Moussa Castle in Deir el Qamar is not a medieval fortress. It was imagined and built by one man, Moussa Abdel Karim al Maamari, who spent decades raising the stonework, towers and furnished rooms by hand. Inside, painted scenes and hundreds of life-size figures tell episodes from Lebanese village life and history, so the building works as both a castle and a personal museum. It stands in the Chouf above the road between Beiteddine and Deir el Qamar, and is one of the region’s most unusual historic places. Visitors who want palaces and ruins nearby can combine it with Beiteddine Palace, Mir Amin and the old town of Deir el Qamar. The story of a single builder is what makes Moussa Castle memorable.
