- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1103 · 12th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Mount Lebanon, Lebanon
- Visiting
- probably – Wikidata lists it as a museum or gives tickets, opening hours or visitor numbers; check before you go
- Coordinates
- 34.1200°, 35.6464°
History
The Crusaders took Byblos, which they called Gibelet, in the early 12th century with the help of a Genoese fleet, and the town was granted to the Genoese Embriaco family. During the 12th century a compact castle with a massive keep rose here, built from the stones of earlier Roman buildings. After the Battle of Hattin in 1187 the fortress fell to Saladin, who had part of its walls pulled down. The Crusaders recovered Byblos at the end of the 12th century and held it almost until the end of the next, when the Mamluks took it. In the 20th century archaeologists uncovered layers of settlement around the castle reaching back to the Neolithic, and in 1984 Byblos was inscribed on the UNESCO list.
What to see
The way into the archaeological site leads through the castle, whose terraces give the best view over the excavations. Around it lie the remains of the Temple of the Obelisks, the Phoenician royal necropolis, a Roman theatre and Bronze Age walls. Afterwards, walk down through the old souk to the little harbour, watched over by the ruins of a medieval tower.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q1619788
Popularity: articles about this site in 19 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).