Safita
| Safita | |
|---|---|
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Overview of Safita. | |
  Safita Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates: 34°49′N 36°07′E / 34.817°N 36.117°E | |
| Country |
 Syria |
| Governorate | Tartous Governorate |
| District | Safita District |
| Area code(s) | 43 |
Safita (Arabic: صا فيتا Ṣāfītā; Phoenician: ספתה, Safita) is a town in Tartous Governorate, northwestern Syria, located to the southeast of Tartous and to the northwest of Krak des Chevaliers. The city has a population of 33,000 almost equally split between Greek Orthodox Christians and Alawites. It is situated on the tops of three hills and the valleys between them, in the Syrian Coastal Mountain Range. Safita grew prominent during the Crusades, and was inhabited by the Knights Templar of the castle Chastel Blanc, while a part of the County of Tripoli.
History
The city has been inhabited since the times of the Phoenicians, and several archaeological discoveries have been made, including Phoenician and Canaanite settlements. In 1102, Raymond IV of Toulouse began to take the land of the Banu Ammars Emirs of Tripoli. A four-year siege of Tripoli resulted in full control of the city and many lands surrounding it, including Safita. Mamluk Sultan Baibars captured the castle in 1271.
Sister cities
References
- ↑ Supplementary Business Paper for Council Meeting 11/05. 13 December 2005. Marrickville City Council. Retrieved on 1 July 2007.
External links
Coordinates: 34°49′N 36°07′E / 34.817°N 36.117°E
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