The awesome castle of Krak des Chevaliers, Homs, Syria*

*WS 88: The awesome castle of Krak des Chevaliers, Homs, Syria*

The Krak des Chevaliers (Crusaders' Castle) is a huge medieval castle atop a 650 m high hill, 40 km west of the city of Homs in western Syria, close to the border of Lebanon. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We were here on a group tour in 2010. 

The site was first inhabited in the 11th century by a Kurdish group. In 1142 it was given to the Knights Hospitaller who greatly expanded the castle later. The Knights Hospitaller was a Catholic military order associated with the Crusaders. Krak des Chevaliers became the key military base and centre of administration of a territory founded after the First Crusade. At its peak in the 1st half of the 13th century, Krak des Chevaliers housed a garrison of around 2,000. It fell to the Muslim troops in 1271 and soon faded into oblivion as it lost its strategic importance. The famous WW1 army officer/archaeologist/writer, T E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) remarked that the Krak des Chevaliers was perhaps the best preserved and most admirable castle in the World. 

The 1st photo shows the castle from a distance. Take note of the size of the people at the top platforms to appreciate how massive the castle is. The 2nd photo shows the inner court as seen from the south. The 3rd photo shows the platform between the outer castle and the inner ward. The 7th shows the office called the Hall of the Knights and the last shows the Christian chapel. At the time of our visit, there was a priest leading a group praying at the chapel.

Further note: the castle was a top tourist attraction in Syria before the current civil war. It was occupied by rebel forces for 2 years from 2012. It was re-captured by the government forces in 2014 and now open to visitors. Going, LS?