Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Fortino di Mazzallakkar

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Type
  
Fort

Owner
  
Private

Condition
  
Ruins

Built by
  
Emirate of Sicily

Height
  
up to 4 metres (13 ft)

Open to the public
  
On request

Materials
  
Limestone

Material
  
Limestone

Fortino di Mazzallakkar httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Similar
  
Museo archeologico Palazzo, Riserva naturale orientata, Castello di Poggiodiana, Lido Fiori, Monti Sicani

The Fortino di Mazzallakkar is a ruined Arab fort in Sambuca di Sicilia, Sicily. It is located near Lago Arancio, and is partially submerged by its waters for six months of every year.

Contents

History

The Fortino di Mazzallakkar was built by the Arabs in around 830 AD, possibly to defend the territory around Sambuca di Sicilia, which was then known as Zabut.

The fort was still in good condition until the mid-20th century, and it was used as a shelter for sheep and cattle. In the 1950s, the Carboj dam was built, causing the flooding of Lago Arancio. The fort is located at the edge of the lake, and is partially submerged around 6 months of the year. This has caused a lot of damage to the fort.

The fort is privately owned, and can be visited on request.

Layout

The fort originally had a square shape, with a circular tower on each corner. The towers had limestone domes and were equipped with slits. The walls were up to 4 metres (13 ft) high.

References

Fortino di Mazzallakkar Wikipedia