Results of the Study of the Sea Fortress Remains of Maraclea (Kharab Maraqiya) in the Water Area of the Syrian Arab Republic in 2021–2022

In January and September 2022, the studies of the Syrian-Russian underwater archaeological expedition continued in the water area of the Tartus Governorate. To date, the specialists of the Institute of Oriental Studies RAS and the Sevastopol State University has examined a number of underwater archa...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Victor V. Lebedinskiy, Vitaly V. Prudnikov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: State institution «Tatarstan Аcademy of Sciences» 2023-10-01
Series:Археология евразийских степей
Subjects:
Online Access:https://evrazstep.ru/index.php/aes/article/view/1110
_version_ 1797350700317933568
author Victor V. Lebedinskiy
Vitaly V. Prudnikov
author_facet Victor V. Lebedinskiy
Vitaly V. Prudnikov
author_sort Victor V. Lebedinskiy
collection DOAJ
description In January and September 2022, the studies of the Syrian-Russian underwater archaeological expedition continued in the water area of the Tartus Governorate. To date, the specialists of the Institute of Oriental Studies RAS and the Sevastopol State University has examined a number of underwater archaeological sites. One of the places, where the international expedition conducts research, is the unique structures of the sea fortress of Maraclea, located near the settlement of Kharab Maraqiya. The expedition members studied and fixed these structures on the seabed. The purpose of the studies was to create a general plan and a digital model of these unique structures, as well as to analyze written sources about this sea fortress in order to receive objective information and interpretation of the identified objects. For a long time Maraclea was a small coastal town, nevertheless it had a rich historical past. After the First Crusade, it became one of the most important Crusader possessions, part of the County of Tripoli, which in turn was destined to become the last stronghold of Western chivalry in the Holy Land. It was Maraclea that became the subject of a fierce struggle between the crusaders and the Mamluk sultans, as a result of which the town was literally wiped off the ground. However, in the shortest possible time, a castle with the same name was erected in the sea, opposite the destroyed Maraclea. Contemporaries and historians agree that this fortress Maraclea, rising from the depths of the sea, was for its time the most powerful fortification and, in many of its characteristics, has almost no analogues in world history. Thus, although sea fortress Maraclea did not last long, it remained a very brigt trace in history and continues to be the subject of the discussions among the scientists.
first_indexed 2024-03-08T12:49:23Z
format Article
id doaj.art-c212aa2bd5284f0595562459a4945356
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2587-6112
2618-9488
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-08T12:49:23Z
publishDate 2023-10-01
publisher State institution «Tatarstan Аcademy of Sciences»
record_format Article
series Археология евразийских степей
spelling doaj.art-c212aa2bd5284f0595562459a49453562024-01-20T11:28:43ZengState institution «Tatarstan Аcademy of Sciences»Археология евразийских степей2587-61122618-94882023-10-01518219510.24852/2587-6112.2023.5.182.195Results of the Study of the Sea Fortress Remains of Maraclea (Kharab Maraqiya) in the Water Area of the Syrian Arab Republic in 2021–2022Victor V. Lebedinskiy0Vitaly V. Prudnikov1Institute of Oriental Studies RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation; Sevastopol State University, Sevastopol, Russian FederationInstitute of Oriental Studies RAS, Moscow, Russian FederationIn January and September 2022, the studies of the Syrian-Russian underwater archaeological expedition continued in the water area of the Tartus Governorate. To date, the specialists of the Institute of Oriental Studies RAS and the Sevastopol State University has examined a number of underwater archaeological sites. One of the places, where the international expedition conducts research, is the unique structures of the sea fortress of Maraclea, located near the settlement of Kharab Maraqiya. The expedition members studied and fixed these structures on the seabed. The purpose of the studies was to create a general plan and a digital model of these unique structures, as well as to analyze written sources about this sea fortress in order to receive objective information and interpretation of the identified objects. For a long time Maraclea was a small coastal town, nevertheless it had a rich historical past. After the First Crusade, it became one of the most important Crusader possessions, part of the County of Tripoli, which in turn was destined to become the last stronghold of Western chivalry in the Holy Land. It was Maraclea that became the subject of a fierce struggle between the crusaders and the Mamluk sultans, as a result of which the town was literally wiped off the ground. However, in the shortest possible time, a castle with the same name was erected in the sea, opposite the destroyed Maraclea. Contemporaries and historians agree that this fortress Maraclea, rising from the depths of the sea, was for its time the most powerful fortification and, in many of its characteristics, has almost no analogues in world history. Thus, although sea fortress Maraclea did not last long, it remained a very brigt trace in history and continues to be the subject of the discussions among the scientists.https://evrazstep.ru/index.php/aes/article/view/1110underwater archaeological studiessyrian arab republictartuskharab maraqiyaflooded structuresmaraclea
spellingShingle Victor V. Lebedinskiy
Vitaly V. Prudnikov
Results of the Study of the Sea Fortress Remains of Maraclea (Kharab Maraqiya) in the Water Area of the Syrian Arab Republic in 2021–2022
Археология евразийских степей
underwater archaeological studies
syrian arab republic
tartus
kharab maraqiya
flooded structures
maraclea
title Results of the Study of the Sea Fortress Remains of Maraclea (Kharab Maraqiya) in the Water Area of the Syrian Arab Republic in 2021–2022
title_full Results of the Study of the Sea Fortress Remains of Maraclea (Kharab Maraqiya) in the Water Area of the Syrian Arab Republic in 2021–2022
title_fullStr Results of the Study of the Sea Fortress Remains of Maraclea (Kharab Maraqiya) in the Water Area of the Syrian Arab Republic in 2021–2022
title_full_unstemmed Results of the Study of the Sea Fortress Remains of Maraclea (Kharab Maraqiya) in the Water Area of the Syrian Arab Republic in 2021–2022
title_short Results of the Study of the Sea Fortress Remains of Maraclea (Kharab Maraqiya) in the Water Area of the Syrian Arab Republic in 2021–2022
title_sort results of the study of the sea fortress remains of maraclea kharab maraqiya in the water area of the syrian arab republic in 2021 2022
topic underwater archaeological studies
syrian arab republic
tartus
kharab maraqiya
flooded structures
maraclea
url https://evrazstep.ru/index.php/aes/article/view/1110
work_keys_str_mv AT victorvlebedinskiy resultsofthestudyoftheseafortressremainsofmaracleakharabmaraqiyainthewaterareaofthesyrianarabrepublicin20212022
AT vitalyvprudnikov resultsofthestudyoftheseafortressremainsofmaracleakharabmaraqiyainthewaterareaofthesyrianarabrepublicin20212022