Baniyas and Margat Castle… A Tale of Sea and Stone

When a traveler reaches Baniyas, it becomes difficult to decide where to look first: toward the sea stretching ahead, the green hills rising behind, or that dark fortress standing atop the mountain for long centuries, as though watching over the entire Syrian coast.

Baniyas has been known for its distinctive location since ancient times. Along this coast passed the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Arabs, followed by many civilizations that saw this place as a natural gateway between the sea and Syria’s interior. Thanks to its position on the coastal route between north and south, Baniyas became a station for merchants, travelers, and fishermen — and one of the cities whose life has been tied to the sea for thousands of years.

Yet the most enduring image in the region’s memory remains Margat Castle.

Upon a volcanic hill rising more than 350 meters above sea level, the castle has stood proudly for nearly a thousand years. Its origins are believed to date back to the Byzantine period, before it expanded and became one of the greatest castles of the Eastern Mediterranean during the Middle Ages. The builders chose this location with exceptional care, for from its walls one could observe the coastline, the mountains, and the surrounding trade routes across long distances.

During the twelfth century, the castle became one of the most important strongholds of the Knights Hospitaller, who transformed it into a complete military city containing towers, cisterns, churches, and massive fortifications. In 1285, the Mamluk Sultan al-Mansur Qalawun managed to recapture it after a famous siege, after which the castle entered a new chapter in its long history.

What distinguishes Margat Castle from many other castles in the region is its dark color, produced by the volcanic basalt stones from which it was built. From afar, the castle appears almost like part of the mountain itself, rather than a structure built upon it.

The images shown here date back to 1910, offering us a rare opportunity to see Baniyas and Margat Castle as they appeared more than a century ago. In those years, the coastal city was far smaller than it is today, while the castle still dominated the natural landscape of the region, just as it had done for many long centuries before.

When we look at these images now, we do not merely see stones and walls; we see entire generations who lived under the shadow of this castle, fishermen who sailed from the shores of Baniyas, and travelers who passed through this place carrying stories that have disappeared, leaving only their traces behind.

In Baniyas, the sea meets history.

And in Margat Castle, stone stands as a witness to centuries of transformations along the Syrian coast.

*The attached images document scenes from Baniyas and Margat Castle in 1910 AD.*