Constructed during a period marked by ongoing conflicts with Crusader forces and later the rising Ottoman Empire, the tower was part of a defensive network aimed at protecting the coastal city of Tripoli from naval threats and is a remarkable example of Mamluk military architecture.

[1] The tower features a distinctive portico with ablaq _an alternating black-and-white ashlar stone stripes technique_ and incorporates repurposed granite Roman columns embedded horizontally into its walls for structural reinforcement.

In addition to its military significance, Barsbay Tower embodies a blend of functionality and Mamluk esthetics, with decorative relief moldings and remnants of heraldic symbols that hint at the structure's patrons.

[7][8] The tower was restored between 1441 and 1442 by Emir Julban, then the Naib of Tripoli, and by Sultan Qaitbay in the late 15th century, who, during his 1477 journey to Syria, inspected and reinforced the northern defenses against the growing Ottoman threat.

[3] Orientalist explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt recorded local accounts suggesting that reliefs of two lions once adorned its façade, which he interpreted as representing the Crusader heraldry of Raymond de Saint-Gilles.

[3] All four exterior walls of the tower are punctuated with arrowslits, providing defensive positions for archers to shoot at approaching enemies while remaining shielded behind the stone fortifications.

[2] Traces of paint and frescoes were discovered on the interior walls of the hall, including remnants of an inscribed band and five escutcheons featuring Mamluk coats of arms.

Its monumental scale and numerous decorative features, carefully arranged with balance and symmetry, align it more with religious or civil architecture than strictly utilitarian military buildings.