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Crusader castle near Homs, Syria
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Krak des Chevaliers (also "Crac des Chevaliers" - 'Castle of the Knights') located near Homs in Syria is widely recognised as the archetypal Crusader castle. Described by T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia) as "perhaps the best preserved and most wholly admirable castle in the world", this somewhat isolated site is located magnificently (750 m or 2,300 ft above sea level) and is, indeed, extremely well-preserved. Today it represents one of the premier tourist attractions in central Syria and is one of the country's world heritage sites. The castle sustained some damage during the Syrian Civil War.
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حصن الفرسان
Some kilometres away from the Krak with magnificent view of the valley, but not the Krak itself.
Krak des Chevaliers is an easy day trip from Tartus or Hama, the latter city being the most attractive base from which to visit, if somewhat more distant (one-way microbus trip just under 2 hours).
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