Qalaat al-Madiq (قلعة المضيق) is a large village located on the main road that travels the length of the eastern side of the al-Ghab plain north of al-Suqeilbiyeh (الصفيلبية). While most well-known for the neighboring site of Apamea (آفاميا), Qalaat al-Madiq (قلعة المضيق) itself has a few attractions of note. Foremost is the castle that overlooks the town, which was largely constructed from remains of the nearby Roman …
Known as “beehive houses”, these traditional homes are constructed from dirt, mud, straw and stone in a rounded conical shape. These attractive homes are a common sight in the arid countryside east of Hama (حماة). Built connected to each other around a central courtyard, they are designed to keep cool in the summer and warm in the winter. While modern concrete structures are rapidly replacing these traditional …
Qalaat al-Rasafeh (قلعة الرصافة) is a little known and seldom visited Ismaili castle located about seven kilometers into the mountains southwest of the town of Masyaf (مصياف). While largely in ruin, it is a picturesque site surrounded by forest and worth a stop if in the area. The castle was built in a semi-circular plan from local limestone and its current shape dates back to the …
