- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1062 · 11th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Coordinates
- 35.1511°, 35.9492°
History
The first stronghold on the hill was built by Muslims in 1062. Early in the 12th century it passed to Crusaders from the Principality of Antioch and came into the hands of the Mazoir family. In 1186, unable to bear the cost of its defence, the Mazoirs sold the castle to the Hospitallers, who enlarged it into a huge fortress with double walls and a great round keep. In 1188 Saladin chose not to besiege it. Only in 1285 did the Mamluk sultan Qalawun take Margat after a siege of several weeks, having undermined one of its towers; the defenders were allowed to leave freely.
What to see
The castle occupies a triangular spur about 360 metres up, with views over the coast and the sea. Dark basalt walls with towers survive, along with the round keep, knights' halls and a Gothic chapel with traces of frescoes. The outer ring of walls encloses a large outer ward that once held a settlement.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q906516
Popularity: articles about this site in 31 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).