Citadel of Salah Ed-Din
Al-Haffah, Syria
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Built on a dramatic ridge between two deep ravines in northwestern Syria's mountainous terrain, the Castle of Saladin (also known as Sahyun Castle) is a medieval fortification that has been strategically significant since at least the 10th century. The Byzantine Emperor John I Tzimiskes captured the limestone site in 975, maintaining control until around 1108, when Frankish Crusaders took command as part of the newly formed Principality of Antioch. The Crusaders undertook extensive building campaigns that shaped much of the castle's present form. After a three-day siege in 1188, the fortress fell to Saladin's forces and subsequently endured another siege in 1287 between competing Mamluk powers. Recognized by UNESCO in 2006 alongside Krak des Chevaliers as part of a World Heritage Site, the castle remains under Syrian government ownership and stands surrounded by forest 7 kilometers east of Al-Haffah.
- Type
- castle, citadel, archaeological site
- Materials
- limestone
- Heritage
- part of UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Place
- Al-Haffah, Syria
This building on
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Location