# Mseilha Fort

- **Country:** Lebanon
- **Coordinates:** 34.273799, 35.690084

Mseilha Fort is a historic fortification located in northern Lebanon, strategically positioned on the right bank of the Nahr al-Jaouz river near Hamat, approximately 2.5 kilometers northeast of Batroun. The fort's name derives from the Arabic term for "fortified place" and its location enabled it to oversee key passages through the valley and control ancient pathways around the nearby Ras ash-Shaq'a promontory, a significant coastal geological formation that historically challenged travelers.

The current fort structure dates to approximately 1624, likely commissioned by Emir Fakhr al-Din II during the Ottoman period. Built from limestone on a rocky formation, the fort features traditional sandstone masonry construction with two main sections, fortified walls up to two meters thick, a triangular courtyard, and defensive arrowslits adapted to the surrounding terrain. While the site may have been fortified during the Crusades, the existing structure lacks Crusader-era architectural elements and is distinct from the nearby Puy du Connétable, a medieval Crusader fortification that defended the adjacent promontory.

Today, the Mseilha Fort is governed by Lebanon's Directorate General of Antiquities and remains well preserved and open to the public. The fort holds cultural significance as a testament to Lebanese heritage and was notably featured on the 1964 25 Lebanese Lira banknote, reflecting its historical importance to the nation.

![Photo of Mseilha Fort](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/%D9%82%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A9%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A9.jpg)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mseilha_Fort (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)