Considered as one of the most important tourist attractions in Homs the Krak des Chevaliers, Homs is visited by thousands of travelers. The Krak des Chevaliers, Homs is known to be the perfect replica of the medieval castle and it is the brilliant architecture of this crusader fortress which has made it one of the most famous castles of the world. Krak is derived from the Syriac word “karak” which literally means fortress. Sightseeing in Homs will be incomplete without a visit to the Krak des Chevaliers in Homs which is only 65 km away from the centre of the city.
The Krak des Chevaliers stands close the borders of Lebanon and you can catch a bus or hire a private taxi to reach one of the most important attractions in Homs. According to history the Krak des Chevaliers, Homs was the main base of operation for the Knights Hospitaller during the famous Crusades. The years between 1150 and 1250 is known as the age of expansion in the history of Krak des Chevaliers, Homs and finally a garrison was built inside the premises of the fortress. It is known that the inner wall in the south is almost 100 feet thick and is not at all penetrable. As the southern portion of the fortress was considered to be the weaker side the wall was rebuilt with greater thickness.
The southern portion of Krak des Chevaliers, Homs also houses seven towers which were used by the guards to spot any unwanted person within the radius of the fortress. The fortress has been used as a model by many kings and one of them was King Edward I who totally modeled his castles of Wales and England on this fortress. Listed in the World Heritage Site the Krak des Chevaliers, Homs is regarded as one of the most important attractions in Homs. The interior of the fortress is indeed beautiful and one can see some of the finest examples of Crusader art here. Located on a 650 meter hillock the the fortress is situated on a strategic position so that it strengthened the defensive network of the mighty Crusaders.
The history of Syria had been one of domination and power conflicts and power play and some of the great dynasties which have shaped and influenced the culture of Homs are Franks, Ottomans, Byzantines, Persians, Romans and Hebrews. According to the historical records the Krak des Chevaliers, Homs is built by the Amir of Aleppo in 1031. In the time of the First Crusade it was Raymond IV of Toulouse who captured portions of the fortress. It was the Hospitallers who rebuilt portions of the fortress and then it was considered as one of the most important and largest fortress of the Crusaders in the whole of Jerusalem.
The Krak des Chevaliers, Homs is a brilliant specimen of architecture and one can see the distinctive style Gothic style in the patterns. It was in 1163 that Nur ad-Din tried to capture the fortress but was totally unsuccessful in his venture and the Hospitallers were the indispensable force in this region. Another unsuccessful venture was made during 1163 when Saladin's men tried to break open the gates. It was said that because of the misinterpretation of words and miscommunication this seize totally failed. It was in 1271 that both the Fifth Crusade and the failed capture of the Baibars took place.
Online information about Krak des Chevaliers, Homs is available in travel.mapsofworld.
Mapxl.com is a business division of Compare Infobase Limited
Compare Infobase Limited C-62, Community Center, Janakpuri, New Delhi-58 (India) Tel: +91-11- 25542045, 41588013, 41588014 Hotline Nos. : +91-11- 41574999, 41574888, 41574890 You may contact between 08.00 to 20.00 hours IST Fax: + 91-11-25547264 Mobile: +91(0) 9871399025 contactus@mapsofworld.com
