Nimrod Fortress sits on a ridge about 2,625 feet (800 m) above sea level. The article credits the Ayyubids with building it, and says Al-Aziz Uthman rebuilt it around 1228. It also suggests a first castle may have been Hellenistic, and says the original builders remain uncertain.
The complex measures about 1,380 by 490 feet (420 by 150 m), with a central keep of about 213 by 148 feet (65 by 45 m). It is built of large squared stones, with rectangular and semicircular towers. After the Mongols captured it in 1260, the Mamluk sultan Baibars strengthened it with larger towers.
An earthquake in 1759 damaged it significantly. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority manages it, and it is open to visitors. The article notes that the international community regards the area as Syrian.
Comments