Al-Kahf Castle
Encyclopedia
Al-Kahf Castle or Castle of the Cave is a medieval Ismaili
castle located around 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) southeast of Margat
, in the al-Ansariyah mountains
in northwest Syria
.
. Sinan eventually died and was buried there in 1193. In 1197 the Regent of Jerusalem
, Henry II, Count of Champagne, visited the castle to secure an alliance with Sinan's successor. The castle was the last Ismaili stronghold in Syria to surrender to the Mamluks. Sultan Baibars
finally captured it in 1273, and it remained in use until Ottoman times
, when it served at times as a prison for important personages. The castle was finally destroyed in 1816 by Mustapha Barbar, the Ottoman governor of Tripoli
.
between two gorges. The only entrance to the castle runs along a narrow path half-way down the steep northern slope. The general direction of the castle is east-west, running along the spur of rock on which it was built. The castle is divided into three, or possibly four, main sections. At the west end lies a 170 metres (557.7 ft) long flat section. The section is clear of any buildings, except the outer walls and a bastion at the end. From the outer bailey
the ground rises up towards the central citadel and fortifications. These buildings probably contained living quarters, storerooms and the water storage area with seven cisterns.
Ismaili
' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
castle located around 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) southeast of Margat
Margat
Margat, also known as Marqab from the Arabic Qalaat al-Marqab is a castle near Baniyas, Syria, which was a Crusader fortress and one of the major strongholds of the Knights Hospitaller...
, in the al-Ansariyah mountains
Al-Ansariyah mountains
An-Nusayriyah Mountains also known as al-Alawiyeen Mountains , both names refer to the Alawi sect which has traditionally lived there, and the Syrian official name, Coastal Mountain Range ; are a mountain range in northwestern Syria running north-south, parallel to the coastal plain...
in northwest Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
History
The castle was built around 1120 by Saif al-Mulk ibn Amrun, and was sold to the Ismailis 1138 by his son Musa. Rashid ad-Din Sinan, the leader of the Ismaili sect in Syria, used this castle initially as his base and hermitageHermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
. Sinan eventually died and was buried there in 1193. In 1197 the Regent of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
, Henry II, Count of Champagne, visited the castle to secure an alliance with Sinan's successor. The castle was the last Ismaili stronghold in Syria to surrender to the Mamluks. Sultan Baibars
Baibars
Baibars or Baybars , nicknamed Abu l-Futuh , was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. He was one of the commanders of the forces which inflicted a devastating defeat on the Seventh Crusade of King Louis IX of France and he led the vanguard of the Egyptian army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which marked...
finally captured it in 1273, and it remained in use until Ottoman times
Ottoman Syria
Ottoman Syria is a European reference to the area that during European Renaissance from the late 15th to early 18th century was called the Levant within the early period of the Ottoman Empire, the Orient until the early 19th century, and Greater Syria until 1918...
, when it served at times as a prison for important personages. The castle was finally destroyed in 1816 by Mustapha Barbar, the Ottoman governor of Tripoli
Tripoli, Lebanon
Tripoli is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in Lebanon. Situated 85 km north of the capital Beirut, Tripoli is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Geographically located on the east of the Mediterranean, the city's history dates back...
.
Overview
The castle sits on a ridgeRidge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
between two gorges. The only entrance to the castle runs along a narrow path half-way down the steep northern slope. The general direction of the castle is east-west, running along the spur of rock on which it was built. The castle is divided into three, or possibly four, main sections. At the west end lies a 170 metres (557.7 ft) long flat section. The section is clear of any buildings, except the outer walls and a bastion at the end. From the outer bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
the ground rises up towards the central citadel and fortifications. These buildings probably contained living quarters, storerooms and the water storage area with seven cisterns.