THE TOWER OF SAFITA

The tower of Safita at the top of three hills
makes the heart feel awe and peace
whenever it raises its head higher
the cloud bends in order to kiss its forehead.

   The words above were said in an interview about the Tower of Safita or White Tower (Chastel Blanc) which continues to stand as always at the highest top of the hills of Safita, defying proudly the time, boasting about its great history and its past glory. It took its name from its white stones that measure 2x1x1 metres. Its height is 30 metres, its width is 50 metres, its length is 70 metres and it is constituted of two floors. In the first floor there is an orthodox church and the thickness of its wall is roughly 5 metres. This floor was built with stone blocks the thickness of which increases as long as the height of the wall increases. The walls converge at an arch 15 metres high. This kind of structure of the floor strengthens the building despite the increased weight and the great pressure on its base. Thus there is no need for any columns although the floor has such a great extent (capacity of about 2000 individuals).
   Its flooring is covered with big stone plates. There are small windows which have outside width 20 cm, but their width inside is 1,5 metres.These windows were used by the archers and the defenders of the tower to stop the attacks. There is a unique iron entrance gate manufactured from many stromas which are connected with long nails. From inside it is secured with long iron latches the diameter of which is10 cm and the length is 2 metres. There is a lock outside. Above the gate there are openings used to cast caustic liquid upon the enemies in case they had invaded into the castle after they destroyed the gate. When the crusaders occupied the tower they engraved a cross, that exists up to our days, in the intermediate stone of the arch above the gate. They also renamed it to ''The Tower of the knights of the temple'' before it takes its last name ''The White Tower''.
   One can go up to the second floor using stairs which are integrated into the wall. These stairs have been partially destroyed. As the sunlight enters through the windows with the narrow exterior and the wide interior opening, it appears as sun beams. The flooring of the second floor is earthen and the ceiling is robustly supported by multi faced columns. These columns are 150 cm in diametre and have wide capitals in their upper part. The windows of the second floor have the same shape with those in the first floor. Its walls are narrower than the walls of the first floor. A big bell is hung on the eastern side wall in a big gap and its sound reaches the surrounding villages up to 5 kilometres from Safita. Stairs are found on this floor, that lead to the terrace. The impressive view from the terrace charms the visitors, who are able to see the ever covered with snow mountains of Lebanon, as well as Tripoli, the second capital of Lebanon; Tripoli is almost 60 kilometres away from Safita. One also takes a look at the valley of Akar, which extends from the Mina area of Tripoli up to the city of Tal-kalah in the prefecture of Emesa (Hems). Westwards the Mediterranean Sea is visible, northern the city of Drekis and the mountains of Kadmus, eastwards the castle of Hosn and the town of Mashta. Mashta is a modern tourist centre with excellent view, abundant water sources and well structured hotels, restaurants and coffee shops, which can satisfy the most demanding visitor.
    Nearby Mashta, in the area of Kafroun there are cafeterias and restaurants. The mountain of Virgin Mary is also there and is visited by thousands of people on Virgin Mary's name day. The mountain forms an enormous pyramid with many villages scattered around it in a fertile valley with abundant water. This place is a paradise on earth. North-easterly, the church of prophet Mata and the castle of Suleyman are visible.
    During the French colonialism, efforts to restore the tower of Safita were made using big instruments that were set up around it and which caused great impression to the lay residents of Safita. There are two big walls surrounding the tower. The first wall lies in a distance of 100 to 150 metres away from the tower. A part from its eastern side still remains. It is called the gate of the palace; an awesome gate that people use to go to the Church. This gate is an arch 7 metres high in an enormous wall the height of which is 23 metres. Near this gate there are two inverted statues. It is alleged that an emperor got angry with his two wives, as he believed they had deceived him, so he gave command to sculpture their inverted statues. A lot of houses around the tower were built using the stones of the first wall of the tower.
   There are many houses nearby the first wall until our days. The second wall lies 1000 metres away from the first wall, however only a minimal section remained. A part of it was the tower of “Alzet” which was found easterly of the White Tower but it was destroyed by the Municipality of Safita. They unfortunately did not maintain it. In its place a commercial centre was built.
    The first report about Safita, as a centre of defence of the Phoenician coast of Syria, goes back to the Phoenician era. It is also referred in historical texts such as in the season of Sultan of the state of Ewbeans (Musa al Ashraf 1228-1237 A.C), who made treaty with the emperor of Sicily Frederick the second. The Sultan yielded the town of Beirut, Safad and the lake of Tiberius to the emperor. The small state of Sultan was left with Tripoli, the castle of Hosn, Safita, Markeb, Tartous and Antioch. Safita is also reported in the raids of Ibrahim Pasha, son of Mohamed Ali. In the year 1832 Barbar Aga, governor of Tripoli asked Taher Mahfoud, the governor of Safita to organize an army for the deterrence of Ibrahim Pasha’s raid. That undertaking however was unsuccessful.