castle
Krak des Chevaliers
A Crusader fortress in Syria considered one of the most important preserved medieval castles in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
40 km · about 45 min drive
AsiaSyriaHoms
Homs
Homs, Syria · Asia
About Homs
Homs sits on the route: 20 minutes from Al Ghanţū, 40km from Krak des Chevaliers.
Homs is in Syria, with about 780,000 people. The nearest town is Al Ghanţū, about 11 km away.
Homs, known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa, is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is 501 m (1,644 ft) above sea level and is located 162 km (101 mi) north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is also the central link between the interior cities and the MediterraneanRead more
coast.
Before the Syrian civil war, Homs was a major industrial hub with a population of at least 652,609 people in 2004, it was the third-largest city in Syria after Aleppo to the north and the capital Damascus to the south. Its population reflected Syria's general religious diversity, composed of Sunni and Alawite Muslims, and Christians. There are a number of historic mosques and churches in the city, and it is close to the Krak des Chevaliers castle, a World Heritage Site.
Homs did not emerge into the historical record until the 1st century BC in the Seleucid Empire, becoming the capital of a kingdom ruled by the Emesene dynasty who gave the city its name. Originally a center of worship for El-Gabal, a pagan idol linked to the sun, it later gained importance in Christianity under the Byzantines. Homs was conquered by the Muslims in the 7th century and made capital of a district that bore its current name. Throughout the Islamic era, Muslim dynasties contending for control of Syria sought after Homs due to the city's strategic position in the area. Homs began to decline under the Ottomans and only in the 19th century did the city regain its economic importance when its cotton industry boomed. During French Mandate rule, the city became a center of insurrection and, after independence in 1946, a center of Baathist resistance to the first Syrian governments.
During the civil war, much of the city was devastated due to the Siege of Homs; reconstruction to affected parts of the city is underway. In December 2024, Syrian rebels began an offensive, entering Homs and taking control of the city on December 8.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Homs?
Within an hour or so of Homs: Krak des Chevaliers (40 km).
Where is Homs?
Homs is in Homs, Syria, about 11 km from Al Ghanţū.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 775,404
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Syria
- Region
- Homs
- Timezone
- Asia/Damascus
- Coordinates
- 34.7240, 36.7256
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1 notable place within an hour's drive.
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