Description of Qalat ibn Maan
This was the first stop on our school trip and everyone absolutely went crazy running across the moat, climbing up all the levels, taking pictures everywhere. Qalat, by the way means castle or citadel. So Qalat ibn Maan was built in the 17th century by Fakhr ad-Din al Maan II, a Lebanese warlord who wanted to control the region of Palmyra. It overlooks the ruins and also the new city of Tadmoor. You can see the lush greenery of the palm oasis that gave the city its name, as well as the vast expanse of the Syrian desert. I discovered the ‘King’s Room’ in the castle by accident and it features heavily in my story ‘Qalat an-Noor’ 
Link to the pictures of Qalat ibn Maan
