Qala'at al-Hosn

[Ekhlass]

Qala'at al-Hosn (Kark des Chevaliers) is almost a thousand year old.
The position of the castle is important. It stands above the "Homs
Gap" and guards the best route from the coast to central Syria.
The Emir of Homs built the first fortress on this site in 1031. in
1110 the Crusaders took control of the building. They remained for
about 160 years. During this time, they built many new walls and made
the castle much bigger and stronger. It protected over 2000 soldiers
and contained stables for 1000 horses.
In 1271, the Mameluke Sultan Baiars marched his army towards the
castle. The other Crusaders were already defeated, and after a month,
Baiars allowed the last ones to leave the castle and travel to
Tripoli, on the coast. Baiars placed his soldiers in the castle and
strengthened the walls and defences even further.
Today, the castle is preserved in almost perfect condition. It looks a
lot like it did 800 years ago. Early in the 20th century, the writer
TE Lawrence called it " the finest castle in the world".