western slopes of Mt. Hermon in Qatana –Governorate of Rural Damascus .

Qala’at Bosra : A Roman citadel in Bosra­ Dara‘a built to encircle a magnificent Roman amphitheater.

Qala’at Ba‘arin : Remnants of a destroyed citadel in the village of Ba‘arin in Missiyaf ­ Hama . The Franks built it over the ruins of a Roman citadel during their existence in the region .

Qala’at Bnamrah: The ruins of an ancient citadel and a village in Tal Kalakh ­ Homs 8 km west of the Crac des Chevaliers(Qala’at al Hosn).

Qala’at al Jrass : An ancient citadel in the region of al Ghab in Hama . It still has a wall.

Qala’at al Jazlah : An ancient citadel in al Raqqa . It has a cemetery dug in the rocks and ruins with many pottery pieces surfacing from time to time . It has a circular well and a rectangular hall called the Maidens Palace,( Qasr al Banat).All the ruins of the citadel belong to the Byzantine and Arab ­ Islamic periods .

Qala’at Ja’abar : An Abbasid ­ Seleucid castle that stands in the middle of al Assad lake in al Raqqa.

Qala’at Jandal : An ancient Aramaic citadel near the village bearing the same name in Qatana – Governorate of Rural Damascus. It is dug in the solid rocks of the region neighboring a pagan temple built over a rocky height .

Qala’at Harem : In the town of Harem- Idleb , built by the Byzantines in 959 AD .

Qala’at Hadid : The ruins of an ancient citadel built in the village of Hadid , in Aleppo. It is built over a hill and, inside it, there are tombs dug in the rocks.

Qala’at al Hosn ( Crac des Chevaliers ): An ancient citadel in Tal Kalakh in Homs . It is believed that the citadel was built over the ruins of an older citadel named / Shaptoun / built by the pharaohs when Ramses I invaded Syria in the 15th century B.C.

Qala’at Halab (Aleppo): The citadel perches over a prominent height in the heart of the city of Aleppo . It is said that it was built by Selucus Nicateur but there are evidences that it is older than that period . A Hittite temple from the 9th century BC, Roman and Byzantine sarcophaguses and Arab ­ Islamic constructions were discovered in the citadel.

Qala’at Hama : The remains of a Seleucid citadel over a plateau in the center of the city of Hama. It was destroyed by Tamerlaine when he invaded the city in 1400 AD .

Qala’at Homs : The ruins of a citadel built by the Hamadani Dynasty in the city of Homs .

Qala’at al Hawaies : An ancient Byzantine citadel built down town Hama .

Qala’at Dimashq (Damascus) : Built bythe Seleucids in 1076.Al Malik al Aadil destroyed it in order to rebuild it in a better shape .

Qala’at al Raba : The ruins of a citadel in Salamiyeh ­ Hama .

Qalaat al Rahba :An Arab citadel built over a huge rocky height in al Mayadin ­ Deir Ezzor . It was renovated by Malik Ibn Tawq during the Abbasid rule , hence it was called later : Qala’at Ibn Tawq .

Qala’at al Rouhaibah : The ruins of an ancient citadel in Hama . It was built by Shamsigram family, Kings of Homs in the first century BC .

Qala’at al Rasafa : The ruins of an ancient citadel in Missyaf ­ Hama built by Rashid al Deen Sinan, ruler of Missyaf in 1166 A.D.

Qala’at al ­ Saqqa : The remains of an ancient citadel in Homs, 6 km east of Qala’at al Hosn .

Qala’at Soukra : A Byzantine citadel in Jabal Abdul Aziz in al Hasaka . It was restored by the Memlouks .

Qala’at Sama‘an : Historical buildings, originally a monastery in Jabal Sama‘an , Aleppo . It was named so in commemoration of St. Simeon ( in Arabic Sama‘an ) died 459AD, who spent his life in it in worship atop a stone pillar . The Franks used the monastery as a fort. Hence it was named Qala’at Sama‘an .

Qala’at al Sindianah : An ancient citadel in the center of Nissaf , a village near Missyaf in Hama . It is believed that it was built by the Romans .

Qala’at Shughur ­ Bakas : A Byzantine fort in Jisr al Shughour ­ Idleb .

Qala’at Shmaimis : The ruins of a citadel 3 km west of Salamiyah ­ Hama . It was built by prince Shirkaweih , prince of Homs during the Ayyubid rule 1230 A D .

Qala’at Shahba : Stands over a plateau in Shahba, Sweida . Nobody knows exactly its history. Leaders of the Syrian revolt 1925­ 1927 were imprisoned in it.

Qala’at Shaizar : An ancient citadel in the town of Mahardeh near Hama. It was mentioned in the Egyptian Letters of Tall al Amarnah of the 14th century B.C.

Qala’at al Sabibah : An ancient citadel in Masa‘ada, the Golan, Governorate of Quneitra ­ south west of Syria .

Qala’at Ghadir al Nuhas: Another ancient citadel in Razzaniah , Golan . Canaanite potteries and Arab ­ Islamic stone relics were found in the citadel .

Qala’at Ghadir : Ruins of a small fort, nearly a tower, west of Missyaf,built by Rashid al Deen Sinan 1163 AD .

Qala’at al Qulaia‘at: The ruins of a citadel 20 km south-west of Missyaf.

Qala’at kouloshak : a small citadel in Jabal Sama‘an , east of the village of al Maidan ­ Ifrin ­ Aleppo . Built by the Romans .

Qala’at al Marah : An Ottoman citadel in the village of al Marah ­ in al Nabek – Governorate of Rural Damascus.

Qala’at Missyaf : believed to be a Roman citadel built in Missyaf ­ Hama . Other historians believe it is an Arab fort built on the style of Roman architecture .

Qala’at al Mudiq : An Islamic castle in the region of al Ghab in Hama . It was known as Apamea Fort until the 17th century AD. Now it is known as al Mudiq .

Qala’at al Ma‘arrah :A Byzantine ancient citadel west of Ma‘arrat al Nouman ­ Idleb.

Qala’at Najm : An ancient citadel in Munboj – Aleppo . It was rebuilt by Noureddin Zanki ( al Shahid ) after the earth quake that rocked northern Syria at the time of his rule.

Qala’at Nkhailah : An ancient citadel in al Sabkha ­ al Raqqa , looking at the Nkhaileh farm . Just near it there are ancient water wells.

Qala’at Hiraqlah : A Roman citadel built in the village of al Jazra in the center of al Raqqa .

Haifaa Mafalani