Latakia, June 20 (SANA) Saladin’s Citadel, one of Syria’s most significant medieval fortresses, has been added to the heritage lists of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), a move that highlights the site’s historical and cultural importance.
Mohammad Mamdouh al-Hasan, head of the Latakia Department of Antiquities and Museums, told SANA on Saturday that the inclusion represents international recognition of the citadel’s architectural and cultural value and is expected to strengthen efforts to preserve the monument and promote it as a cultural tourism destination.
Known historically as Sahyun, the fortress is located about 30 kilometers east of Latakia on a mountain ridge rising 410 meters above sea level, a position that gave it strategic military significance for centuries.
Al-Hasan said the citadel’s architecture reflects successive historical periods, combining Byzantine defensive structures with Crusader fortifications and later Ayyubid and Mamluk additions.
One of the fortress’s most notable features is a massive rock-cut ditch, approximately 28 meters deep and more than 20 meters wide in places, carved to separate the stronghold from the surrounding plateau.
The citadel was captured by Saladin in 1188 and subsequently became known by his name. In recognition of its outstanding state of preservation and military architecture, UNESCO inscribed the site, together with the Crac des Chevaliers, on its World Heritage List in 2006.
Al-Hasan said the site had remained closed to visitors following the February 2023 earthquake and officially reopened in May.
During its first month after reopening, the citadel received around 1,470 visitors, he added, stressing the need for coordinated efforts by relevant authorities to restore essential services, including water and electricity, to support renewed tourism and cultural activities at the site.
M.Q.R
