The castle sit atop a 650 @-@ metre @-@ high ( 2 @,@ 130 ft ) hill east of Tartus , Syria , in the Homs Gap . On the other side of the gap , 27 kilometres ( 17 mi ) away , was the 12th @-@ century Gibelacar Castle . The route through the strategically important Homs Gap connect the cities of Tripoli and Homs . To the north of the castle lie the Jebel Ansariyah , and to the south Lebanon . The surrounding area is fertile , benefiting from streams and abundant rainfall . Compared to the Kingdom of Jerusalem , the other Crusader states had less land suitable for farming ; however , the limestone peaks of Tripoli was well @-@ suited to defensive sites .