Grand Syria
Fourteen days from the south to cities and coast.
Damascus · Bosra · Maaloula · Palmyra / Tadmur · Homs
✦ Six World Heritage properties in context✦ Cities, desert and coast
Price on requestView journey →
Qal’at Salah El-Din
A mountain fortress where Byzantine, Crusader and Ayyubid defenses meet.
WHY GO
A mountain fortress where Byzantine, Crusader and Ayyubid defenses meet.
Qal’at Salah El-Din occupies a forested rocky ridge near Latakia and preserves Byzantine, Frankish and Ayyubid layers in a dramatic setting. Rock-cut defenses and moat, gates, inner areas and surviving palace spaces show how the mountain itself became part of the fortification. Together with Krak des Chevaliers it forms one UNESCO World Heritage property.
What to see
- The defensive approach and deep rock-cut moat.
- Fortifications, gates and surviving inner areas where accessible.
- Ridge views across the surrounding forested landscape.
What to experience
- Read Byzantine, Frankish and Ayyubid layers through changing construction and defenses.
Food
A simple local stop within the coastal route, according to arrangements.
How long to stay
Usually a day trip from Latakia or another coastal base, subject to current access.
SUGGESTED JOURNEYS
Place it within a route.
Stone, Souq & Sea
Castle, northern souqs and Mediterranean coast.
Damascus · Krak des Chevaliers · Hama · Aleppo · Latakia
✦ Krak des Chevaliers✦ Aleppo and its souqs
Price on requestView journey →