Harem, Syria

There is an important castle in Harem which has been built in a unique military style. The city lies along the route between Antioch and Aleppo, and has been around since the Byzantine era. The castle was originally Byzantine and was built by Nicephorus shortly after 959, it then fell to the Arabs and then to the Seljuk Turks.

In 1097 it was taken by the Crusaders, who kept it for the next forty years, except for a short time in 1098 when it was taken by the Muslim Arabs. After Nur al-Din's victory over Raymond of Poitiers at the Battle of Inab, the castle fell to Muslim forces in 1149.[2] It was taken back by the Crusaders under Baldwin III in 1158.[3] However, Nur al-Din besieged the castle once more in 1164. When the Crusaders attempted to relieve the siege, Nur al-Din defeated them decisively at the Battle of Harim, capturing many of the Christian leadership including Raymond III of Tripoli, Bohemond III of Antioch, Hugh VIII of Lusignan, and Joscelin III of Edessa.[4] After this, the castle remained in Muslim hands for the remainder of the Crusader period, though Count Philip I of Flanders unsuccessfully attempted to recapture it one last time during his pilgrimage to the east in 1177.[5]

When the Mongols invaded in the 13th century, much of Harem was destroyed including its castle. What is left of the castle dates back to the Muslim - Crusader battles between 1164 and 1268. The crusader castle was rebuilt by the son of Saladin, Malik Al Zaher Ghazi.[6] As part of the Syrian Civil War, Islmist rebels have taken complete control of the town.

Due to Harem's location being very close to Aleppo, the climate is very similar. Below is the climate table for Aleppo, because there is no climate data concerning Harem.