This large tower caps the northeast angle of the Citadel. It is almost square in plan (1), with its north face measuring a little less than 21 meters in length.
The credit for the attached photo of Tower 8 goes to Herzfeld, and the date is 1914. The view is from the northwest with the Bānīās-ʿAqrabānī canal on the left. The different masonry on top is easily identifiable and indicates later restoration to the originalʾ Ayyūbid structure.
As with the rest of the extant Citadel, this tower was constructed in the early 13th century under al-ʿĀdil, with parts of the topmost fortifications restored by Qānṣū al-Ġawrī, the last Mamlūk sultan to claim sovereignty over Syria, as confirmed by an inscription dated 915 AH (1509 CE).
According to Jean Sauvaget, Tower 8 was the Citadel's keep, or donjon. This view was contradicted by D. J. Cathcart King, who argued that this large tower was neither sufficiently dominant nor impregnable to fulfill the essential function of a keep, normally the last refuge of the castle's master and its garrison after the rest of the fortress had fallen.
As far as size is concerned, Tower 8 is not larger than Tower 5 (2) or Tower 12 (3), to mention but two examples. From a defensive standpoint, its rear was vulnerable to an attack in reverse. Last, but not least, Sauvaget himself opined that the residence of the ʾAyyūbid sultans was located in the southwest quarters of the fortress, though recent research casts doubt on this claim (4).
Externally, this tower meets the abutment of the north wall of the city, continuing east. Its protection is enhanced by a ditch filled with water from the ʿAqrabānī derivation of the Barada River, a continuation of the Bānīās Canal.
1. more like a trapezium.
2. Tower 5 is located in the southeast corner.
3. Tower 12 is located in the northwest corner and is currently in ruins.
4. Gardiol (see below).
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