NOUR ALHUSSAINI
Historical Overview
In 1076 AD the Seljuk prince Atsz bin Ook started to build the citadel and the prince Tatich Bin Alp Arslan continued the building in 1095 AD.
Later some Zzengid princes had made some amendments and added new structures to the castle, during this period the city and the castle were besieged several times by Crusader and Islamic armies.
In 1174 AD the castle fell into the hands of Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt, he made it his residence, restored it and added some structure.
Thereafter, the history of the Ayyubid castle with King Abu Baker Aladel (Saladin’s brother) in 1202AD had started when he built a new castle which replaced the Seljuk castle. He did not destroy the first one but built new fortifications advanced from the old line of defense.
It is uncertain whether there was a building that was built in the castle site before the eleventh century AD, Gota is the biggest region in Damascus, it has been occupied from 9000 years BC, but there is no evidence of settlement construction within the region which is today surrounded by city walls before the first millennium BC. As it is uncertain the existence of Damascus Citadel during the Hellenistic period, while during the Roman period, Damascus has certainly been a fortified city, but there is no proof that there was a roman castle in the location of Damascus citadel and are subject to scientific debate. However, a lot of researches and excavations still needed.
Suljuk Castle
Roman Castle Immaginary
The castle remained in the hands of the Ayyubid until the advent of the Commander in Chief of the armies of Mughal Katbugha, who dominated on Damascus in 1260.
The Mamluks came to Damascus and ended the Mughal domination. the era of Mamluk remained in Damascus for brief periods between 1300 AD and 1401 AD, and the castle has been dominated by the Mamluks until the year 1516 AD, and in the same year, Syria has fallen into the hands of the Ottoman Empire.
In Mamluk period, restoration work in various parts of the castle after the attack of Hulagu in 1260 ADwere done and also after the disaster of Tamerlanek in 1400 AD.
In the Ottoman era, the role of the defensive fortress to defend the city had declined, and from the 17th century the castle became as a barracks for infantry units of the Ottoman Janissaries.
The castle began falling into disrepair in the 19th century, the last military use was in 1925, when French troops bombed the castle, in response to the Great Syrian revolution against the French Mandate for Syria.
The citadel continued to serve as a barracks and a prison until 1986 when excavations and restorations had begun.
The Citadel Square during the French Mandate
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However, Damascus Citadel is an architectural masterpiece, its area is estimated today at about 33,176 square meters. It contains three gates, rectangular in shape, irregular sides which are not straight, it has 12 towers, each tower consists multi-storey, each containing a wide lobby floor, pinned huge stones shaped and unusual, and each floor is equipped with four to five salient balconies, the top of the towers were decorated with friezes and the gates of muqarnas.
The thickness of the walls is three times thicker than other castles to be more resistant to the catapult.
Inside the citadel, there were palaces, houses and shops also the Mosque of Abu Darda, Dar Radwan, Tarmh, and Dar almasrra, stores, and grain windmills.
However, when Damascus Citadel was built the wall of Damascus was partly destroyed so they used its Roman stones to build the citadel. The citadel was merged with the walls of the city of Damascus.
A picture of the Citadel in 1880
