Qala'at al Mehelbeh

Syria / al-Ladiqiyah / al-Qardahhah /
 ruined castle, archaeological site
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Rarely visited site, that was fortified well before the crusaders. The local tribe, the Banu al Ahmar, built a fortified point here at the beginning of the 11th century to guard the route between the Ghab plain and the coast. Even under Byzantine rule, it was in the hands of the local tribesmen (Banu Sulaia) till the Crusaders established in the region and took the castle from the clans in 1118, but due to lack of manpower they had to surrender quickly to Saladin in 1188. Then its importance dwindled especially after Krak de Chevaliers fall to Baibars in 1271, as the alien presence disappeared from the coast and the fortifications gradually decayed.
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Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahalibeh_Castle
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Coordinates:   35°30'29"N   36°5'14"E
This article was last modified 11 years ago