Sacred Destinations

Krak des Chevaliers 

Krak des Chevaliers
View of the fairy-tale Krak des Chevaliers. Photo Creative Commons License A travers.

View from Below
Panoramic view from below. Photo © Galen Frysinger.

Tunnel
Dark passageway inside the castle. Photo © Galen Frysinger.

Chapel
Portal in the Crusader chapel. Photo © Galen Frysinger.

Minbar
Minbar, an Islamic pulpit, from the post-Crusader era. Photo © Galen Frysinger.

Arabic
Arabic inscription on a pillar. Photo © Richard Beck.




The Krak des Chevaliers (French for "Fortress of Knights"; Arabic: Qala'at Al-Hosn) near Homs in Syria is a popular tourist destination that was declared a World Heritage Site in 2006. Author Paul Theroux described it as the dream castle of childhood fantasies, while T.E. Lawrence called it "the finest castle in the world."

History

The remarkably well-preserved Crusader castle looks almost exactly as it did during the Crusades. Built and expanded between 1150 and 1250, it eventually housed a garrison of 2000. The castle guarded the only major pass between Antioch in Turkey and Beirut in Lebanon. It held out against several attacks, but was lost to the Mamluk Sultan Beybar in 1271.

What to See

The castle has two parts: an outside wall with 13 towers and an inside wall and keep. The two are separated by a moat which was used to fill the baths and water the horses, but is now full of stagnant water.

Through the main entrance (an imposing gate in the 16ft-thick wall) and past the towers that defended the castle is a courtyard. A corridor covered in delicate carvings leads to a large vaulted hall containing an old oven, a well and some latrines.

The chapel in the courtyard was converted to a mosque after Sultan Beybar took over, and you can still see its minbar (pulpit).

The top floor of the Tower of the Daughter of the King is home to a café with great views.

Quick Facts

Site Information
Names: Krak des Chevaliers; Qala'at Al-Hosn
Location:Syria
Faiths:Original/Primary: Christianity
Current/Secondary: Islam
Category: Castles and Palaces; World Heritage Sites
Architecture: Romanesque
Date:1150-1250
Status:ruins
Visitor Information
Coordinates: 34.757088° N, 36.294633° E   (view on Google Maps)
Lodging:View hotels near this location
Facilities:Ticket office; café

Note: This information was accurate when published and we do our best to keep it updated, but details such as opening hours can change without notice. To avoid disappointment, please check with the site directly before making a special trip.

Location Map

Below is a location map and aerial view of Krak des Chevaliers. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Syria Map.

Article Sources

  1. Terry Carter, Lara Dunston, and Amelia Thomas, Lonely Planet Syria and Lebanon, 3rd ed. (July 2008), 133-35.
  2. Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din - UNESCO World Heritage List (2006)
  3. Traveler Reviews of Krac des Chevaliers - TripAdvisor


Last updated on October 19, 2009.






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