Qal'at Bīša

The fort of Bishah stood on a low hill near the palms lining the valley, not far from al-Rawshan. Its circular walls were built of earth, with a second wall and a covered passage inside; round towers provided positions from which defenders could fire. A traveller accompanying an Egyptian campaign described the fort in 1834, recalling the resistance of Ali al-Suayri to the Ottoman forces. Entry to such forts, he observed, was made by rope rather than through an ordinary gate.