| Official Name: | Al-Rusafa |
| Native Name: | الرصافة |
| Other Name: | Rassafah, Rosafah, Resafi |
| Native Name Lang: | ar |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Pushpin Map: | Syria |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Syria |
| Coordinates: | 35.0331°N 36.3025°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Governorate |
| Subdivision Name1: | Hama |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Masyaf |
| Subdivision Type3: | Subdistrict |
| Subdivision Name3: | Masyaf |
| Population Total: | 1,608 |
| Population As Of: | 2004 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | EET |
| Utc Offset: | +2 |
| Timezone Dst: | EEST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +3 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | City Qrya Pcode |
| Blank Info Sec1: | C3360 |
Al-Rusafa (Arabic: الرصافة Ruṣāfa, also spelled Rassafah, Rosafah or Resafi) is a Syrian village located in the Masyaf Subdistrict in Masyaf District, located west of Hama and about 10 kilometers southwest of Masyaf.[1] According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), al-Rusafa had a population of 1,608 in the 2004 census.[2] Its inhabitants are predominantly Alawites.[3] It is the site of a former Ismaili fortress.
At the northern edge of the village is the fortress of al-Rusafa, which is situated on a hill 60 meters higher than the village itself. The fortress is largely preserved, although it is mostly covered by trees and vegetation. In the medieval period, it acted as a subsidiary fortress for the main Ismaili fortress of Masyaf. At its largest extent, it measures roughly 75 meters by 30 meters and is oval-shaped. The fortress was constructed from stone from local quarries and it consists of three stories.[1]
The entrance in the northwestern section of the fortress is guarded by a tower. The outer walls are dominated by galleries and chambers, which presumably played the role of battlements. The lowest floor contains several storage rooms, a number of which were built 20 meters deep into the ground. The middle area of al-Rusafa is marked by the extensive presence of vaulted rooms. Although ruined, the central towers "are still high" according to Peter Willey,[1] an authority on Ismaili castles.[4]
Al-Rusafa was taken over by the Nizari Ismailis around 1140 CE along with other fortresses in the vicinity, namely Masyaf, Khawabi, al-Maniqa and Qulay'a.[5] The fortress was rebuilt by the Ismaili da'i (chief) Rashid ad-Din Sinan in the 1160s.[6] It is possible that another fortress stood in its place prior to the Ismaili conquest.[1] In May 1271, the Bahri Mamluk sultan Baibars besieged and captured al-Rusafa from the Ismailis.[7]
In the mid-1960s, al-Rusafa was a small village that contained an old khan (caravanserai) in addition to its partially ruined fortress.[8]