Qalaat al-Hosn (قلعة الحصن), more famously known as Krak des Chevaliers, is arguably the best preserved and most impressive Crusader castle surviving today. It is one of the highlights of a visit to Syria, and should be considered a must on any itinerary. The castle was been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2006. More details on this site will be added …
Deir Mar Jerjes (دير مار جرجس) is a large Greek Orthodox monastery named after Saint George. It is located in Wadi al-Nasara (وادي النصارى), or “Valley of the Christians”, an area that includes several dozen Christian villages in the western countryside of Homs (حمص). The region has been a center for Greek Orthodox Christianity since the Byzantine period. The monastery was originally founded in the …
Qasr al-Heir al-Sharqi (قصر الحير الشرقي) is remote desert palace complex dating to the late Umayyad period. Construction began in 728 under Hisham (هشام), the tenth Umayyad caliph. While it was once believed that the site had Roman or Byzantine origins, it appears more likely that stonework was transported from other locations by the Umayyads, or that they employed Christian craftsmen. The site may have …
al-Mishrafeh (المشرفة), the ancient city of Qatna (قطنا), is one of the largest Bronze Age sites in Syria. Located between the city of Homs (حمص) and the town of Salamiyeh (سلمية), excavations here have resulted in important discoveries in recent decades. French archaeologist Robert du Mesnil du Buisson first researched the site in the 1920s, uncovering parts of the royal palace, three gates, and several …
