Arnoun, Lebanon
Coordinates: 33.324831, 35.532258
Beaufort or Belfort Castle, known locally as Qal’at al-Shaqif was a Crusader fortress in Nabatieh Governorate, Southern Lebanon, about 1 kilometre to the south-south-east of the village of Arnoun.
There was a fortification on the site before it was captured by Fulk, King of Jerusalem, in 1139 and construction of the Crusader castle probably began soon after.
Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه captured Beaufort in 1190, but 60 years later Crusaders re-took it.
In 1268 Sultan Baibars finally captured the castle for the Islamic forces.
Beaufort provides one of the few cases where a medieval castle proved of military value and utility also in modern warfare, as its late 20th-century history shows.
History
The Battle of Hattin in 1187 saw the Crusaders suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه.
In the aftermath, many castles and cities fell to Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه forces so that only a handful of cities remained under the Crusaders’ control.
Beaufort was one of the last castles to resist Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه.
In April 1189, Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه was preparing to besiege the castle and Arab sources describe the event in detail.
At the time Beaufort was under the control of Reynald of Sidon who had survived the Battle of Hattin, While Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه was camped at nearby Marjayoun, preparing for the siege, Reynald met him and claimed to have Muslim sympathies.
He said that while he would like to hand over control of Beaufort, his family were in the Christian city of Tyre and he could not surrender until they were safely out of the city.
In the hope of a taking the castle without any bloodshed, Reynald was given three months to extract his family from Tyre; instead he used this time to repair the castle and stock up on supplies.
After three months Reynald met Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه again, protesting he needed more time.
Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه insisted he hand over the castle immediately, so Reynald ordered the garrison to surrender. When they refused Reynald was taken prisoner and the siege began.
Hostilities lasted until August that year when Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه was forced to lift the siege to defend Acre.
In April 1190 an agreement was reached where the castle’s garrison would hand over control to Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه in return for Reynald’s release.
The castle came under Crusader control in 1240 as part of a treaty negotiated by Theobald I of Navarre. It was sold to the Knights Templar by Reginald’s grandson, Julian of Sidon, in 1260. In 1268, the Mamluke Sultan Baibars captured the castle, and there was relative calm through the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries.
Although there is not much left of the castle, the setting is spectacular and the panoramas from the top of the castle outstanding.
Know This
Plan at least 1-2 hours for your visit. It is very easy to get to the site, the road from Beirut is very comfortable and as soon as you get to the village of Arnoun you will see the castle form a distance and they have signs leading you up to the hill.
