Thursday, June 14, 2012

CRAC DES CHEVALIERS (QAL'AT AL-HOSN), HOMS, SYRIA

 

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During the Crusades of the 11th to 13th centuries, the massive towers and ramparts of Syria's Crac des Chevaliers were the site of many fierce battles and sieges. The fortress was the most important stronghold along the Homs Gap, the passageway linking Syria with the Mediterranean, and it was held by the Christian Knights Hospitaller for more than a century before being captured by Sultan Baibars in 1271.

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The enormous castle has 13 towers, and could hold nearly 5,000 soldiers and their provisions for as long as five years in a siege.

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Today it's one of only a few places where visitors can see frescoes from the time of the Crusades.

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