- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1168 · 12th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Al-Raqqah, Syria
- Commissioned by
- Nur ad-Din
- Coordinates
- 35.8975°, 38.4808°
History
The stronghold, originally called Dawsar, takes its name from Ja'bar ibn Sabiq of the Qushayr tribe, who held it in the 11th century. The Seljuk sultan Malik Shah captured it in 1086. In September 1146, while besieging the fortress, Zengi, atabeg of Mosul and Aleppo, was murdered by one of his own slaves. His son Nur ad-Din thoroughly rebuilt the castle in 1168, giving it the form that survives today. Wrecked by the Mongols in 1260, it was restored by the Mamluks in the 14th century. In the 1970s the Tabqa Dam flooded the Euphrates valley, turning the hill into an island linked to the shore by a causeway.
What to see
An oval circuit of fired-brick walls, reinforced by dozens of half-round towers, crowns a rocky hill rising from the waters of Lake Assad. A causeway and a steep ramp lead to the gate. Inside are the ruins of a mosque with a brick minaret, vaulted passages and cisterns. The walls were partly reconstructed in the 1970s, and during the civil war the fortress lay in a combat zone.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q1857888
Popularity: articles about this site in 20 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).