Marqab Castle Hospitaller Fortress
Visit Marqab Castle, the massive black basalt Crusader fortress north of Tartus that served as a major stronghold of the Knights Hospitaller, its dramatic hilltop position and dark volcanic stone giving it a brooding presence over the Syrian coast.
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Castle Approach
Approach Marqab Castle on the steep road up to the hilltop where the black basalt walls rise dramatically against the sky, the volcanic stone that distinguishes this castle from the pale limestone fortifications of most Syrian Crusader castles.
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Outer Walls
Examine the massive outer walls of Marqab where the defensive circuit encloses an area large enough to shelter a substantial population, the Hospitaller investment in this fortress reflecting its role as a major territorial stronghold on the Syrian coast.
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Chapel
See the Hospitaller chapel within Marqab Castle where the Gothic vaulting and architectural details of the Crusader church reflect the ecclesiastical character of the military-religious order that built and garrisoned this fortress.
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Great Tower
Climb the great circular tower of Marqab that served as the final refuge of the garrison, the massive basalt cylinder that could hold out even after the outer walls fell, the last defense of the Hospitaller fortress.
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Coastal Views
Enjoy the views from Marqab over the Syrian Mediterranean coast where the sea, the coastal plain, and the mountains behind create the strategic panorama that made this hilltop position so valuable for the Crusader garrison controlling the coastal road.
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Mamluk Conquest
Learn about the Mamluk conquest of Marqab in 1285, the castle falling to Sultan Qalawun after a siege that demonstrated the military engineering of the Mamluk army, the longest-held Hospitaller stronghold in Syria eventually surrendering to overwhelming force.