Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles

The Castle of Saint-Gilles in Tripoli stands proudly on a high hill overlooking the Abu Ali River and the old port city of El Mina. Built by Count Raymond de Saint-Gilles during the Crusader period, the fortress held a strategic position that dominated both the sea and the valley below.

However, its origins may trace back even earlier. Based on historical texts describing a fortress built by Sufian al-Asdi during the Rashidun Caliphate, historian Dr. Omar Tadmouri suggests that this early structure once stood on the same site as the current citadel.

In 1970, archaeological excavations uncovered new layers of history. Beneath the castle, researchers found the remains of a Fatimid-era mosque, including a marble tomb inscribed with Quranic verses and the names of the twelve imams. These findings highlight Tripoli’s rich blend of Islamic and Crusader heritage, making the Castle of Saint-Gilles one of Lebanon’s most fascinating historical landmarks.

Crusader Era

During the Crusader period, Count Raymond de Saint-Gilles selected a hilltop known as the Mountain of the Monk to build his fortress at the start of the 12th century AD. From this strategic position, he led military campaigns against the Bani Ammar State, laying siege to the ancient city of Tripoli. After his victory, Saint-Gilles established his Crusader kingdom, turning the citadel into the main military base for his forces.

Mamluk Era

The Castle of Saint-Gilles continued to serve as a stronghold during the following decades. When the Mamluks captured Tripoli, they burned the fortress to eliminate the Crusader presence. Soon after, they rebuilt it in the early 14th century under the rule of Governor Emir Korji, giving the citadel its distinct Mamluk architectural identity.

Ottoman Era

When the Ottomans arrived, they took control of the citadel and restored it during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Over the next centuries, they carried out multiple renovations and expansions, replacing medieval walls with gun openings and defensive platforms. These transformations modernized the fortress for artillery warfare but erased much of the original Crusader design.

As a result, historians believe that only limited parts of the early Crusader structure remain today. The Castle of Saint-Gilles stands as a living record of Tripoli’s layered history, Crusader, Mamluk, and Ottoma, each era leaving a lasting mark on its stone walls.

Inside the Citadel of Tripoli

The Citadel of Tripoli is one of the oldest, largest, and most beautiful fortresses in the region. It was built using massive sandstone found locally at the time. The structure is rectangular and polygonal, measuring 136 meters from north to south and about 70 meters wide on average. The castle includes two main sections, internal and external, with trenches, basements, and crypts. One underground passage is believed to reach the sea, nearly three kilometers away.

Tripoli, Lebanon, has always reflected the beauty and charm of the Levant, much like the tales of One Thousand and One Nights. Over the centuries, travelers and artists have admired the city and captured its spirit through their writing, paintings, and photographs.

The Citadel of Tripoli features an impressive defensive layout. It contains twenty-five towers, including a large central tower and several corner bastions, all linked by wide terraces and inner corridors. Within its vast enclosure lies a courtyard surrounded by numerous defensive openings and more than twenty gun ports, reflecting the fortress’s strategic design.

The walls of the citadel rise between five and nineteen meters in height. Their thick sandstone construction explains the castle’s remarkable resilience through centuries of warfare and earthquakes.

Beneath the surface, a network of underground passages and chambers extends below the fortress. These hidden spaces once served as prisons, armories, and storage rooms, and some are believed to have been connected to houses and military towers near the coast. Such intricate planning reveals the military genius behind one of Lebanon’s most enduring fortresses.

Tripoli Citadel Museum

The Tripoli Citadel Museum was planned to open in summer 1974, but the civil war halted the project. Armed groups seized the citadel and caused severe losses to its priceless collection.

Historian Dr. Omar Tadmori documented the tragedy in detail. He explained that the museum lost a rare transparent marble sarcophagus from the Roman era. It also lost paintings decorated with Kufic calligraphy from the Bani Ammar dynasty, Tripoli’s rulers during the Fatimid period.

Many Latin-inscribed artworks from the Frankish era disappeared as well. Paintings showing Mamluk royal decrees, Ottoman and Garshuni (Syriac) texts, and hundreds of ancient Tripoli-minted coins were also gone. The missing collection included Roman, Byzantine, Fatimid, Crusader, and Mamluk coins, all of immense historical value.

Years later, the Directorate General of Antiquities revived the museum through the Cultural Heritage Project. It created a new cultural center inside the citadel to retrace the civilizations of northern Lebanon.

The Princes’ Hall, located in the citadel’s upper western section, became the new home of the museum. It now features eighteen exhibition rooms displaying artifacts, coins, and historical paintings. This revival restored life to the Tripoli Citadel Museum, reconnecting visitors with centuries of art and history.