Muslim Fortresses in the Levant: Between Crusaders and Mongols (62 page)

Once Marqab was restored, Qalāwūn turned to the fortress of Maraqiyya. Maraqiyya was built on a small rocky island 50m from the coast.
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The island fotifications were renewed by Bartholomew de Ravendel and funded by the Prince of Tripoli. A successful siege required the support of a naval force. The amluks, however, could not assemble a fleet for this campaign. Maraqiyya was eventually taken after Qalāwūn sent a threatening letter to the Prince of Tripoli, who, according to the sultan, was responsible for the Frankish renewal of the fortress. The sulta’s terms were clear and simple. The rince of Tripoli and Bartholomew, lord of Maraqiyya, were to demolish the fortress. If the prince did not comply, the sultan, at the head of his armies would conquer parts of his principality. The ranks quickly came to terms with the sultan’s decree. A group of Mamluks and two high ranking amirs were sent to supervise the destruction of the fortress.
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A large percentage of the profits made by the Frankish principalities and the Military Orders that maintained fortresses close to the shoreline was due to their role as mediators and providers of various harbor services to merchants. The conquest of Marqab and Qalāwūn’s military campaign along this short stretch of coast line that included the harbors of al-Suwaydiyya, Latakia, Tortosa and Jubail stemmed from the economic importance and the potential profits that were to be made. The
harbors mentioned above prospered under Ayyubid rule and were mostly used to export Syrian goods.
¹¹³
This commercial activity largely depended on peace in the region and the safety of the inland trade routes. Marqab did not protect a frontier. Its Mamluk garrison was mainly responsible for seeing to the local sects who refused to submit, watching over the coast, safeguarding the harbors, merchants, and roads leading from the mainland to the sea.

In treaties signed by both Baybars and Qalāwūn (prior to the conquest of Marqab) the Mamluk sultans received a high percentage of the taxes collected in the ports. After the conquest of
al-Akrād, Baybars negotiated with the Order of the Hospitallers at Marqab. According to the treaty of 669/1272 the Hospitallers were obliged to give the sultan half of their profits from taxes collected at the ports on goods exported and imported, and any other commodity that the Order taxed.
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A treaty signed by Qalāwūn and Bohemond VI of Tripoli determined that taxes collected in the port of Latakia would be divided between the two.
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Although all this provided a fine income, with the conquest of Marqab the Mamluk sultan could reap the entire revenue without having to share it. Qalāwūn was no doubt confident that commerce would continue to prosper. The fact that the ranks no longer ruled the region would not stop Italian and other merchants from trading. In 1288 Qalāwūn promised to safeguard the Genoese merchants who chose to trade in Syria.
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Four years after the fall of Marqab the sultan besieged Tripoli (688/1289). The small Cypriot fleet that came to the help of the besieged was unable to save the town. Tripoli fell within a month. The sultan ordered its destruction and a new city was built near the riverbank. With the conquest of Tripoli two more harbor towns – Beirut and Jubail – and the fortresses in their close vicinity were delivered to the Mamluks.
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The news concerning the conquest of Tripoli reached the Armenian king within days, as he could not allow himself to remain indifferent, he quickly dispatched a messenger to the sultan. Ibn al-Furāt tells us that the messenger “asked for the sultan’s mercy and tried to appease his mind.”
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The sultan demanded the two Armenian fortresses Bahasnā and
, northwest of al-Bīra. The messenger returned to his king with the sultan’s demands.

The Armenian king firmly refused, with profound apologies (
); instead he offered the sultan a large sum of money and numerous presents.
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The sultan’s demand for the two fortresses and the king’s determination to keep them were to surface frequently in future negotiations during Qalāwūn’s reign.

One of the interesting results of Qalāwūn’s campaign, which began with the conquest of Marqab and ended with the fall of Tripoli, was the temporary or partial evacuation of
al-Akrād. According to Maqrīzī, the garrison under the command of Sayf al-Dīn Balabān
and the vanguard (probably arriving shortly before Tripoli was besieged) left the fortress early in the summer of 1289 for Tripoli, which had just been taken. Tripoli was given to
and the town received the status of an administrative regional centre- a
mamlaka
(or
niyaba
). When
left, he took with him a hundred and fifty soldiers, fifteen amirs of the rank of ten and ten other amirs.
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Maqrīzī does not give any further information concerning
al-Akrād. According to Irwin, shortly after the taking of Tripoli
al-Akrād ceased to be the base for Mamluk military operations in the area and most of their activity shifted to
Marqab.
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It seems that after the fall of the principalities of Antioch and Tripoli there was no real need to hold two large fortresses in the region. A large garrison was therefore established in Marqab and the number of men in
al-Akrād reduced. Marqab’s proximity to the coast and the ports probably gave it preference over
al-Akrād.