The castle of the Crusaders

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The castle of the Crusaders

Homs, Castle of the Kurds The fortified military construction of the Knights of the Military Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, dating from the time of the Crusades. P.de Franqueville

More than 700 years ago, Christians from the west embarked on a battle with the infidels. Some of them stayed behind and built fortresses on the heights between the valley of Oronta and the coast. The ?Krak des Chevaliers' is the most impressive and most visited of these fortified castles, with its outer court marked by four towers; in the 13th century it could hold up to 4,000 men. Do not miss the hall of the crusaders and its beautiful row of ogival arches and the view on the ramparts overlooking the fertile valley. At Saladin castle, the atmosphere is simply breathtaking. The castle was erected on the crest of a hill, surrounded by a gorge partly dug by the crusaders. At the time, a drawbridge laid on a rocky spur was the only means of communicating with the outside world. The inner part (with a visit to the keep, the tanks, mosque and hammam) is equally as charming.