Crac de Chevaliers
Seeming to come out of any Arab fairytale, castle Crac de Chevaliers is considered the best preserved Crusader castle in the Middle East. It is built on a steep high cliff of nearly 650 m, situated in Syria, near the border with Lebanon. Located east of Tripoli, Crac de Chevaliers has an important road that connects from centuries ago Antioch, Beirut and the Mediterranean.
Crac de Chevaliers was a fort for the Hospitaller Knights and was built in the period between 1142 - 1271. It is considered one of the most amazing castles all around the world. With its strategic location in the valley, the fortification is considered one of the best as this castle was never attacked.
In fact the building is so well preserved that today we can get a closer look at the large extent of the form in which it was when the Crusaders used it. British forts do not give this option as they were either destroyed or turned into magnificent castles.
Crac de Chevaliers is a model of medieval fortification. The unique fortress is situated on top of a 600 meter cliff and from there the Knights of St. John's kept under control a huge field between the Homs and Tripoli. They made unique defense towers, which have a thickness of between 8 and 10 m.
The walls of the castle are concentrically arranged and for fighting purposes, the tower is 13m. The whole area of Crac de Chevaliers is about 3000 sq. Km. In this area you can fit about 5000 soldiers with equipment, provisions and horses. The summit can be reached only by a small powerful bus, bike or camels.
Lawrence of Arabia himself has visited and studied the fortress Crac de Chevaliers during his travels to Syria. In 2006 the castle was included in the List of World Heritage by UNESCO.
