Qal'at Najm
قلعة نجم
Castle on the right bank of the Euphrates near Manbij that guarded a key river crossing, rebuilt by the Zengids and Ayyubids.
On the right bank of the Euphrates east of Manbij, Qal'at Najm rises on a rocky hill above the river, guarding one of the traditional crossings linking Syria with the Jazira and Mesopotamia.
The site was fortified long before, but the present castle dates essentially to the medieval Islamic period: Nur al-Din Zengi rebuilt it in the 12th century, and al-Zahir Ghazi, Saladin's son and ruler of Aleppo, renewed and enlarged it in the early 13th century to strengthen his eastern frontier.
Stone walls and towers, a fortified entrance, vaulted halls and corridors, mosques and cisterns reveal its role as garrison fort and river watch post. Since the Tishrin Dam, it overlooks the waters of its lake. With Qal'at Ja'bar downstream, it is one of the best-preserved Euphrates castles.
Note: photos may not reflect the site's current condition.
For the visitor
Location: 36.5550, 38.2617 · Open on the map
Photos
Photos: The original uploader was Hovalp at English Wikipedia. — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · Institut Français Du Proche-Orient (ifpo) — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY) · Mohannad Mamo — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
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