Barsbay Tower

Lebanon, Lebanon

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Barsbay Tower (Arabic: Burj el‑Sibaʿa, also called Lion Tower or Lions Tower) is a small Mamluk defensive tower at the far eastern end of the Tripoli harbor in the Old Town of al‑Mina, Lebanon, originally built as part of a coastal defense system against attacks from Cyprus and Rhodes.

It was constructed in the 15th century by Prince Saif al‑Din Barsbay (and later associated with Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay), and its name comes from relief decorations of lions that once lined its façade. The structure is a rectangular two‑story tower built of polished stone with alternating black‑and‑white ashlar in its portico, using horizontal granite columns and spolia from Roman buildings to reinforce the walls, and it features a curved Mamluk‑style gate with black‑and‑white stone bands, arrow slits, and a portico that once faced the sea.

Inside, the ground floor is a large hall with six vaulted rooms arranged around two central stone pillars, while the upper floor, reached by a stone staircase in the wall, contains a multi‑vaulted hall with a small mosque, a mihrab, and two windows, making it the largest and most distinctive Mamluk coastal tower still standing in Lebanon and an exceptional example of Mamluk military architecture integrated with reused ancient materials.