Citadel of Damascus

About this place

The Citadel of Damascus is an Ayyubid fortress and palace at the western edge of the Old City of Damascus, part of the ancient city on the UNESCO list since 1979. Its huge towers and rough-faced stone set it apart, and unlike most castles in the region built on hills, it stands on level ground. The site was first fortified in 1076 by the Turkman commander Atsiz ibn Uvaq, and the Seljuq ruler Tutush I finished the work. Saladin took it in 1174 and made it his residence. His brother al-Adil rebuilt it entirely between 1203 and 1216, in response to the development of the counterweight trebuchet, which gave it its great towers. You see the square towers from outside with their rough stone walls, and on the eastern gate an Arabic inscription in a decorated frame. A wide street runs along the western side, and to the north are the bank of the Banias stream, a paved walk and a small garden. The towers look fine from outside in the morning, when the sun lights the stone. It is about 200 m in a straight line from Al-Hamidiyah Souq and about 500 m from the Umayyad Mosque. We could not confirm access to the interior at present, so the visit may be from outside only, and you should ask at the gate. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Syria, and British consular help is not available there, so check official guidance before making any plans.