Crusader
Muslim
Assassins
Offers an extensive database of links to all things Castle related
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18 February 2001
Modified
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Medieval Era Archaeological Sites
Crusader Era Sites in Greater Syria
Safita / Chastal Blanc
1112 Part of the domains of the Count of Tripoli
1167 Nur al-Din attacks and destroys fortress
1171 Nur al-Din attacks and destroys fortress
ca. 1188 Knights Templar rebuild the fortress. Saladin unable to take it.
1202 Earthquake damage requires further repair.
1218 Attacked by Al-Ashraf of Aleppo
Feb. 1271 Safita falls to Sultan Baibars
Chapel of St. Michael surviving from Crusader Period on ground floor of Safita donjon
Second floor of the Donjon/Tower of Safita
Interior of the Donjon/Tower of Safita
Cross in raised relief on outside wall of Safita donjon
Best preserved fragments of castle walls viewed from the Safita restaurant
Selected Bibliography for Safita:
Boas, Adrian J. (1999)
Crusader Archaeology. Routledge, London, p. 95-96
Burns, Ross (1992)
Monuments of Syria: An Historical Guide. I. B. Tauris, London. p. 208-210
Lawrence. T. E. (1992 reprint of 1936)
Crusader Castles. Immel Publishing, London. 67-75
Lyons, Malcolm Cameron and D. E. P. Jackson (1982)
Saladin: The Politics of Holy War. Cambridge Paperback Library, Cambridge. p. 286
Muller-Wiener, Wolfgang (1966)
Castles of the Crusaders. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York. p. 51-52
Riley-Smith, Jonathan (1987)
The Crusades: A Short History. Yale University Press. p. 151,192, 203
Runciman, Steven (1954)
A History of the Crusades, Vol. 3: The Kingdom of Acre and the Later Crusades. Cambridge University Press. p. 324
Smail, R. C. (1995 reprint of 1956 edition)
Crusading Warfare (1097-1193). Barnes and Noble Books, NY. p. 226-228
Tate, Georges (1991)
L'Orient des Croisades. Decouvertes Gallmard. p. 55
GPS information for Safita
1. Safita Tower at entrance
North 34o 49.238' and East 036o 07.007'
Approximate elevation of 1278 ft.
2. Restaurant inside castle next to tower
North 34o 49.238' and East 036o 07.020'
Approximate elevation of 1291 ft.
3. Sham Palace Hotel outside of castle
North 34o 49.129' and East 036o 06.694'
Approximate elevation of 1173 ft.
