| Citadel of Homs | |
|---|---|
قلعة حمص | |
| Homs,Syria | |
 Château et portion de la ville deHemss, jadis Émèse, etching afterLouis-François Cassas, published 1799 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Castle |
| Condition | Ruined |
| Location | |
  Citadel of Homs | |
| Coordinates | 34°43′26″N36°42′52″E / 34.723807°N 36.714371°E /34.723807; 36.714371 |
TheCitadel of Homs, also known asHoms Castle orQalaat Homs (Arabic:قلعة حمص), is a historic building now mostly ruined inHoms, Syria. The citadel was built on top of an ancienttell southwest of the Old City, with remains dating back to the3rd millennium BCE.[1] The citadel is locally known as the "Citadel of Usama", named afterUsama ibn Munqidh.
Julia Domna, daughter of the high-priestJulius Bassianus, has contributed to improve the city ofEmesa and its citadel during theRoman Syria era. At that time, the citadel was able to contain accommodation, warehouses and administrative buildings surrounded by semi-circular walls.
However, today the Citadel is in ruinous state as a result of massive demolition started by the Egyptian army ofIbrâhîm Pasha in the 1830s. This was followed by leveling and extensive new construction carried out when the site was used as a military base by the French army during theMandate period and thereafter by the Syrian army.
The Citadel was only abandoned for military purposes in the late 1980s when it passed to theDirectorate-General of Antiquities and Museums.[2]
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Also See:Castles in Syria | ||
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