Al-Hosn
الحصن Al-Hisn | |
|---|---|
City | |
 The city of Al-Hosn seen from the southeast tower of Krak des Chevaliers | |
| Coordinates: 34°45′32″N 36°17′49″E / 34.75889°N 36.29694°E / 34.75889; 36.29694 | |
| Country | .svg/1280px-Flag_of_Syria_(2025-).svg.png) Syria |
| Governorate | Homs |
| District | Talkalakh |
| Subdistrict | Hawash |
| Population (2004) | |
• Total | 8,980 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (EEST) |
Al-Hosn (Arabic: الحصن, also spelled Al-Hisn) is a city in northwestern Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate. It is located west of Homs and north of the border with Lebanon. Nearby localities include al-Huwash to the east, Anaz to the southeast, Aridah to the south, al-Zarah to the southwest, Zweitina to the west, al-Nasirah and Marmarita to the northwest, Muqlus to the north, and Mazinah to the northeast.
According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Al-Hosn had a population of 8,980 in the 2004 census. It is the largest urban center in the al-Huwash nahiyah ("subdistrict"), which consisted of 19 localities with a collective population of 24,684 in 2004.[1]
The inhabitants of the city are predominantly Sunni Muslims, with a significant Christian minority, and it lies within a region largely populated by Christians known as Wadi al-Nasara ("Valley of the Christians"). The city contains a Greek Catholic Church.[2]
Al-Hosn is built around the Krak des Chevaliers fortress (known in Arabic as Qalʿat al-Hosn). The name Al-Hosn means "the Fortress." The modern city developed after the relocation of inhabitants from the fortress itself during French-led excavations. Subsequent growth occurred with limited urban planning, resulting in significant urban sprawl surrounding the fortress.[3]
In 2014, Al-Hosn was the site of a major battle during the Syrian Civil War.
References
- ^ General Census of Population and Housing 2004. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Homs Governorate. (in Arabic)
- ^ "الموسوعة المسيحية العربية الإلكترونية".
- ^ Darke, 2006, pp. 198–199.
Bibliography
- Darke, Diane (2006). Syria. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 1841621625.
- Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea. Vol. 3. Crocker & Brewster.
