Masyaf, Hama – Syria
Coordinates: 35.033209, 36.300028
Al-Rusafa is a Syrian village located in the Masyaf Subdistrict in Masyaf District, located west of Hama and about 10 kilometers southwest of Masyaf.
Its inhabitants are predominantly Alawites. It is the site of a former Ismaili fortress.
In the medieval period, it acted as a subsidiary fortress for the main Ismaili fortress of Masyaf. At its largest extent, it measures roughly 75 meters by 30 meters and is oval-shaped.
Al-Rusafa was taken over by the Nizari Ismailis around 1140 CE along with other fortresses in the vicinity, namely Masyaf, Khawabi, al-Maniqa and Qulay’a.
The fortress was rebuilt by the Ismaili da’i (chief) Rashid ad-Din Sinan in the 1160s.
It is possible that another fortress stood in its place prior to the Ismaili conquest.
In May 1271, the Bahri Mamluk sultan Baibars besieged and captured al-Rusafa from the Ismailis.
