Knights' Hall built by the Crusaders discovered in Western Syria

New archaeological finds were located at the sites of Amrit, Safita, and Marqab, in the Syrian Mediterranean province of Tartus, according to media in Damascus.

14th-century miniature from William of Tyre's Histoire d'Outremer of a battle during the Second Crusade,
National Library of France, Department of Manuscripts, French 22495 fol. 154V
[Credit: Combat Deuxieme Croisade]

In recent excavations, pottery and clay objects, an ancient grave and the exact location of the Knights' Hall, built by the Crusaders in the middle of the 12th century, were found, Marwan Hassan explained, head of the Archaeology Department in that province, 258 km northwest of the Syrian capital.

Hassan explained that the excavation it was found that the Talus “a diagonal wall” that was in fact part of an outer wall of the Knights' Hall and not part of the reinforcement wall of the gate.

The Tartous Archaeology Department managed to locate the Knights’ Hall that the
Crusaders built in the middle of the 13th century AD at Chastel Blanc's keep
[Credit: WikiCommons]

The expert indicated that these excavation works are extended to Al-Marqab Castle by a joint Syrian-Hungarian mission, where they found pottery sherds and other pieces by using the latest technological methods.

He also noted that, based on the importance of scientific research of the historical stages of the Syrian coasts, a Syrian-Russian team was formed to search for archaeological remains and sites in the waters off the city of Tartus and Arwad Island.

Those works, Hassan said, also include areas of Armit Beach, with modern surveying devices that will enable the advance of these studies this year.

Source: Prensa Latina [January 21, 2020]