Homs

This is the middle of Syria. The city sits at the mouth of the Homs Gap, the only natural break in the coastal mountain range, and for thousands of years every road running inland from the Mediterranean has come through here. Rome knew it and grew Emesa. The Crusaders knew it and put Krak des Chevaliers on the hill facing the gap.

Where to start

The Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque. It stands north of the centre in the middle of a wide garden, and its facade — banded in black basalt and white limestone — tells you the stone language of Homs in one look. Both of the region’s stones are here, side by side. The inner courtyard is empty in the mornings.

In the city

Most of the old city was destroyed in the war and the repair work is still going on. Come knowing that: what you are looking at is not a preserved museum but a working building site. Streets in the centre and part of the souq have reopened, the coffee houses are running, the stalls are up.

Around it

Krak des Chevaliers is 65 kilometres west, on the hill directly facing the gap; with Homs as a base it is a half-day round trip. Hama is 45 kilometres north. West of the city lies Lake Qattinah and the ancient dam that holds it.

When to go

This is inland climate: dry hard summers, windy winters. April to May and September to October are the balanced months. Sea air pours through the gap continuously, which makes Homs noticeably windier than other inland cities at the same latitude.

Getting there

About 160 kilometres north of Damascus on the M5, roughly two hours. The same road runs south from Aleppo, 190 kilometres. From Latakia it is about three hours over the mountains.