CountryThe most famous castle in Syria is Krak des Chevaliers, ranked #50 of 9,079 in the world — followed by Citadel of Aleppo and Citadel of Salah Ed-Din.
The Castle Map atlas charts 14 castles, 5 fortresses, 4 palaces & châteaux and 15 ruins in Syria. They span more than 37 centuries — from Royal Palace of Mari (founded 1800 BC) to People's Palace, Damascus (1985). Every one is plotted with its photo and story on the interactive castle map of Syria.
How many castles are there in Syria?
Map of castles in Syria
On the map they cluster thickest around Baniyas — 23 within a 100 km day trip, then Hama (23) and Latakia (21). 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.
Castle routes in Syria: The Crusader castles of the Levant (7 stops, the Syrian coast to southern Jordan). See all 22 castle routes.
See them on the map →When they were built
Of the 38 landmarks mapped in Syria, 27 carry a sourced founding date. Most were founded in the 12th century — 8 of them. 24 predate 1500 and 3 were built after 1700.
