Salah al-Din Fortress
Description:
The Saladin Citadel is a Syrian castle located 30 kilometers east of Latakia, in the highlands, on a ridge between two deep ravines 28 meters deep.
The first buildings on the site of the fortress began to appear in the X century. In 975, the Byzantine emperor John I Tzimischius captured the castle and it remained under Byzantine control until about 1108. From the XII century after the capture of the Franks, the castle became part of the Principality of Antioch. It was the Crusaders who expanded and completed the castle, giving it a modern look. The castle is the only example of a castle in the world, completely carved from a rock monolith. The building has been besieged several times.
After significant restorations, the castle was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. The castle is now the property of the Syrian government.