Qalaat Ja’bar, or Jabbar Castle, is one of the most important medieval castles in Syria, particularly in the north. This sprawling anti-Crusader fortress of the eleventh century dominates an escarpment overlooking the east or left bank of the Euphrates River in Raqqa Province, 17 km northwest of the city of Al-Thawra. The castle is 55 km from Raqqa city and 45 km east of the City of Meskana, at an elevation of 347 km above sea level. Today the site lies on the edge of the impound lake behind the Tabqa hydroelectric dam, which was completed in the 1970s.
General description of Ja’bar Castle: The castle is 320 m × 170 m and is enclosed by two huge walls surrounding the castle’s facilities. In the center of the castle a mosque was built, and its minaret is still majestic after it was restored. The castle is located at the following coordinates: 35°53‘48.80”N38°28‘52.09”E The castle, which looks like an island in the middle of Lake Assad, is connected to the mainland by a small road.
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