On Tuesday, we piled into a small bus and had a 2 hour drive to Hama (for a stop) and then a further 1 hour on to Crac des Chevaliers. This is a large Crusader fort built from 1142 to 1271, with later additions, which is very well preserved and occupies a stunning location on a hill overlooking valleys below. We toured the fortress, climbing over the walls and towers. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We followed with a large chicken lunch at a nearby restaurant with a great view of the Crac. The fortress is really stunning.
We rode back to Hama to our hotel. Hama is apparently the most conservative town is Syria, but is was very quite when we arrived at 4:30 pm. We had a short walk through the older part of the town to see some of the norias on the river. A noria is an old wooden water wheel (up to 20m diameter), designed to raise river water to an stone aquaduct, from where it flows to the fields. There are numbers of these norias along the river.
We followed with a large chicken lunch at a nearby restaurant with a great view of the Crac. The fortress is really stunning.
We rode back to Hama to our hotel. Hama is apparently the most conservative town is Syria, but is was very quite when we arrived at 4:30 pm. We had a short walk through the older part of the town to see some of the norias on the river. A noria is an old wooden water wheel (up to 20m diameter), designed to raise river water to an stone aquaduct, from where it flows to the fields. There are numbers of these norias along the river.
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