Chirel Castle had an Muslim origin. The current castle was built after the Christian Conquest, which took place in the thirteenth century, when the Moors were expelled.
During this time, the fortress of Chirel was used by the Christians as a base of operations, under the command of the king of Aragon, James I the Conqueror, since they were at war with the Muslim leader al-Azraq.
Around the year 1748, a natural catastrophe occurred, an earthquake of great magnitude that ended up collapsing an important part of the fortress.
Today, Chirel Castle is on the waiting list to be rebuilt. In any case, it is an ideal place to visit, since, although they have not repaired their structures, they have done so with the roads that lead to the castle, so that it is a safe place, away from possible collapses, and a great tourist attraction.
If we go today to the Castle of Chirel, we will find an important part of its Main Tower, its double wall and two other large towers, and, also, a large cistern, which is still standing. In addition, you can contemplate the impressive view of the Cinto del Castillo annex, the Cintos de Sácaras annex and the Cerrador, and the Cortes reservoir.
References:Herceg Novi was founded (on a former small fishing village, existing since Roman Empire times) as a fortress in 1382 by first Bosnian King Stjepan Tvrtko I and was called Sveti Stefan or Castelnuovo. The Turks conquered Herceg Novi in 1482, and ruled for 200 years, until 1687. However, there was a short pause between 1538 and 1539 when it was held by the Spaniards before they were defeated in the Siege of Castelnuovo. Turkey ruled again until 1687, from then until 1797, the town was ruled by the Venetian Republic.
The Herceg Novi old town is amazing. It is on a fairly steep hill that leads all the way down to the sea. Wandering through the small stairways to the various plazas and fortresses is a many hour adventure.