Mahalibeh Castle
Syrian Castle
Mahalibeh Castle (Arabic: قلعة المهالبة), formerly known as Balatanos or Balatunus (name derived from the Latin Platanus), is located on a high mountain summit near Lattakia, 40 km inland of the Syrian coast. The Mahalibeh Castle is also an inhabited place, administratively part of the Jawbat Burghal subdistrict of the Qardaha District of Latakia Governorate. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, it had a population of 772 in the 2004 census.
History
The castle was built in the 11th century by the princely Banu'l-Ahmar family. In 1031, the tribe surrendered it to Niketas of Mistheia of the Byzantine Empire. In 1118, it was occupied by the Crusaders, led by Roger of Salerno. The castle suffered many clashes and damages, and finally surrendered to Saladin in 1188, namely to his son al-Zahir Ghazi, in 1194. In 1269, it was restored by the Mamluk sultan Baybars. In 1280, it was under the control of the Mamluk rebel emir Sunqur al-Ashqar, before being retaken by Sultan Qalawun in 1285. In 1408, a strong earthquake considerably damaged the castle, and it was abandoned.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Mahalibeh Castle” is syrian Castle. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Mahalibeh, Castle and Syrian, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “syrian Castle” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 10, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q6832851. Authority coordinates are 35.508, 36.087. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2004, 1031, 1118 and 1188.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
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- Expand the search: follow Mahalibeh Castle primary sources, Mahalibeh Castle archive and Mahalibeh research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Mahalibeh Castle” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.