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Castles in Syria

37 landmarks in the Castlemap atlas — every one mapped with a photo and its story, 21 with sourced founding dates, ranked by Wikipedia coverage and real readership.

The most famous castle in Syria is Krak des Chevaliers, ranked #47 of 7,738 in the world — followed by Citadel of Aleppo and Citadel of Salah Ed-Din.

The Castlemap atlas charts 15 castles, 7 fortresses, 3 palaces & châteaux and 12 ruins in Syria. They span more than 37 centuries — from Royal Palace of Mari (founded 1799 BC) to People's Palace, Damascus (1985). Every one is plotted with its photo and story on the interactive castle map of Syria.

Map of castles in Syria

On the map they cluster thickest around Hama — 23 within a 100 km day trip, then Baniyas (22) and Latakia (20). The northernmost is Qal'at Najm, the southernmost Nimrod Fortress — about 434 km apart.

Planning a visit? Day-trip guides: Castles near Damascus · Castles near Homs · Castles near Hama · Castles near Latakia · Castles near Nawa · Castles near Baniyas — and 4 more in the city index.

By region: Castles in the Levant.

See them on the map →

When they were built

Of the 37 landmarks mapped in Syria, 21 carry a sourced founding date. Most were founded in the 12th century — 5 of them. 19 predate 1500 and 2 were built after 1700.

All 37 castles in Syria

Krak des Chevaliers
Castle · 11th century · #47 worldwide · #1 in Syria
Krak des Chevaliers (French: [kʁak de ʃvalje]; Arabic: قلعة الحصن, romanized: Qalʿat al-Ḥiṣn, Arabic: [ˈqalʕat alˈħisˤn]; Old French: Crac des…
Citadel of Aleppo
Fortress · 12th century · #308 worldwide · #2 in Syria
The Citadel of Aleppo is a large medieval fortified palace in the centre of the old city of Aleppo, northern Syria.
Citadel of Salah Ed-Din
Fortress · 10th century · #3 in Syria
Castle of Saladin, also known as the Sahyun Castle, is a medieval castle in northwestern Syria.
People's Palace, Damascus
Palace & château · 20th century · #4 in Syria
The People's Palace, known in English as the Presidential Palace until 2024, is the official residence of the president of Syria.
Margat
Castle · 11th century · #5 in Syria
Margat Castle, also known as Marqab Castle, is a castle near Baniyas, Syria, which was a Crusader fortress and one of the major strongholds of the…
Qal'at Ja'bar
Ruin · 12th century · #6 in Syria
Qal'at Ja'bar is a castle on the left bank of Euphrates Lake in Raqqa Governorate, Syria.
Masyaf Castle
Castle · #7 in Syria
Masyaf Castle is a medieval structure in the town of Masyaf in Hama Governorate, Syria, situated in the Orontes Valley, approximately 40 kilometres…
Citadel of Damascus
Fortress · 11th century · #8 in Syria
The Citadel of Damascus is an Ayyubid-era medieval fortified palace and citadel in Damascus, Syria.
Al-Azm Palace
Palace & château · 18th century · #9 in Syria
Al-Azm Palace is a palace in Damascus, Syria, built in 1749. Located north of Al-Buzuriyah Souq in the Ancient City of Damascus, the palace was built…
Nimrod Fortress
Fortress · #10 in Syria
The Nimrod Fortress, also called Nimrod Castle, is a castle built by the Ayyubids and greatly enlarged by the Mamluks, situated on the southern…
Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi
Ruin · 8th century · #11 in Syria
Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi is a Syrian desert castle or qasr located 80 km south-west of Palmyra on the Damascus road.
Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi
Castle · 8th century · #12 in Syria
Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi is a castle in the middle of the Syrian Desert. It was built by the Umayyad caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik in 728-29 CE in an…
Qalaat al-Madiq
Fortress · #13 in Syria
Qalaat al-Madiq is a town and medieval fortress in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located northwest of Hama.
Qasr ibn Wardan
Ruin · 6th century · #14 in Syria
Qasr Ibn Wardan is a hamlet and 6th-century archaeological site located in the Syrian Desert, approximately 60 kilometres northeast from Hama and…
Royal Palace of Mari
Palace & château · 18th century BC · #15 in Syria
The Royal Palace of Mari was the royal residence of the rulers of the ancient kingdom of Mari in eastern Syria.
Fakhr-al-Din al-Maani Castle
Castle · 13th century · #16 in Syria
Palmyra Castle, also known as Fakhr-al-Din al-Ma'ani Castle or Tadmur Castle, is a castle overlooking Palmyra in the province of Homs, Syria.
Chastel Blanc
Castle · #17 in Syria
Chastel Blanc is a medieval structure in Safita, western Syria. It was built by the Knights Templar during the Crusades upon prior fortifications.
Abu Qubays
Ruin · #18 in Syria
Abu Qubays is a former medieval castle and currently an inhabited village in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate,…
Qalʿat ar-Rahba
Ruin · 13th century · #19 in Syria
Al-Rahba, also known as Qal'at al-Rahba, which translates as the "Citadel of al-Rahba", is a medieval Arab fortress on the west bank of the Euphrates…
Chastel Rouge
Ruin · #20 in Syria
Chastel Rouge, also called Qal’at Yahmur, is a small Crusader stronghold in the North West of Syria that belonged to the County of Tripoli.
Chmemis Castle
Ruin · 13th century · #21 in Syria
Shmemis also ash-Shmemis, ash-Shmamis) is a castle located in Syria. It is located 3 km north west of Salamiyah and 30 km south east from Hama.
Qal'at Najm
Fortress · 7th century · #22 in Syria
Qal'at Najm is a castle located on the right bank of the Euphrates, near the town of Manbij in north Syria.
Bourzey Castle
Ruin · 11th century · #23 in Syria
Bourzey castle, also known as Mirza castle, is located at the border of Syria coastal mountains and Ghab valley, 25 km away from Jisr al-Shughur, at…
Ba'rin
Ruin · 12th century · #24 in Syria
Montferrand was a fortress in the County of Tripoli, built in 1126. The construction of Montferrand started when the united crusader troops from…
Al-Kahf Castle
Castle · 12th century · #25 in Syria
Al-Kahf Castle or the Castle of the Cave is a medieval Nizari Isma'ili castle located around 30 kilometres southeast of Margat, in the al-Ansariyah…
Tartus Castle
Castle · #26 in Syria
The Citadel of Tartus is a historic building now mostly a residential area by the Mediterranean Sea in Tartus, Syria.
Zalabiye
Ruin · #27 in Syria
Zalabiye is an archaeological site on the left bank of the Euphrates in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria.
Areimeh Castle
Castle · #28 in Syria
Areimeh Castle is located on a rocky plateau about 25 kilometers southeast of Tartus, near the Safita area on the Syrian coast.
Shayzar Castle
Castle · #29 in Syria
Shayzar Castle is a historic fortress located in Shaizar, Hama Governorate in northwestern Syria, atop a hill overlooking the Orontes River.
Hama Castle
Ruin · #30 in Syria
Hama Castle is a mostly-ruined fortress located in Hama, Syria, Located on the Orontes River. The location is dated back to the Seleucids.
Citadel of Homs
Ruin · #31 in Syria
The Citadel of Homs, also known as Homs Castle or Qalaat Homs, is a historic building now mostly ruined in Homs, Syria.
Mahalibeh Castle
Castle · #32 in Syria
Mahalibeh Castle, formerly known as Balatanos or Balatunus, is located on a high mountain summit near Lattakia, 40 km inland of the Syrian coast.
Bani Qahtan Castle
Castle · #33 in Syria
Bani Qahtan castle is found in the Syrian Coastal Mountains, about 40 km from Latakia city.
Al-Sheikh Deeb Castle
Castle · #34 in Syria
Qulay'a, also transliterated Qulay'at or Qleiat) is a village and medieval citadel in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Tartus…
Roman Theatre of Jableh
Castle · 3rd century · #35 in Syria
The Roman Theatre of Jableh, or the Roman Theatre of Gabala is a Roman theatre in Jableh, Syria.
Aleika Castle
Castle · #36 in Syria
Aleika Castle or Aliqa Castle is located in Aliqa, approximately 85 km from Tartus. The castle consists of two concentric structures.
Qal'at Sukkara
Fortress · 12th century · #37 in Syria
Qal'at Sukkara is an Islamic Ayyubid castle located in Mount Abdulaziz in al-Hasakah Governorate, Syria.

Frequently asked questions

How many castles are in Syria?

The Castlemap atlas maps 37 landmarks (15 castles · 7 fortresses · 3 palaces & châteaux · 12 ruins) in Syria — a curated selection of well-documented landmarks from Wikidata, not a count of every fortification ever built.

What is the most famous castle in Syria?

Krak des Chevaliers, ranked #47 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's fame ranking, founded in the 11th century.

What is the oldest castle in Syria?

The oldest dated landmark in the atlas in Syria is Royal Palace of Mari, founded 1799 BC. Earlier structures may have existed — this is the oldest with a documented founding year.

Where are most of the castles in Syria?

They cluster thickest around Hama — 23 of the atlas's landmarks within 100 km, then Baniyas (22) and Latakia (20).

Which castles in Syria are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

Per Wikidata, 2 of the mapped landmarks hold a UNESCO World Heritage designation — inscribed in their own right or as part of an inscribed ensemble: Krak des Chevaliers, Citadel of Salah Ed-Din.

How many castles are there in Syria?