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Shememis Castle was built by order of King al-Ashraf Musa in 1229 CE on a conical dormant volcano, rising 150 meters above the surrounding plain. The design consists of a circular wall with a 95-meter diameter, followed by an inner structure built of precisely cut basalt stones. Its uniqueness lies in the absence of square towers, relying instead on the curved walls to create defensive angles, in addition to a deep central cistern with a water-level measurement column. Excavations in 2007 uncovered a foundational inscription in foliated Kufic script, beginning with the basmala.
