Qala'at Salah Ad-din, Latakia is one of the three famous crusader castles found in Syria. This Qala'at Salah Ad-din, Latakia is only second to Crac des Chevaliers of Krak des. Qala'at Salah ad-Din in the local language means Saladin’s Castle.
Qala'at Salah Ad-din was called Saone during the days of the crusader and Sayhun in Arabic until the year 1957. Today it is named after its conqueror. The castle is located beautifully on a mountain. From a distance it almost looks like the castle is part of the mountain.
The Saladin Castle is one of the most impressive castles in Syria. Built on a mountain ridge it is well ensconced between two sharp ravines to its sides. Most of the structure of the castle today was a part of the construction made by the Crusaders who took control of the place in early 12th century. In 1188, Saladin and his men attacked the castle and got wrested control.
The most interesting thing about the castle is the man-made canyon built around it. The canyon is about 150 meters long and 20 meters wide. The canyon is man-made, cut out by hand to separate the castle from the ridge. This canyon was built with the purpose to make entry more difficult for attackers. About 30 meters above, to the right, is the castle. The builders left a freestanding 28-meter high needle to support a drawbridge.
The castle can be reached from Latakia by minibus. It takes about 30 minutes and the fare is generally 10 SP. At first one has to alight in the village of Al-Haffa. From there one can either take a long walk up the mountain or avail a motor taxi. Those who little time to spare can so take a motor taxi. Otherwise a walk can prove to be beneficial in more ways than one.
In the castle there are several towers with stairs inside to climb. The view from the towers is very nice over the castle and surrounding landscapes. From the tower you can see the different buildings, or ruins, in the inner courtyard. On the highest point of the castle lie the ruins of a Byzantine citadel. Below there are the remains of a palace from the 12th to 13th century. One can also find a bath and a Mamluke mosque from the reign of Sultan Qalawun in this Latakia.
Detailed online information on Qala'at Salah Ad-din, Latakia can be obtained on travel.mapsofworld.
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