Zardana

Zardana is a fortified settlement between Antioch and Aleppo, overlooking routes through the hills of northern Syria. Its castle, protected by towers and a rock-cut ditch, became a contested frontier post during the Crusades. In 1119 the forces of Ilghazi of Mardin and Toghtekin of Damascus besieged it; after the town changed hands, Baldwin II returned it to Frankish control. Raids and sieges continued as the rulers of Aleppo and Antioch fought over the surrounding country.