Qal'at Ja'bar
| Qal'at Ja'bar | |
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| قلعة جعبر Caber Kalesi Qal'at Dawsar (ancient name) |
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| Raqqa Governorate, Syria | |
Qal'at Ja'bar from the north, surrounded by the waters of Lake Assad
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One of the bastions of Qal'at Ja'bar
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 Qal'at Ja'bar
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| Coordinates | 35°53′51″N 38°28′51″E / 35.8975°N 38.480833°E |
| Type | Castle |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Partially restored ruin |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1168 |
| Built by | Nur ad-Din Zangi |
| Materials | Stone and brick |
Qal'at Ja'bar (Arabic: قلعة جعبر, Turkish: Caber Kalesi) is a castle on the left bank of Lake Assad in Raqqa Governorate, Syria. Its site, formerly a prominent hill-top overlooking the Euphrates Valley, is now an island in Lake Assad that can only be reached by an artificial causeway. Although the hilltop on which the castle sits was possibly already fortified in the 7th century, the current structures are primarily the work of Nur ad-Din Zangi, who rebuilt the castle from 1168 onwards. Since 1965, several excavations have been carried out in and around the castle, as well as restoration works of the walls and towers. The castle was a Turkish exclave between 1921 and 1973.
It is not exactly known when the hilltop of Qal'at Ja'bar was first fortified. The site was already known as "Dawsar" in pre-Islamic times and was located along a route connecting Raqqa with the west.
The castle may have been built by the Banu Numayr tribe in the 11th century. Historical sources mention that the castle was given by Malik Shah I to descendants of the Uqaylid dynasty in 1086. They held the castle almost continuously until the late 12th century, except for a brief occupation by Crusaders in 1102. In 1146, Zengi besieged the castle, but he was murdered there by one of his own slaves. In 1168, Qal'at Ja'bar passed into the hands of Zengi's son Nur ad-Din, who undertook major construction works at the castle. Most of what can be seen today dates to this period. The castle was heavily damaged during the Mongol invasions of Syria. Restoration works were carried out in the 14th century.
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Wikipedia