Crac des Chevaliers

The Crac des Chevaliers is perhaps both Syria’s best known landmark and the most exciting example of the Crusader Castle. It is visible for some miles as you approach, adding to its intimidating presence on the landscape. The Knights Hospitallers made this their headquarters during the Crusades, expanding it to its imposing size during the course of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The details are the most impressive – the walls reach thirty metres thick in some places, and there was enough within the walls to sustain the troops for months and years should it have been required.