Tripoli, Lebanon
Coordinates: 34.433430, 35.844510
Qala’at Sanjil also knows as Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles or as Tripoli citadel, is a citadel and fort on a hilltop in Tripoli, Lebanon.
It takes its name from Raymond de Saint-Gilles, the Count of Toulouse and Crusader commander who was a key player in its enlargement.
It is a common misconception that he was responsible for its construction when in 1103 he laid siege to the city.
It was founded by the Arab commander Sufyan bin Mujib al Azdi in 636 CE.
Later on, The commander and Count of Toulouse “Raymond of Saint-Gilles” enlarged the fortress in 1103.
When the Mameluke Prince Seyfedeen Asandamor Kourji ruled Tripoli.
He widened the Fort and changed it to a big castle in 1307 by building some towers inside.
Very little of the original Crusader structure has survived until this day. The graves of a number of nameless Frankish knights, here and there, are the only bits of evidence today evocative of their presence here many centuries ago.
Know This
There is a beautiful small museum with information about the castle in English, French and Arabic
Visit requires from 30 min to 2 hours depending on whether you are going to visit the internal museums. A must see if you are visiting Tripoli.
