Masyaf Castle

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Masyaf Castle
قلعة مصياف
The fortress of Masyaf

General information
Type	Castle
Town or city	Masyaf
Country	Syria

Masyaf Castle (

Isma'ili sect, also known as the Assassins, and a figure in the history of the Crusades.^[3]

History

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Incumbent leaders Nizārī Ismā'īlī Imām: Aga Khan IV Taiyabi Dā'ī al-Mutlaqs : Alavi Bohra: Haatim Zakiyuddin Dawoodi Bohra: Mufaddal Saifuddin Qutbi Bohra: Taher Fakhruddin
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Evidence suggests that the lower layers and foundations of the castle are of Byzantine origin.

Mamluks, and Ottomans,^{[citation needed]} with most of the current remains dating back to Rashid and the Nizari construction phase of the 12th century.^[2]

The castle was captured by the Assassins in 1141 from Sanqur,^[

Rashid al-Din Sinan.^[1] Masyaf and the surrounding town functioned as the capital of a Nizari emirate from the middle of the 12th century until the end of the 13th century. Saladin besieged it in May 1176, but the siege did not last long and it concluded with a truce. Current research indicates it was held by the Nizari Isma'ilis at that time.^[3]

In 1260, Masyaf and three other Nizari fortresses were surrendered to the
victorious Mamluks to drive the Mongols out from Syria, reclaiming four of their castles, including Masyaf.^[1] After a decade, in February 1270, Mamluk sultan Baibars took hold of the castle.^[1]

In 1808, the
Nusayris (Alawites) murdered the Ismaili emir of Masyaf and seized the castle, but the Ismailis managed to recover it with the help of the Ottoman authorities.^[1] During the 1830s, the troops of the Egyptian governor, Ibrahim Pasha, caused serious damage to the castle.^[1]^{[clarification needed}
]
Restoration funded by the
Historic Cities Support Programme began in 2000.^[2]

See also

List of castles in Syria

Alamut Castle

Atashgah Castle

Lambsar Castle

References

^
The Institute of Ismaili Studies
. 10 October 2005. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c "The Citadel of Masyaf" (PDF). A Brief Account of Project Activities in Syria. Aga Khan Trust for Culture Historic Cities Support Programme. October 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 December 2006. Retrieved 1 December 2006.
^ ^a ^b Perry, Tom (2007-07-13). "Secrets of Assassins' fort unearthed in Syria". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-09-30.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Masyaf Castle.

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35°03′58″N 36°20′36″E / 35.06624°N 36.34329°E / 35.06624; 36.34329