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Beaufort or Belfort Castle (''Shaqif Arnun'' or Arabic:قلعة الشقيف ''Qala'at al-Shaqif'' )〔Nicolle (2004), p. 57〕 is a Crusader fortress in Nabatieh Governorate, Southern Lebanon, about to the south-south-east of the village of Arnoun. There was a fortification on the site before it was captured by Fulk, King of Jerusalem, in 1139 and construction of the Crusader castle probably began soon after. Saladin captured Beaufort in 1190, but 60 years later Crusaders re-took it. In 1268 Sultan Baibars captured the castle. The castle was named "''bel fort''" or "''beau fort''" (French for "''beautiful fortress''") by the Crusaders who occupied the castle in the 12th century. Its Arabic name ''Qala'at al-Shaqif'' means ''Castle of the High Rock'' (''shqif'' is the Aramaic word for "''high rock''"). Beaufort provides one of the few cases where a medieval castle proved of military value and utility also in modern warfare, as its late 20th-century history shows. ==Medieval history== The outcrop Beaufort occupied overlooks the Litani River.〔Kennedy (1994), p. 41〕 The river flows past the east side of the castle, which stands atop a cliff which declines steeply to the river.〔Kennedy (1994), p. 43〕 Little is known of the site prior to its capture by Crusader forces in 1139, as no contemporary documents mention the site before then. However, historians assume that the castle's commanding hilltop site made it a strategic position that was fortified before its capture by the Crusaders.〔Grussenmeyer & Yasmine (2003), p. 2〕 Fulk, King of Jerusalem, captured the fortification of Qal'at al-Shaqif in 1139 and gave the site to the lords of Sidon. Medieval historian Hugh Kennedy speculates that construction of the Crusader castle began soon after Fulk gave the site to the lords of Sidon.〔 The Battle of Hattin in 1187 saw the Crusaders suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of Saladin. In the aftermath, many castles and cities fell to Saladin's forces so that only a handful of cities remained under the Crusaders' control. Beaufort was one of the last castles to resist Saladin.〔Tyerman (2006), p. 403〕 In April 1189, Saladin was preparing to besiege the castle and Arab sources describe the event in detail. At the time Beaufort was under the control of Reynald of Sidon who had survived the Battle of Hattin, While Saladin was camped at nearby Marjayoun, preparing for the siege, Reynald met him and claimed to have Muslim sympathies. He said that while he would like to hand over control of Beaufort, his family were in the Christian city of Tyre and he could not surrender until they were safely out of the city. In the hope of a taking the castle without any bloodshed, Reynald was given three months to extract his family from Tyre; instead he used this time to repair the castle and stock up on supplies.〔Kennedy (1994), pp. 43–44〕 After three months Reynald met with Saladin again, protesting he needed more time. Saladin insisted he hand over the castle immediately, so Reynald ordered the garrison to surrender. When they refused Reynald was taken prisoner and the siege began.〔 Hostilities lasted until August that year when Saladin was forced to lift the siege to defend Acre.〔Tyerman (2006), p. 405〕 In April 1190 an agreement was reached where the castle's garrison would hand over control to Saladin in return for Reynald's release.〔Kennedy (1994), pp. 43–44〕 The castle came under Crusader control in 1240 as part of a treaty negotiated by Theobald I of Navarre. It was sold to the Knights Templar by Reginald's grandson, Julian of Sidon, in 1260.〔Tyerman (2006), p. 767〕 In 1268, the Mamluke Sultan Baibars captured the castle, and there was relative calm through the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Beaufort Castle, Lebanon」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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