High above the Litani River in southern Lebanon rises Beaufort Castle, known in Arabic as Qal'at al-Shaqif ("Castle of the High Rock"). For nearly nine centuries the fortress has dominated one of the most strategic locations in the region. Its commanding position overlooking the Litani valley made it an important military stronghold during the Crusades and, centuries later, during modern conflicts in southern Lebanon.What do we know of its medieval history?
"During the medieval period, hundreds of thousands of Europeans migrated to the Near East to take part in the Crusades, and many of them settled in the newly established Christian states along the Eastern Mediterranean coast. This changed the genetic codes of the region."
