Citadel of Tripoli: Difference between revisions

Citadel of Tripoli
Citadel of Tripoli
قلعة طرابلس
	The citadel in 2009
Former names	Castle of Mount Pilgrim
Alternative names	Castle of Saint-Gilles
General information
Location	Tripoli, Lebanon
Year(s) built	between 1102 and 1109

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The Citadel of Tripoli (Arabic: قَلْعَة طَرَابُلُس ALA-LC: Qalʻat Ṭarābulus) is a 12th-century fortress in Tripoli, Lebanon. It was built at the top of a hill "during the initial Frankish siege of the city between 1102 and 1109"^[1] on the orders of Raymond de Saint-Gilles, who baptized it the Castle of Mount Pilgrim^[2] (French: château du Mont-Pèlerin; Latin: castellum Montis Peregrini) while local Muslims have been referring to it as the Castle of Saint-Gilles^[2] (Arabic: قَلْعَة سَان جِيل Qalʻat Sān Jīl).

However, very little of the original structure has survived, the castle having been rebuilt several times, and for the last time in the early 19th century, when the citadel was extensively restored and rebuilt by the Ottoman governor of Tripoli Mustafa Agha Barbar. The citadel nowadays houses the North Lebanon & Akkar Museum.

History

The first cornerstone was set in the 9th century during the conquest of Tripoli by Sufyan al-azadi, it was a fort 2 miles away from the old city on a strategic hill. The fort was gradually fortified and rebuilt with time by many succeeding rulers. In the citadel there are many clues of past nations including the remains of a Fatimid mosque. The citadel was built on the orders of Raymond of Saint-Gilles during the siege of Tripoli. The hill where the citadel stands had previously been the site of an 11th-century Shi'i cemetery, which the crusaders destroyed.^[3] When the Mont Pèlerin quarter was set ablaze by the Mamluks after the reconquest, the castle of Saint-Gilles suffered and stood abandoned on the hilltop for the next eighteen years. It was essential to have an adequate stronghold in Tripoli for the sultan’s troops, temporarily garrisoned in Hisn al-Akrad (Krak des Chevaliers), as the distance was too great in case of enemy attack.

Abu'l-Fida and Ibn al-Wardi record that, among the important events which took place in 1345, was the promulgation of a military decree which was set up by order of the Mamluk Sultan al-Kamil Sha'ban in the citadels of Aleppo, Tripoli, Hisn al-Akrâd and other fortified places. The decree, put over the second entrance way of the citadel of Tripoli, is by far the best preserved. Apparently this sultan, who lived a life of luxury and debauchery, was in constant need of extra revenue. In order to fill his depleted treasury, he imposed a heavy registration tax upon all feudal land concessions and appropriations. This tax was unpopular and was obviously going to stir up discontent among his subjects. To forestall any uprising and gain the support of his troops, upon whom his power was based he issued this military decree. It was the custom that a Mamluk soldier, under contract for a specified number of years, received an annual gratuity which amounted to slightly over eleven days extra pay. If the soldier died before the end of his contract, the sultan had the right to claim the extra sum of money which had accumulated during the soldier's years of service. Sha'bán abandoned his rights to this claim, once and for all, hoping thus to enlist the support of his troops.

In 1516, Syria and Egypt fell to the Ottoman Sultan Selim I. His son and successor Suleiman I, called the Magnificent (1520-1566), soon after his accession made an inspection tour of his newly-conquered lands. He gathered about him in Damascus all his provincial governors and on this occasion took the decision to rebuild the citadel of Tripoli.

In the years that followed, various Ottoman governors of Tripoli did restoration work on the citadel to suit their needs and with time the medieval crenelated battlements were destroyed in order to open sally ports for cannons.

Very little of the original Crusader structure has survived until this day. The graves of a number of nameless Frankish knights, here and there, are the only bits of evidence today evocative of their presence on the heights of Tripoli's "Pilgrim's Mountain" many centuries ago.

North Lebanon & Akkar Museum

The citadel houses the North Lebanon & Akkar Museum. The small museum has a numismatic collection covering most periods from the Hellenic to the Ayyubid one.

References

^ Molin, Kristian (2001). Unknown Crusader Castles. Bloomsbury. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-8264-3201-8.
^ ^a ^b Grousset, René (4 January 2023). L'épopée des croisades. Éditions Payot. ISBN 978-2-228-93253-0.
^ Salamé-Sarkis, Ḥassān (1980). Contribution à l'histoire de Tripoli et de sa région. p. 73.

External links

"The Tripoli Citadel" on tripoli-lebanon.org

34°26′00″N 35°50′40″E / 34.4334°N 35.8445°E / 34.4334; 35.8445

[1] Molin, Kristian (2001). Unknown Crusader Castles. Bloomsbury. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-8264-3201-8.

[Grousset-2] Grousset, René (4 January 2023). L'épopée des croisades. Éditions Payot. ISBN 978-2-228-93253-0.

[3] Salamé-Sarkis, Ḥassān (1980). Contribution à l'histoire de Tripoli et de sa région. p. 73.

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 | years_built = between 1102 and 1109
 }}
-The '''Citadel of Tripoli''' ({{lang-ar|قَلْعَة طَرَابُلُس}} {{ALA-LC|ar|Qalʻat Ṭarābulus}}) is a 12th-century [[fortress]] in [[Tripoli, Lebanon]]. It was built at the top of a hill "during the initial [[Crusaders|Frankish]] [[Siege of Tripoli|siege of the city]] between 1102 and 1109"<ref>{{cite book|last=Molin|first=Kristian|year=2001|title=Unknown Crusader Castles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K_n5zfuqpHgC|page=24}}</ref> on the orders of [[Raymond de Saint-Gilles]], who baptized it the '''Castle of Mount Pilgrim'''<ref name=Grousset>{{cite book|last=Grousset|first=René|title=L'épopée des croisades|url=https://books.google.con/books?id=qSqiEAAAQBAJ}}</ref> ({{lang-fr|château du Mont-Pèlerin}}; {{lang-la|castellum Montis Peregrini}}) while local [[Muslims]] have been referring to it as the '''Castle of Saint-Gilles'''<ref name=Grousset/> ({{lang-ar|قَلْعَة سَان جِيل}} ''Qalʻat Sān Jīl''). However, very little of the original structure has survived, the castle having been rebuilt several times, and for the last time in the early 19th century, when the citadel was extensively restored and rebuilt by the Ottoman governor of Tripoli [[Mustafa Agha Barbar]]. The citadel nowadays houses the North Lebanon & Akkar Museum.
+The '''Citadel of Tripoli''' ({{langx|ar|قَلْعَة طَرَابُلُس}} {{ALA-LC|ar|Qalʻat Ṭarābulus}}) is a 12th-century [[fortress]] in [[Tripoli, Lebanon]]. It was built at the top of a hill "during the initial [[Crusaders|Frankish]] [[Siege of Tripoli|siege of the city]] between 1102 and 1109"<ref>{{cite book|last=Molin|first=Kristian|year=2001|title=Unknown Crusader Castles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K_n5zfuqpHgC|page=24|publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=978-0-8264-3201-8 }}</ref> on the orders of [[Raymond de Saint-Gilles]], who baptized it the '''Castle of Mount Pilgrim'''<ref name=Grousset>{{cite book|last=Grousset|first=René|title=L'épopée des croisades|date=4 January 2023 |publisher=Éditions Payot |isbn=978-2-228-93253-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qSqiEAAAQBAJ}}</ref> ({{langx|fr|château du Mont-Pèlerin}}; {{langx|la|castellum Montis Peregrini}}) while local [[Muslims]] have been referring to it as the '''Castle of Saint-Gilles'''<ref name=Grousset/> ({{langx|ar|قَلْعَة سَان جِيل}} ''Qalʻat Sān Jīl'').
+However, very little of the original structure has survived, the castle having been rebuilt several times, and for the last time in the early 19th century, when the citadel was extensively restored and rebuilt by the Ottoman governor of Tripoli [[Mustafa Agha Barbar]]. The citadel nowadays houses the North Lebanon & Akkar Museum.
 [[File:TripoliLebCitadel1.jpg|thumb|The Citadel of Tripoli]]
 ==History==
+The first cornerstone was set in the 9th century during the conquest of Tripoli by Sufyan al-azadi, it was a fort 2 miles away from the old city on a strategic hill. The fort was gradually fortified and rebuilt with time by many succeeding rulers. In the citadel there are many clues of past nations including the remains of a Fatimid mosque.
-The citadel was built on the orders of [[Raymond of Saint-Gilles]] during the [[siege of Tripoli]]. The hill where the citadel stands had previously been the site of an 11th-century [[Shi'i]] cemetery, which the crusaders destroyed.<ref>{{cite book|title=Contribution à l'histoire de Tripoli et de sa région|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2-ptAAAAMAAJ|page=73}}</ref> When the Mont Pèlerin quarter was set ablaze by the [[Mamluks]] after the reconquest, the castle of Saint-Gilles suffered from the holocaust and stood abandoned on the hilltop for the next eighteen years. It was essential to have an adequate stronghold in Tripoli for the sultan’s troops, temporarily garrisoned in Hisn al-Akrad ([[Krak des Chevaliers]]), as the distance was too great in case of enemy attack. The governor therefore chose the emplacement of the gutted Crusader castle on the hill, incorporating what he could in his citadel, and made use of Roman column shafts and other building material he found nearby. Many of the interior walls, ramps and terraces of the citadel seen today were built in his time.
+The citadel was built on the orders of [[Raymond of Saint-Gilles]] during the [[siege of Tripoli]]. The hill where the citadel stands had previously been the site of an 11th-century [[Shi'i]] cemetery, which the crusaders destroyed.<ref>{{cite book|title=Contribution à l'histoire de Tripoli et de sa région|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2-ptAAAAMAAJ|page=73 | last1=Salamé-Sarkis | first1=Ḥassān | date=1980 }}</ref> When the Mont Pèlerin quarter was set ablaze by the [[Mamluks]] after the reconquest, the castle of Saint-Gilles suffered and stood abandoned on the hilltop for the next eighteen years. It was essential to have an adequate stronghold in Tripoli for the sultan’s troops, temporarily garrisoned in Hisn al-Akrad ([[Krak des Chevaliers]]), as the distance was too great in case of enemy attack.
+[[Abu'l-Fida]] and [[Ibn al-Wardi]] record that, among the important events which took place in 1345, was the promulgation of a military decree which was set up by order of the Mamluk Sultan [[al-Kamil Sha'ban]] in the citadels of Aleppo, Tripoli, Hisn al-Akrâd and other fortified places. The decree, put over the second entrance way of the citadel of Tripoli, is by far the best preserved. Apparently this sultan, who lived a life of luxury and debauchery, was in constant need of extra revenue. In order to fill his depleted treasury, he imposed a heavy registration tax upon all feudal land concessions and appropriations. This tax was unpopular and was obviously going to stir up discontent among his subjects. To forestall any uprising and gain the support of his troops, upon whom his power was based he issued this military decree. It was the custom that a Mamluk soldier, under contract for a specified number of years, received an annual gratuity which amounted to slightly over eleven days extra pay. If the soldier died before the end of his contract, the sultan had the right to claim the extra sum of money which had accumulated during the soldier's years of service. Sha'bán abandoned his rights to this claim, once and for all, hoping thus to enlist the support of his troops.
+In 1516, Syria and Egypt fell to the Ottoman Sultan [[Selim I]]. His son and successor [[Suleiman the Magnificent|Suleiman I]], called the Magnificent (1520-1566), soon after his accession made an inspection tour of his newly-conquered lands. He gathered about him in Damascus all his provincial governors and on this occasion took the decision to rebuild the citadel of Tripoli.
-[[Abu'l-Fida]] and [[Ibn al-Wardi]] record that, among the important events which took place in the year A.H 746 (1345), was the promulgation of a military decree which was set up by order of the Mamluk Sultan [[al-Kamil Sha'ban]] in the citadels of Aleppo, Tripoli, Hisn al-Akrâd and other fortified places. The decree, put over the second entrance way of the citadel of Tripoli, is by far the best preserved. Apparently this sultan, who lived a life of luxury and debauch, was in constant need of extra revenues. In order to fill his depleted treasury, he imposed a heavy registration tax upon all feudal land concessions and appropriations. This tax was unpopular and was obviously going to stir up discontent among his subjects. To forestall any uprising and gain the support of his troops, upon whom his power was based he issued this military decree. It was the custom that a Mamluk soldier, under contract for a specified number of years, received an annual gratuity which amounted to slightly over eleven days extra pay. If the soldier died before the end of his contract, the sultan had the right to claim the extra sum of money which had accumulated during the soldier's years of service. Sha'bán abandoned his rights to this claim, once and for all, hoping thus to enlist the support of his troops.
+In the years that followed, various Ottoman governors of Tripoli did restoration work on the citadel to suit their needs and with time the medieval crenelated battlements were destroyed in order to open sally ports for cannons.
-In 1516, Syria and Egypt fell to the Ottoman Sultan [[Selim I]]. His son and successor [[Suleiman the Magnificent|Suleiman I]], called the Magnificent (1520-1566), soon after his accession made an inspection tour of his newly conquered lands. He gathered about him in Damascus all his provincial governors and on this occasion took the decision to rebuild the great citadel of Tripoli. Over the entrance portal, the sultan commemorated this important restoration work with an inscription: "In the name of Allah, it has been decreed by the royal sultan’s order, al Malik al-Muzuffar Sultan Suleiman Shah, son of Sultan Selim Shah, may his orders never cease to be obeyed by the emirs, that this blessed citadel be restored so as to be a fortified stronghold for all time. Its construction was completed in the blessed month of Sha’bân of the year 927 (July 1521)".
-In the years that followed, various Ottoman governors of Tripoli did restoration work on the citadel to suit their needs and with time the medieval crenelated battlements were destroyed in order to open sally ports for cannons. In the early 19th century, the citadel was extensively restored by the Ottoman governor of Tripoli [[Mustafa Agha Barbar]]. Very little of the original Crusader structure has survived until this day. The graves of a number of nameless Frankish knights, here and there, are the only bits of evidence today evocative of their presence on the heights of Tripoli's "Pilgrim's Mountain" many centuries ago.
+Very little of the original Crusader structure has survived until this day. The graves of a number of nameless Frankish knights, here and there, are the only bits of evidence today evocative of their presence on the heights of Tripoli's "Pilgrim's Mountain" many centuries ago.
 ==North Lebanon & Akkar Museum==
 [[File:TripoliCoin.jpg|thumb|Coin from Tripoli, 2nd century BCE]]
-The citadel houses the North Lebanon & Akkar Museum. The small museum has a noteworthy [[numismatic]] collection covering most periods from the Hellenic to the [[Ayyubid]] one.
+The citadel houses the North Lebanon & Akkar Museum. The small museum has a [[numismatic]] collection covering most periods from the Hellenic to the [[Ayyubid]] one.
 ==See also==
@@ Line 47: / Line 52: @@
 [[Category:Archaeological museums in Lebanon]]
 [[Category:Museums of Ancient Near East in Lebanon]]
-[[Category:Tripoli, Lebanon]]
+[[Category:Buildings and structures in Tripoli, Lebanon]]
 [[Category:1102 establishments in Asia]]
 [[Category:Ottoman architecture in Lebanon]]