- Type
- Ruin
- Origins
- 1105 · 12th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Heritage
- part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (an old town or a valley, for example)
- Coordinates
- 33.1957°, 35.4123°
History
The castle was built in 1105 by Hugh of Saint-Omer, lord of Galilee, as a base for raids against Muslim-held Tyre. It became the seat of the lords of Toron, one of the more important fiefs of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. In 1187, after the Battle of Hattin, it was taken by Saladin, and in 1197–1198 German crusaders besieged it without success. The Ayyubids dismantled its defences in 1219, and although the castle returned to Christian hands in 1229, Sultan Baybars took it for good in 1266. In the 18th century local sheikhs of Jabal Amel built a new stronghold on the ruins.
What to see
The ruins crown a hilltop in the centre of the small town of Tebnine, in the Bint Jbeil area. Stretches of walls and towers survive, largely from later rebuilding, with Crusader-era blocks at their base. The walls command wide views over the hills of Jabal Amel towards Tyre and Galilee.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q681554
Popularity: articles about this site in 17 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).