Landmark Castle
(6 Km from Batroun)
Perched on a rocky
pedestal, this castle's dramatic location and the picturesque
bridge crossing the Jose (Walnut) River make it a popular
picnic spot.
The fortress as it appears today was built
by Fakhreddine II in 1624 to guard the route from
Tripoli to Beirut. You enter the diamond shaped castle by a
narrow path and rock-cut steps. The
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door, which is
protected be a machicolated window, opens onto a triangular
courtyard that leads to the different parts of the castle. On
the southern side of the courtyard you'll find an arched
rectangular room with a little apse on the south side, in the
exact direction of "al qibla." This detail
identifies it as a prayer room.
The old bridge was built about the
same time as the castle. |