Hosn (castle) of Suleiman

To view the massive carved rocks of up to 5 metres in length that surrounded the site at the old Phoenician temple of Baal was a wonderful experience. The castle of Suleiman was once the centre of a cult similar to the worship of Baal at Ugarit and the presence of astronomical and astrological symbols indicated an interest in the stars and the sun. It was originally built by the Persians in the first century AD and in later years was converted to a temple of Zeus, first by the Greeks and then by the Romans.
In the centre of the ruins lay the remains of what once was an altar that housed the statue of a God. The ceremonies took place in the open air.
The children enjoyed climbing the rocks and playing hide and seek among the ruins oblivious to the history behind the giant stones. There was an entrance placed centrally on each of the four outside walls that surrounded the relics. The castle was built high in the An Nusreyah mountains east of the Mediterranean coastal town of Tartus.

page 55