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Palmyra Castle

Palmyra Castle

Photo: Jerzy Strzelecki · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Location
Palmyra, Syria
Client / Owner
—
Year
Completed 1230
Access
Private
Typology
Cultural
Style
Islamic

Palmyra Castle, also called Fakhr-al-Din al-Ma'ani Castle or Tadmur Castle, overlooks the ancient site of Palmyra in Homs province, Syria. It was built in the 13th century, and it is thought to be a Mamluk work, on a high hill. It is named after the Druze emir Fakhr-al-Din II, who extended Druze control to the Palmyra region in the 16th century.

The castle stands on raised bedrock with thick, high walls. A moat surrounds it, with one access point by a drawbridge. It is part of the Site of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, which was listed as endangered in 2013.

The castle changed hands several times during the Syrian conflict between 2015 and 2017 and was damaged. It is largely intact, it is not open to the public, and restoration is planned.

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