The Castle of Saint Louis, also known as Qalaat al Muizz or the Land Castle, is a ruined castle in Sidon, Lebanon. It was built in 1254 by French crusaders on the site of an earlier Fatimid fortress, and was altered a number of times until the 17th century.
The site is said to have been the acropolis of the ancient city. Some remains of this acropolis still exist, including a theater. The citadel was probably completely demolished and then rebuilt by the Arabs.
To the south of the citadel is a mound of debris called Murex Hill. A talus of crushed shells of murex shells along the western slope can still be seen. This artificial mound (100 m. long and 50 m. high) was formed by the accumulation of refuse from the purple dye factories of Phoenician times.
The French king, Louis IX, better known as St. Louis, appears to have spent a long time at the castle, and this is perhaps why the site is named after him.
The castle served as a shelter for refugees of the 1948 Palestinian exodus. It was further damaged by Israeli shelling. Plans are being made to restore the castle.
The cache is a green magnetic nano container.
Happy Geocaching!
