Name
Type
Date
Condition
Image
Coordinates
Governorate
Notes
Citadel of Aleppo
Castle
12th–13th centuries
Partially restored
36°11′57″N 37°09′45″E / 36.19917°N 37.16250°E / 36.19917; 37.16250 (Citadel of Aleppo )
Aleppo
Covers an ancient tell with remains dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE.
Qal'at Najm
Hilltop castle
12th–13th centuries
Partially restored
36°33′18″N 38°15′42″E / 36.55500°N 38.26167°E / 36.55500; 38.26167 (Qal'at Najm )
Aleppo
Besieged in 1820 by Ottoman forces after a local warlord had sought refuge in the castle.[ 1]
Citadel of Damascus
Castle
11th–13th centuries
Partially restored
33°30′42″N 36°18′7″E / 33.51167°N 36.30194°E / 33.51167; 36.30194 (Citadel of Damascus )
Damascus
Part of the Ancient City of Damascus World Heritage Site .[ 2]
Citadel of Bosra
Castle
Partially restored
32°31′04″N 36°28′54″E / 32.51778°N 36.48167°E / 32.51778; 36.48167 (Citadel of Bosra )
Daraa
Built around a Roman theatre . Part of the Ancient City of Bosra World Heritage Site .[ 3]
Halabiye
Hilltop castle
6th century
Ruins
35°41′22″N 39°49′08″E / 35.68944°N 39.81889°E / 35.68944; 39.81889 (Halabiye )
Deir ez-Zor
Originally fortified by Queen Zenobia of Palmyra , refortified under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I and partially re-used after the Muslim conquest of Syria .[ 4]
Qal'at Rahbeh
Hilltop castle
Ruins
35°00′18″N 40°25′24″E / 35.00500°N 40.42333°E / 35.00500; 40.42333 (Qal'at Rahbeh )
Deir ez-Zor
Much of the current structure dates back to its construction by the Ayyubid lord, Shirkuh II , in 1207.
Qal'at Sukkara
Hilltop castle
Ruins
36°25′38″N 40°23′56″E / 36.42722°N 40.39889°E / 36.42722; 40.39889 (Qal'at Sukkara )
Al Hasakah
Located in the Jebel Abd al-Aziz .
Qalʿat Abū Qubais
Hilltop castle
Partially restored
35°14′05.9″N 36°19′50.8″E / 35.234972°N 36.330778°E / 35.234972; 36.330778 (Qalʿat Abū Qubais )
Hama
Citadel of Hama
Castle
Ruins
35°08′10″N 36°44′58″E / 35.13611°N 36.74944°E / 35.13611; 36.74944 (Citadel of Hama )
Hama
Excavated by a Danish expedition between 1931 and 1938.[ 5]
Qalaat al-Madiq
Hilltop castle
Residential area
35°25′12″N 36°23′33″E / 35.42000°N 36.39250°E / 35.42000; 36.39250 (Qal'at al-Madiq )
Hama
Qal'at al-Rahiyya
Castle
Ruins
35°16′45″N 37°6′30″E / 35.27917°N 37.10833°E / 35.27917; 37.10833 (Qal'at al-Rahiyya )
Hama
The castle dates back to the second millennium BC.[ 6]
Masyaf Castle
Spur castle
Partially restored
35°03′58″N 36°20′36″E / 35.06611°N 36.34333°E / 35.06611; 36.34333 (Masyaf Castle )
Hama
Shaizar
Spur castle
Partially restored
35°15′55″N 36°33′59″E / 35.26528°N 36.56639°E / 35.26528; 36.56639 (Shaizar )
Hama
Shmemis
Hilltop castle
Ruins
35°02′13″N 37°00′49″E / 35.03694°N 37.01361°E / 35.03694; 37.01361 (Shmemis )
Hama
Citadel of Homs
Castle
Ruins
34°43′25″N 36°42′52″E / 34.72361°N 36.71444°E / 34.72361; 36.71444 (Citadel of Homs )
Homs
Built on top of an ancient tell with remains dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE.[ 7]
Fakhr-al-Din al-Maani Castle
Hilltop castle
Partially restored
34°33′46″N 38°15′25″E / 34.56278°N 38.25694°E / 34.56278; 38.25694 (Fakhr-al-Din al-Maani Castle )
Homs
Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi
Desert castle
Ruins
34°22′28″N 37°36′21″E / 34.37444°N 37.60583°E / 34.37444; 37.60583 (Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi )
Homs
Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi
Desert castle
Ruins
35°4′26″N 39°4′16″E / 35.07389°N 39.07111°E / 35.07389; 39.07111 (Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi )
Homs
Krak des Chevaliers
Hilltop castle
Partially restored
34°45′25″N 36°17′4″E / 34.75694°N 36.28444°E / 34.75694; 36.28444 (Krak des Chevaliers )
Homs
Part of the Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din World Heritage Site .[ 8]
Harem Castle
Hilltop castle
Ruins
36°12′27″N 36°31′09″E / 36.20750°N 36.51917°E / 36.20750; 36.51917 (Harem Castle )
Idlib
Sarmada
Hilltop castle
Ruins
36°11′N 36°43′E / 36.183°N 36.717°E / 36.183; 36.717
Idlib
Bani Qahtan Castle
Hilltop castle
Ruins
35°23′44″N 36°09′15″E / 35.39556°N 36.15417°E / 35.39556; 36.15417 (Bani Qahtan Castle )
Latakia
Bourzey castle
Hilltop castle
Ruins
35°39′29″N 36°15′39″E / 35.65806°N 36.26083°E / 35.65806; 36.26083 (Bourzey Castle )
Latakia
Mahalibeh Castle
Hilltop castle
Partially restored
35°30′28″N 36°05′14″E / 35.50778°N 36.08722°E / 35.50778; 36.08722 (Mahalibeh Castle )
Latakia
Qal'at Salah ed-Din
Spur castle
Partially restored
35°35′45″N 36°03′26″E / 35.59583°N 36.05722°E / 35.59583; 36.05722 (Qal'at Salah ed-Din )
Latakia
Part of the Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din World Heritage Site .[ 8]
Nimrod Fortress
Hilltop castle
13th century
33°15′10″N 35°42′53″E / 33.25278°N 35.71472°E / 33.25278; 35.71472 (Nimrod Fortress )
Quneitra
Located in the Golan Heights
Castle of al-Al
Castle
Quneitra
Located in the Golan Heights
Qasr Bardawil
Hilltop castle
32°49′11.23″N 35°44′32.57″E / 32.8197861°N 35.7423806°E / 32.8197861; 35.7423806 (Nimrod Fortress )
Quneitra
Located in the Golan Heights
Citadel of Raqqa
Castle
13th century
Destroyed
35°56′4″N 39°00′5″E / 35.93444°N 39.00139°E / 35.93444; 39.00139 (Citadel of Raqqa )
Raqqa
The citadel was completely removed and built over in the 1950s.[ 9]
Qal'at Ja'bar
Hilltop castle
12th century
Partially restored
35°53′51″N 38°28′51″E / 35.89750°N 38.48083°E / 35.89750; 38.48083 (Qal'at Ja'bar )
Raqqa
Originally situated on a hilltop overlooking the Euphrates Valley but now turned into an island by the flooding of Lake Assad .[ 10]
Jabal Sais
Desert castle/fortification
7th century
Ruins
33°16′00″N 37°22′00″E / 33.266667°N 37.366667°E / 33.266667; 37.366667 (Jabal Sais )
Rif Dimashq
The fortification sits near an extinct volcano.[ 11]
Salkhad Castle
Hilltop castle
Ruins
32°29′38″N 36°42′36″E / 32.49389°N 36.71000°E / 32.49389; 36.71000 (Salkhad Castle )
Suwayda
Chastel Blanc
Hilltop castle
Partially restored
34°49′14″N 36°07′01″E / 34.82056°N 36.11694°E / 34.82056; 36.11694 (Chastel Blanc )
Tartus
Chastel Rouge
Spur castle
Partially restored
34°48′44″N 35°58′14″E / 34.81222°N 35.97056°E / 34.81222; 35.97056 (Chastel Rouge )
Tartus
Al-Kahf Castle
Spur castle
12th century
Ruins
35°02′27″N 36°04′58″E / 35.04083°N 36.08278°E / 35.04083; 36.08278 (Al-Kahf Castle )
Tartus
In 1192, Rashid ad-Din Sinan , also known as the Old Man of the Mountain, died in Al-Kahf Castle, which was an Ismaili stronghold during the 12th century.[ 12]
Qala'at Khawabi
Spur castle
Residential area
34°58′22″N 36°00′06″E / 34.97278°N 36.00167°E / 34.97278; 36.00167 (Qala'at Khawabi )
Tartus
Burj al-Sabi
Spur castle
12th century
Ruins
35°9′14″N 35°55′38″E / 35.15389°N 35.92722°E / 35.15389; 35.92722 (Burj al-Sabi )
Tartus
Castle of Knights Hospitallers
Areimeh Castle
Spur castle
12th century
Ruins
34°44′40″N 36°02′33″E / 34.74444°N 36.04250°E / 34.74444; 36.04250 (Areimeh )
Tartus
Castle of Knights Templar
Margat
Spur castle
11th–12th centuries
Partially restored
35°09′08″N 35°57′0″E / 35.15222°N 35.95000°E / 35.15222; 35.95000 (Margat )
Tartus
Headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller in Syria.
Maraclea
Hilltop castle
11th century
Ruins
35°4′4″N 35°53′26″E / 35.06778°N 35.89056°E / 35.06778; 35.89056 (Maraclea )
Tartus
Castle of Knights Hospitaller
Al-Qadmus Castle
Hilltop castle
11th–12th centuries
Ruins
35°6′5″N 36°9′40″E / 35.10139°N 36.16111°E / 35.10139; 36.16111 (Al-Qadmus Castle )
Tartus
Crusader Castle
al-Sheikh Deeb Castle
Hilltop castle
Ruins
34°56′52″N 36°15′30″E / 34.94778°N 36.25833°E / 34.94778; 36.25833 (al-Sheikh Deeb Castle )
Tartus
Citadel of Tartus
Castle
Residential area
34°53′36″N 35°52′35″E / 34.89333°N 35.87639°E / 34.89333; 35.87639 (Citadel of Tartus )
Tartus