Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles

The Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles (Qalat Sanjil in Arabic) rises on a hilltop above the old city and dominates the Tripoli skyline. The existing structure is largely Mamluk work from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, built on Crusader foundations from the early twelfth century. The citadel commands views over the entire city, the coastal plain, and on clear days the Lebanese mountains inland.

The interior is a labyrinth of vaulted rooms, towers, and corridors that rewards exploration. The inscription above the main entrance gate is a 1307 Mamluk addition. The citadel is open to visitors and entry is inexpensive. A guide is helpful for understanding the layers of construction — Crusader, Mamluk, and later Ottoman modifications are all present and can be distinguished by their building techniques.

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A story
Raymond de Saint-Gilles, the French Count of Toulouse who began this citadel in 1103, never lived to see Tripoli fall. He died of fever in 1105 while the siege of the original Tripoli was still ongoing, and the county he founded — the County of Tripoli — was eventually inherited by the princes of Antioch and survived as a Crusader state until the Mamluk sultan Qalawun destroyed the city and massacred its population in 1289. The current fortress was rebuilt by the Mamluks on Raymond's foundations.

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