{"id":256841,"date":"2019-09-13T07:00:39","date_gmt":"2019-09-13T10:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/?p=256841"},"modified":"2019-09-17T15:38:03","modified_gmt":"2019-09-17T18:38:03","slug":"medieval-fortress-used-again-in-21st-century","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/medieval-fortress-used-again-in-21st-century\/","title":{"rendered":"Medieval fortress used again in 21st century"},"content":{"rendered":"

Al-Nasrah, Syria \u2013 The team of journalists from different countries invited by Syria\u2019s ministry of Tourism to visit the country left Palmyra<\/a> late at night on August 30 to Al-Nasrah, a majorly Christian city in the middle of the mountains 216 km west from there.<\/p>\n

The convoy of two minibus, a van and a car stopped midway around midnight so that people could eat and drink something at a simple but well-stocked establishment by the road. Some ate falafel sandwiches, fries, other drank water, sodas or beer.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
View from Al Khair hotel, with Crac des Chevaliers on the background: few guests<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Struggling to find their inn, Amar Hotel, the group rode astray during the night, stopping everywhere for directions. This made everyone uneasy, since there is still a conflict going on in Syria and the fights raged in the region of Idlib, just up 170 kilometers to the north.<\/p>\n

After a while, two guys on a motorbike helpfully lead the group up the mountain to their hotel. It was 3 am already.<\/p>\n

Al-Nasrah sits in an eminently touristic region, full of hotels overlooking the beautiful mountains and the valleys below. With the war, the tourism sector suffered greatly and two of the establishment ANBA visited had few guests in them, despite the cloudless blue sky, smoldering sun and appealing swimming pools.<\/p>\n

Fortification<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"O<\/a>
The castle seen from afar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The main attraction there is the Crac des Chevaliers (\u201cCastle of the Knights,\u201d or \u201cQalat Al-Hosn,\u201d Arabic for \u201cCastle of the Fortress\u201d), the main theme of the third story of ANBA series on Syria. It was one of the world\u2019s best preserved medieval castles before the war started in 2011 \u2013 it\u2019s the epitome of a medieval castle \u2013 considered a World Heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and included on the UNESCO list of World Heritage in Danger since 2013.<\/p>\n

It was built and occupied by the Knights of Saint John, the order of the Hospitallers from 1142 to 1271 on the top of a mountain where there was a fort before. It\u2019s one of the several castles built by the European crusades in Syria and Palestine. It was taken in 1271 by Mamluk sultan Al-Zahir Baibars and the new occupiers kept adding appendages to the castle.<\/p>\n

Just like the Crusaders in the Middle Ages, jihadist insurgents withdrew into the castle and fought the Syrian army from there. The castle was retaken in March 2014 after two years of occupation and was heavily damaged during the confrontations. On August 31, when ANBA visited it, the deeper parts of the fortress were closed for visitation, and one of the keeps had a hole on the ceiling and debris on the ground beneath.<\/p>\n

The monument hasn\u2019t lost its majesty, tough, and proved its walls are still strong despite the age. Its magnificent keeps and walls are striking and tower over Wadi Al-Nasara, the Valley of Christians. The view from up there is breathtaking.<\/p>\n

(Story continues after photo gallery)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n