Marqab Citadel

During one of our summer excursions to the coast, we visited one strikingly beautiful castle called Marqab Citadel. The fortress was built by Muslims in 1062 on the remains of an extinct volcano and has survived many conquests, including the Byzantines and Crusaders (1117-1118) and was one of the main strongholds for the Knights Hospitaller (a western Christian military order whose allegiance was to the Pope and based at a hospital in Jerusalem and charged to defend the Holy Land). In 1285 it was recaptured by the Mamluk sultan of Egypt.
The castle overlooks the Mediterranean sea about 2km from the seaside town of Banyas. During one of my visits to the castle I drank from the same well that the original occupants of the fortress would of used many centuries ago. An old metal bucket attached to a lengthy chain was lowered into the ancient well and filled with cool, pure spring water.

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