Raqqa, Feb. 1 (SANA) Jaabar Castle is located in Syria’s Jazira region on the left bank of the Euphrates River, in Raqqa province, about 15 kilometers from the Euphrates Dam and 50 kilometers from the city of Raqqa.
The castle stands on a fragile limestone plateau at an elevation of about 347 meters above sea level. Its structure is elongated, stretching roughly 320 meters from north to south and about 170 meters from east to west.
The site is surrounded by two massive walls, an inner and an outer one, separated by a narrow passageway. The fortifications are reinforced by more than 35 defensive towers of varying geometric shapes, including square, semi-octagonal and semi-circular towers.
Over the course of its history, the castle was known by several names, most notably “al-Dawsariyya” in the pre-Islamic period and “Jaabar” from the fifth century AH, or the 11th century AD.
The castle’s main gate is located on the western side and is built of brick, like much of the structure. It leads to a narrow passage opening onto a courtyard that ends at a large tower currently known as Burj Aliya. From there, a tunnel carved into the rock leads to the upper level of the castle. The tunnel, about 50 meters long, was once lined with brick, most of which has since disappeared.
At the center of the castle stands a congregational mosque, whose minaret remains visible at the highest point of the site. The complex also includes significant buildings in the southwestern corner, believed to have been residences of the castle’s owners and rulers.
Originally located about four kilometers from the Euphrates River, the castle became surrounded by water on all sides after the construction of the Euphrates Dam in 1974, giving it the appearance of a small island in the middle of the reservoir.
In 658 AH (1260 AD), the castle was destroyed by the Mongols as Hulagu crossed the Euphrates on his way to Aleppo. It was later restored during the reign of the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir ibn Qalawun in 735 AH (1334 AD).
