Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles
Climb the impressive Crusader citadel built by Raymond de Saint-Gilles in 1103 that dominates the skyline of Tripoli, offering panoramic views over the city, the port of Al-Mina, and the Mediterranean beyond.
- 1
Citadel Gate
Enter the citadel through the massive medieval gate, the fortress built by the Crusader Count Raymond IV of Toulouse in 1103 and later rebuilt by the Mamluks, the layers of different medieval builders visible in the stonework.
- 2
Main Tower
Climb the main tower of the citadel for the finest panoramic view in Tripoli, the old city spreading below with its minarets and church towers, the port of Al-Mina visible on its peninsula, and the Mediterranean horizon beyond.
- 3
Crusader Construction
Examine the original Crusader construction in the lower levels of the citadel where the distinctive dressed stone of 12th century Frankish builders is visible beneath later Mamluk additions, the fortress a palimpsest of medieval military architecture.
- 4
Mamluk Towers
See the Mamluk tower additions built after Saladin's conquest, the Egyptian Mamluk sultans maintaining and expanding the fortress they took from the Crusaders in 1289 as a symbol of Islamic military power.
- 5
City Panorama
Scan the panorama of Tripoli from the citadel walls, identifying the 14 mosques and 4 churches of the old city, the soap khan, the gold souks, and the urban fabric of what was once the Crusader Kingdom's second city.
- 6
Sunset View
Watch the sunset from the citadel ramparts as the Mediterranean turns gold and the call to prayer rises from the minarets below, the view from this ancient fortress unchanged in its essential geography for 900 years.