Krak des Chevaliers: The Greatest Castle of the Middle Ages — and the Valley of the Christians

T. E. Lawrence, who studied the castles of the East as a young man, called it perhaps the best-preserved and most admirable castle in the world. Standing on its hill above a broad plain west of Homs, with two concentric walls and round towers, it is easy to see why it became the image of the medieval castle.

The castle's story

There was a small fort here before the Crusades. In 1142 it passed to the Knights Hospitaller, who enlarged it into the huge castle we see today and held it for more than a century. In 1271 the Mamluk sultan Baibars besieged and took it, and the Mamluks added towers of their own. It was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2006, together with Saladin's Castle near Latakia.

What to see

• The long, winding ramp at the entrance, built to slow attackers down.
• The moat between the two walls.
• The Gothic hall with its ribbed vaults and the knights' loggia.
• The small chapel, later turned into a mosque.
• The south-west tower, with the widest view over the plain and hills.

The Valley of the Christians

Below the castle lies Wadi al-Nasara, a green valley of Christian villages on the hillsides — Marmarita, Nasra, Ain al-Barda — with Mashta al-Helou nearby. The air stays cool in summer, and there are restaurants and cafés with views and small hotels. Here too is the Monastery of St George al-Humaira, one of the oldest in the region.

How to visit

The castle is about 40 km west of Homs and around three hours by car from Damascus. The best plan is a night in the valley, visiting the castle early in the morning or before sunset. A private car or a car with a driver is by far the easiest way, and it fits neatly into a week in Syria.

If castles are your thing, read Syria's ten finest castles.

Built mainly

12th century, Hospitallers

UNESCO

2006

From Homs

About 40 km

Time needed

Two to three hours