Byblos, Lebanon
Coordinates: 34.119930, 35.646466
Byblos Castle is a Crusader castle in Byblos, Lebanon. It is located in the central part of the archeological park in Byblos.
In Crusader times it was known as the Castle of Gibelet also spelled Giblet.
The castle was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century from indigenous limestone and the remains of Roman structures.
Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه captured the town and castle in 1188 and partially dismantled the walls in 1190.
Later, the Crusaders recaptured Byblos and rebuilt the fortifications of the castle in 1197.
The Byblos Castle has distinguished historical buildings for neighbors. Nearby stand a few Egyptian temples, the Phoenician royal necropolis and the Roman amphitheatre.
The castle houses the Byblos site museum. It displays remains of the excavations undertaken on the site of the archeological preserve of Byblos, although the most important finds are displayed in the National Museum of Beirut. Moreover, the history of Byblos from prehistory to the medieval periods, is illustrated with thematic panels.
Inside you can find a small museum which gives a great historical context to your visit in Byblos.
Know This
One item to note is that they close at 6 PM and that it should take you between 30 to 45 min to visit just the castle.
Please note that there are a lot of stairs to climb in the castle.
It is recommended to hire a guide, who would give you a lot of useful information.
