The castle has now stood for 900 years, In March 2019, when we visited the area around Craq des Chevaliers was deserted, no restaurants, no hotels. The castle had only fully reopened a couple of month ago. It was a rainy day and the castle was wrapped in a kind of mystic fog, at 750m there is always a breeze. Given its historical importance, it was spooky to have such the place all to yourself. UNESCO states, “Krak des Chevaliers is taken as the best preserved example of the castles of the Crusader period, and it is also seen as an archetype of a medieval castle particularly in the context of the military orders.” Beat that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQRR8xMByL0
The castle, about 30km west of Homs, was built by the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem from 1142 to 1270, the fortification meant to house 4,000 Crusader knights plus 160 horses. Its purpose: protecting well-trodden pilgrim and trade routes snaking through East-Roman Christendom.
We explored the long corridors, majestic Knight Hall and what once was a church. The view from the top of the green hills and the village of Al- Husan was – despite the rainy weather – simply beautiful. But above all we were happy to see that there was no major damage, or to be precise, it had been fixed. This medieval castle had even survived one of the most brutal 21st century war.
Knights Hall
Church with a pulpit
Held by foreign fighters for two years
Krak des Chevaliers location in 2012 became as strategic as it had been for the Crusaders. Opposition forces held the castle from spring 2012 to 2014 and used it as a rebel command centre, as a weapon storage, and as a transit base for foreign fighters entering the country from Lebanon, around five miles away.
The rebels also knew that Krak des Chevaliers historic importance would prevent it from being bombed, making it a safe military base.
As government forces closed in, the remaining rebel fighters, all foreign fighters, blew up medieval doorways and staircases. These are gone forever.
Damage a Knights’ Hall, at photos taken 2006 and 2014
The Syrian Army could not retake the castle by force because it is UNESCO heritage site. Some locals who were present when I visitier in 2023 explained how the Syrian government forces had elaborately planned and approached retaking the castle. Living in nearby villages, the workers never left the area and started work on cleaning the castle two weeks after it was seized, a task which took them four months.
photo taking by Tom Westcott from https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/inside-krak-de-chevaliers-castle-syria-built%20by-medieval-crusaders-survived-21st-century-war
The frescoes in the castle’s chapel (late 12th and early 13th centuries) are some of the few surviving examples of Crusader art in the world. The entire chapel was once richly painted, only a handful of medieval frescoes, survive.
Castle staff said that foreign fighters had looted, ransacked the place and left mounds of broken masonry filling arched doorways. They also set fire to large quantities of diesel in the ancient heart of the castle, badly burning the building.
Fire at Kraq des Chevalier
“The Knights Hall was blackened with smoke from the fire,” said Hunno, “but luckily, we were able to start work within weeks, so the fire had only caused surface damage and hadn’t absorbed into the stone.”
Knights Hall – 2o14 damage still visible https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26696113
Krak de Chevaliers has seen better days
Before 2011 the castle attracted 5 million visitors every year, it was as popular as Aleppo and Palmyra. Being close to the coast it was also attractive excursion tourists for cruise ships. With the outbreak of the war this ended. But in 2019 the castle reopened and visitors are gradually returning, mainly from within Syria itself, but also tourists from abroad, like us. Strangely it was a French travel agency that in 2019 started offering 10 day tours through Syria, France was until then THE EU country insisting on touch sanction against Syria.
And like Aleppo there were false reports claiming it was badly damaged or even destroyed in the fighting.
An NGO has since organised regular volunteer groups, mainly young people from France, to clear the excessive undergrowth. With limited funds available, keeping the sprawling site’s grounds in order is almost impossible for the handful of staff who are now back running the government-owned castle.
Large areas of the area are not recommended to be explored, the excessive undergrowth occasionally conceals poisonous snakes. International sanctions still placed on Syria mean that the nearest anti-venom available is in neighbouring Lebanon, which involves negotiating a complicated and time-consuming land border.
Winds are changing – returning April 2023
Amid the rolling hills and valleys, residents have begun to return to Al-Husan and modest attempts to rebuild have started. When I returned in 2023 a hotel/restaurant had set up business, Akram, the owner of the restaurant was a never-ending source of information. He lost his hotel to Al-Nusra fighters who looted the place, even stole the windows and doors.
Akram rebuilt his house with his bare hands and was hoping that tourists would be returning to this wonderful place.
Akram owner of a hotel/restaurant on the hillside opposite the castle
View of Castle from Abrams hotel
Abrams rebuilt hotel
Leave a Reply