Notes on the architecture and history of the fortifications of the island of Arwad in Syria

Abstract

Arwad is the only inhabited island off the Syrian coast, with a long history dating back to Phoenician times (c. 2000 BC). It is a pedestrian-only island with a medieval character and interesting military architecture, and includes not one, but two very well-preserved citadels and the remains of a maritime wall, a rare combination in medieval military architecture. Despite its unique medieval layout, few studies have been published on Arwad’s fortifications and its interesting urban configuration. The densely packed houses opening onto a web of alleys encircling the forts, with sea waves pounding the shores, only add to the mystery and magic of the place. This paper aims to discuss some of the most interesting features of Arwad’s extant fortifications, provide an analysis of some of their architectural details, and suggest a preliminary date. The paper is divided into four sections and a conclusion, including an introduction to the history of Arwad; a description of its extant fortifications; and an analysis of its most significant architectural details. Finally, a date for the fortifications will be suggested based on the historical and stylistic analyses presented in previous sections.

Keywords:

• Arwad
• Syria
• fortifications
• Islamic military architecture
• Ottoman military architecture
• Crusader military architecture
• citadels
• forts

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr Caroline Middleton for her support and patience, and Professor Andrew Peterson for his helpful comments, feedback and help with the translation of Celibi’s text.

Notes

1 Comte de Volney, Constantin-Francois Chasseboeuf (1757–1820 AD), a French politician, philosopher, educator, traveller and writer. He travelled to Egypt and Syria, Corsica, the United States and published several books on his travels (Encyclopaedia Britannica/Volney, Constantin Francois Chasseboeuf 1911).

2 Luigi Mayer, Italian artist, (1750–1803 AD). Commissioned by Sir Robert Ainslie (1730–1812 AD), first British ambassador to Turkey (1776–1792 AD) to paint the ancient monuments in Greece, Turkey and Egypt, which he did during a trip between 1776–1794 AD (Mayer 1819; Spânu 2012, vol. II: 321–32).

3 William Allen (1793–1864), naval officer, explorer, writer, musician and landscape painter. He published several papers and books on Niger, India, West Indies, Syria and Palestine (Stephen 1885: 322).

4 A marble plaque commemorating the names of some of those prisoners is hung inside the citadel. The plaque differentiates between ‘mujahidin’ prisoners (25 names), and ‘hundreds of patriots of leaders and ordinary people from the cities and countryside from the Syrian people who stood against the French occupier’ giving only 11 names.

5 There are many types of machicolations, for example, hidden, boxed, open. See, Abdelhamid (2011: 905–59).