Masa Castle

Masa Castle

Masa Castle is located in the Shouf Mountains, 30 kilometers south of Beirut, and is named after its builder, Masa. Masa was born into an ancient family of builders, whose descendants inherited their ancestors' legacy and have been engaged in the construction industry ever since. When he was 14 and in middle school, Masa fell in love with a classmate. Later, his girlfriend asked him to leave because she believed that the father of the boy she loved should own a castle. From then on, Masa’s mind was filled with thoughts of castles—even while in class, he secretly sketched castle designs.

Later, he worked at an old fortress, performing heavy labor such as carrying stones every day. In 1949, he began working on restoration projects at the Beiteddine Palace. There, he earned 15,000 Lebanese pounds, which inspired him to pursue his childhood dream. From that moment on, he started working on building a castle. Eventually, he decided to construct it in the Shouf Mountains, not far from the Beiteddine Palace. With the full support of his wife, and after 35 years of hard work, he built his own castle—Masa Castle. As visitors enter the castle, the first thing they see is a hall displaying a hydraulic press and model cars, symbolizing Lebanon as a country that is both traditional and modern. The castle has two levels: the upper floor exhibits mainly mechanical models demonstrating the daily life of people throughout history.

Among the most interesting displays are biblical stories, an old-fashioned Arabic coffeehouse, a souvenir shop, and a scene showing young Masa being punished by his teacher for secretly drawing castles in class—while his classmates burst into laughter. The lower level features an armory, housing over 1,000 types of weapons that Masa spent nearly 40 years collecting, showcasing the wars that took place in the Middle East over the past two thousand years.

Moussa Castle

Reason to visit: The most legendary castle

Continent where the attraction is located: Asia【Asia】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Lebanon

Province/State where the attraction is located: Mount Lebanon Governorate