Safita
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View of Safita from Chastel Blanc |
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St. Michael's Chapel on the ground floor of Chastel Blanc |
Safita (
Arabic صا فيتا) is a city in north-western
Syria, located to the southeast of
Tartous and to the northwest of
Krak des Chevaliers. The city has a population of 33,000. It is located on the tops of 3 hills and the valleys in between them, in the coastal mountain ranges of Syria. It was important during the
crusades, and was inhabited by the Knights Templar of the castle Chastel Blanc while part of the
County of Tripoli.
The city has been inhabited since the times of the
Phoenicians, and several archaelogical discoveries have been made, including Phoenician and Canaanite settlements.
In
1102,
Raymond IV of Toulouse began to take the land of the Banu Ammars Emirs of Tripoli. A four-year siege on
Tripoli resulted in full control of the city and many lands surrounding it, including Safita.
Mameluke Sultan
Qalawun captured the county in
1289, and Safita was once again under Muslim rule.
Chastel Blanc (called by the natives, 'the White tower') was built by the Knights Templar on already existing fortifications. There were other fortifications in Safita in addition to the tower, however, the tower is the only fortification that has lasted all this time even surviving an earthquake in 1202. The tower was built on the highest of Safita's three hills, and offers a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. It has a height of 30 meters, a width of 50 meters, a length of 70 meters.
The structure was constructed with limestone blocks, and the flooring is covered with big stone plates. The tower has two floors, the ground floor contains the chapel of St. Michael, surviving from the Crusader era. The second floor, which can be reached by a flight of partially destroyed stairs, contains many small windows that were used by archers to defend the tower. The ceiling of the tower is supported by many robust columns. There is a big bell on the western wall and its sound can be heard up to 5 kilometers from Safita. Another flight of stairs are found on the second floor, that can be taken to the roof of the tower. From the roof, one can see the snow-covered mountains of Lebanon, as well as Tripoli. The Mediterreanean sea and the Krak des Chevaliers are also visible. During French colonialism, efforts were made to restore the tower, causing great discomfort to the villagers that lived very close to it.
