Was Beirut Castle truly flattened? Today, we stand where a major Crusader castle once dominated downtown Beirut. This is a story of sieges, rebuilds, and ultimate demolition.
Beirut Castle’s story began in the 12th century. The Crusaders built it. This was after their initial conquest of Beirut in 1110. William of Tyre mentioned Beirut’s city walls back then.
In 1183, Saladin tried to seize Beirut but failed. Afterward, a castle began to take shape between 1183 and 1185. Raymond III of Tripoli probably led this construction. By 1187, Saladin returned and successfully captured Beirut. Chroniclers well-documented the city castle at this time. The Crusaders retook the city in 1197. In 1198, it fell under John of Ibelin’s rule. Wilbrand of Oldenburg described the castle in 1212. John had refurbished it.
The Mamluk troops captured Beirut from the Crusaders in 1291. They partly demolished the fortifications. But Sultan Barquq built a new tower on the site in the late 14th century. In the 1770s, Jazzar Pasha destroyed part of the castle. He then rebuilt the tower. In 1840, during the Egyptian-Ottoman War, a British fleet bombed and damaged the castle. Maps from that period show the old castle as the “land castle”. A tower on an islet was known as the “sea castle.”
Economic expansion marked the late 19th century. Trade liberalization and silk exports drove this. In 1887, the Municipality of Beirut got permission from the Ottoman Empire. They wanted to enlarge and modernize the Port of Beirut. From 1889 to 1895, all castle structures and promontories were flattened. This made way for a road and railway. These served the new port facilities. This area is now Charles Helou Avenue. The area at the foot of the castle became a market. This market traded grains, sugar, rice, coffee, and tea. It was known as Souk Mal-al-Qabban.
Excavations in 1995 revealed Beirut Castle’s basement remains. These excavations occurred during development in Beirut Central District. The castle stood on a promontory by the sea. It was north of the ancient Tell of Beirut. It was west of the intersection of Charles Helou Avenue and Al-Shuhada Street. A separate fortification stood on an islet. This was Burj al-Musallah. It was near the intersection of Helou Avenue and Foch Street. During the Crusader period, a wide moat protected the castle. The moat separated the southwestern tower from the lower city.
So, while Beirut Castle is mostly gone, its story remains. It is a story etched in the city’s very foundations. It reminds us of Beirut’s tumultuous past.