Castles of "Syria" BOURZEY CASTLE vs MAHALIBEH CASTLE

BOURZEY CASTLE

Bourzey castle is called also Mirza castle, (Arabic: قلعة ميرزا‎). It is located at the border of Syria coastal mountains and Ghab valley, 25 km away...

Bourzey castle is called also Mirza castle, (Arabic: قلعة ميرزا‎). It is located at the border of Syria coastal mountains and Ghab valley, 25 km away from Jisr al-Shughur, at altitude 450 m. The inscriptions and mentioning of the castle relate it to the Byzantine era in 11th century. Architecturally it has triangle shape, the western façade is 175 m, the eastern is 50 m. The southern and eastern façades are adjacent to deep gorges, but the western façade is the least steep. There is 21 towers and a small church on the surface. After Byzantine rule the castle passed to Ayyubids, who built additional towers in Arabic style. Mamelouks came later to fortify the southern towers. The castle has several arrow bastions, underground rooms, water reservoirs. The road to the castle ends at the western slope. One needs climbing the mountain (~100 m) to reach the castle.

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MAHALIBEH CASTLE

Mahalibeh castle (Arabic: قلعة المهالبة‎), formerly known as Balatanos or Balatunus (name derived from the Latin Platanus), is located on a high mount...

Mahalibeh castle (Arabic: قلعة المهالبة‎), formerly known as Balatanos or Balatunus (name derived from the Latin Platanus), is located on a high mountain summit near Lattakia, 40 km inland of the Syrian coast. The castle was built in the 11th century by the Bani Alahmar tribe. In 1031, it was occupied by Niketas of Mistheia of the Byzantine empire. In 1118, it was occupied by Crusaders, led by Roger of Salerno. The castle suffered many fights and damages, and finally surrendered to Saladdin in 1188, namely to his son Alzaher Alghazi in 1194. In 1269, it was restored by Baibars. In 1280, it was under the control of Sunqur al-Ashqar, before being retaken by Qalawun in 1285. In 1408, a strong earthquake considerably damaged the castle, and it was abandoned. The castle is damaged totally but it is being restored now. The outer walls surround the bulk massive of the castle. There are cisterns, underground rooms, and remnants of premises in the middle, plus some arches and towers are visible. The only attaching section to the surrounding land is through a southern piece of connecting lane, where the road goes. The castle is reached through paved road via Qardaha from the west and Jawbat Burghal from the east.

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