|
 
(650m - 112 km from Beirut)
Not many people know about the Crusader castle in the southern village of
Tibnine, but it's well worth the long trip to get there. The castle's commanding position on a hilltop in the center of the town gives it its name "Poron", an old French word meaning "high
place".
From here there are views in every direction, with an especially beautiful panorama taking in the coast and mountains of South Lebanon,
Crusader Prince Hugh de Saint Omer, Governor of Tiberias, built the castle in 1105 to
defend the area while he got ready for the siege of Tyre. In 1187 the castle fell to Salaheddin after the battle of Hittin, but the Franks won
it back in 1229. Finally it was conquered by the Mamluke Sultan al Zahir Baybars in 1266 and thereafter remained in Arab hands.
In the centuries that followed, the Mamlukes and later the Ottomans, used the citadel for their own purposes and its structure was changed many times depending on who was in control. The Governor of Acre, Zaher al-Omar, for example, fortified and restored the castle, but his successor, Ahmad al-Jazzar, did his best to destroy it.
Although the Tibnine castle has been altered a good deal, it retains the feeling of a real fortress, with its massive walls and panoramic
views. The building occupies 2,000 m2 and still preserves its main features:
-
a fortification wall with square or semi-circular towers,
-
the main entrance and
-
the arches of a tower, and
-
the remains of a bigger tower to the east.
The big tower consists of three rooms with standing pillars and acid ceilings, while the remains of other towers are scattered around the site.
|
