Citadel Saint Gilles (Qal'at Sinjil)
Citadel Saint Gilles (Qal'at Sinjil)
Citadel Saint Gilles (Qal'at Sinjil)
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Halcatra
Edinburgh, UK474 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We started our visit in Tripoli here, early in the morning. It was amazing! The fortress is almost intact, it is a pleasure walking through different part of it. The citadel dominates over the city as it was built at the hill. The views are stunningly. You can see how dense the population of the city is, there is a building by building. I definitely recommend visiting the fortress.
Written 19 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roula
Lebanon511 contributions
Dec 2022
Qala'at Tarablus (Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Giles) towers over Tripoli and the river. You can see the Fruit/veggies market underneath as well as all the close houses.
The Crusader Castle was originally built in 1103, burnt down in 1297, rebuilt in 1307 by the Ottomans.
You enter thru an engraved Ottoman gateway, then a Crusader's bridge. It is fairly intact, and quite large with a museum inside.
Part of the castle is occupied by the army and you see tanks parked by the entrance.
If in Tripoli it's a must see
The Crusader Castle was originally built in 1103, burnt down in 1297, rebuilt in 1307 by the Ottomans.
You enter thru an engraved Ottoman gateway, then a Crusader's bridge. It is fairly intact, and quite large with a museum inside.
Part of the castle is occupied by the army and you see tanks parked by the entrance.
If in Tripoli it's a must see
Written 27 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
buckpalace a
London, UK116 contributions
Feb 2013 • Family
Many people will tell you to leave Tripoli and not visit. Its very north and it has a troubled past and things are not yet resolved. I refuse to see things this way and decided I had to go to the largest city in Lebanon.
We went in Feb 2013 - and ... like most of lebanon i quickly realised was immune to tourists from Europe/America. We stood out in Tripoli even more as its really a 'real' city and its souk isnt tailored or built for tourism. You visit a city and a country where everything is really real and if you are a tourist you find your way and hope to find a place to eat.
To enter the citadel - we walked up the steep stairs from the souk. Nice work out.
The Citadel then is the highlight of Tripolo. You can read up on its history but it serves as a great reminder of what the value of Tripoli was to the Crusaders and Mamluks. I expected a bigger castle but this one is huge once you enter its compound. Walk around plenty and look for hidden places but be careful as pathways have been created which dont really tick the health and safety boxes. Obv not an issue if you're an adult but for those with children be careful.
There is tons of history inside and we didnt have the opportunity to get a tour guide so we read the plaques every time we saw it. Go to the roof where you can get great panaromas of the city. Beautiful.
We went in Feb 2013 - and ... like most of lebanon i quickly realised was immune to tourists from Europe/America. We stood out in Tripoli even more as its really a 'real' city and its souk isnt tailored or built for tourism. You visit a city and a country where everything is really real and if you are a tourist you find your way and hope to find a place to eat.
To enter the citadel - we walked up the steep stairs from the souk. Nice work out.
The Citadel then is the highlight of Tripolo. You can read up on its history but it serves as a great reminder of what the value of Tripoli was to the Crusaders and Mamluks. I expected a bigger castle but this one is huge once you enter its compound. Walk around plenty and look for hidden places but be careful as pathways have been created which dont really tick the health and safety boxes. Obv not an issue if you're an adult but for those with children be careful.
There is tons of history inside and we didnt have the opportunity to get a tour guide so we read the plaques every time we saw it. Go to the roof where you can get great panaromas of the city. Beautiful.
Written 26 February 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mmatley
Melbourne, Australia123 contributions
Jan 2014 • Couples
We loved this citadel because it is so grand and so prominent but yet life went on around it as if it weren't even there. It's just become part of the landscape, no queues of tourists lining up outside, no especially designed cafes or souvenir shops, no sign whatsoever that this castle was hundreds of years old. Perhaps that's not a good thing, since the government could obviously capitalise on the status on this landmark but it is obviously too busy trying to hold the country together (to the extent that there are no tour guides?), but for us it was an enjoyable experience because it was real and didn't feel like just another tourist attraction that we ticked off the list. Worth mentioning though, not the best place to bring kids or anyone with limited mobility. The old souks are within walking distance down the hill, and people are generally very helpful and approachable.
Written 9 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
emil k
Monterey Peninsula, California36 contributions
May 2018 • Solo
I have approached castle through narrow old street which was full of scafolding for renovation which is good start of visit when renovation is finished. Castle itself is nicely preseved and free to enter but without guide you are rely on history information signs which are good but nothing can beat guide with knowledge. The view on city is beautiful and the idea of using the castle by different religions is interesting lesson of world history on inpermanence of things. What amaze me, is how it is all build and little courtyards, rooms without day light. Nice to see and then close to real bazar just under the castle.
Written 12 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul K
Boston, Massachusetts, United States11 contributions
May 2016 • Solo
Best to visit the citadel first as the rooftop veiwing platform helps you orient yourself to the souk area and key monuments. It includes a panoramic photo of city beneath you to help guide you.
Souk is amazing place. It's not a Disney version of a souk somewhat like Byblos, but rather authentic and populated principally by locals doing their necessities shopping.
Beach use of the large proportion of remaining and intact Ottoman era buildings, Tripoli is a great sightseeing destination in Lebanon.
As of this writing travel there is as safe as just about anywhere else in Lebanon.
Souk is amazing place. It's not a Disney version of a souk somewhat like Byblos, but rather authentic and populated principally by locals doing their necessities shopping.
Beach use of the large proportion of remaining and intact Ottoman era buildings, Tripoli is a great sightseeing destination in Lebanon.
As of this writing travel there is as safe as just about anywhere else in Lebanon.
Written 19 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cora_v
Kyiv26,146 contributions
May 2013 • Solo
Impressive St. Gilles’ is by no means worthy seeing, once you have ventured into Tripoli in these unstable times.
Get ready that nearly no one in the city knows where this monumental XII-XIII century crusader citadel is, or cares to be too helpful with finding it (which is no wonder, considering the history of this fort). So make a preliminary research and locate it yourself on the map.
I was there the day after violent street fights, when the security level was elevated. However, although the military men wouldn’t let my driver park in front of the fortress, I was allowed inside no problem. The box office was open, and I was the only visitor to fully enjoy this remarkable grandeur. But there were no tour guides available, and I was happy to have read a lot about the fortress before I came here. There is some information inside the fort, too.
It is still used as a military post, so I was asked to stay away from a small part of it, where some sort of a military equipment warehouse was arranged. Other than that, and the request to be careful with photo-shooting from the walls and not capturing military men, there were no restrictions in getting around and exploring the fortress.
I climbed the walls freely, went down to the vaults, browsed the labyrinths of half-ruined rooms, corridors and towers, explored the sarcophagus exhibited outdoors and the nearly gone signs on the walls that required a sharp eye to detect… The presence of military men and equipment only strengthened the sense of historic events happening here through the centuries and up till now...
The fortress reigns above the city and offers fantastic panorama of Tripoli from its walls. One of the best views is over the east part of the city across the river, with the magnificent cascade of old houses, and the road copying the twist of the Abou Ali River.
Get ready that nearly no one in the city knows where this monumental XII-XIII century crusader citadel is, or cares to be too helpful with finding it (which is no wonder, considering the history of this fort). So make a preliminary research and locate it yourself on the map.
I was there the day after violent street fights, when the security level was elevated. However, although the military men wouldn’t let my driver park in front of the fortress, I was allowed inside no problem. The box office was open, and I was the only visitor to fully enjoy this remarkable grandeur. But there were no tour guides available, and I was happy to have read a lot about the fortress before I came here. There is some information inside the fort, too.
It is still used as a military post, so I was asked to stay away from a small part of it, where some sort of a military equipment warehouse was arranged. Other than that, and the request to be careful with photo-shooting from the walls and not capturing military men, there were no restrictions in getting around and exploring the fortress.
I climbed the walls freely, went down to the vaults, browsed the labyrinths of half-ruined rooms, corridors and towers, explored the sarcophagus exhibited outdoors and the nearly gone signs on the walls that required a sharp eye to detect… The presence of military men and equipment only strengthened the sense of historic events happening here through the centuries and up till now...
The fortress reigns above the city and offers fantastic panorama of Tripoli from its walls. One of the best views is over the east part of the city across the river, with the magnificent cascade of old houses, and the road copying the twist of the Abou Ali River.
Written 21 November 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tourism-mondulkiri
Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia28 contributions
Jan 2019 • Solo
Best view, historical castle. Was aiming at protecting the city a thousand year ago. It s a must in Tripoli . The walk from the bazar is iconic . You find local streets very peaceful.
Written 6 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Flippr
Berlin, Germany96 contributions
Apr 2018 • Friends
Great place to feel the history of past 900 years in one built structure. The view over Tripolis is worth the journey up by itself.
Written 28 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marek M
Czestochowa, Poland172 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
Of course, it is worth to see. Place full of history, really impressive as a one of the gratest castles in Levant. Nice perspective for not specially nice town. Few tanks in front of the main gate. You can walk in the castle's basements, look at medieval walls... Generally,
I think the castle is worth to be a living place, but nobady has no idea how to revitalize this impressive building.
I think the castle is worth to be a living place, but nobady has no idea how to revitalize this impressive building.
Written 18 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi we would like to see all the attraction in Triopli in one day if it's possible for 2 person how much pls
Thank you
Written 28 December 2018
Yes, it's possible to see the citadel and the internal old Mamlouk and Ottoman souks (Markets) and Khans (old hotels), plus few ancient churches and mosques, but you won't be able to visit the islands in the sea, due to time shortage. It's recommended to visit during late spring or summer to benefit from the long day hours.
Written 28 December 2018
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