Krak des Chevaliers - a fortress of Hospitallers situated in the territory of the modern Syria, 65km to the west from Homs city. The fortress was built on the top of a cliff 650 m high. Today it is a UNESCO world heritage site.
In the Arab chronicles the fortress has been known since 1031, when it was occupied by a Kurd garrison of emir of Aleppo. Back then the fortress was called "the Castle of Kurds".
In 1099, during the first crusade it was conquered by crusaders. However soon they left the fortress to go further to Jerusalem.
In 1110 the fortress was repeatedly occupied by Tankredi, Prince of Galilee and in 1142 Raymond II gave it to Knights of Malta in order they could protects the lands from possible rayds from outside.
Hospitallers restored the fortress and built a lot of additional rooms turning it into the biggest stronghold of crusaders on the Holy land. Around the fortress they built the wall 3-30m thick with watchtowers.
The inner yard of the fortress.
Krak des Chevaliers was impregnable. It was repatedly sieged but always in vain. It was conquered only by a deceitful way, when the sultan of Syria and Egypt sent a false letter to the fortress where count Tripoly supposedly ordered the fortress to yield. As a result, in April, 8 of 1271, Krak des Chevaliers fell.
View from the outer wall at the inner spaces of the fortress. No parapets, if you fall from the wall - it's only your fault.
The square holes in the floor to the right - daylight windows for the rooms inside the wall.
Inside the walls and the main hall. Those square windows on the ceiling. This is a gallery inside the wall, it must be noticed that even inside the wall there were some storeys.
Pay attention to the thickness of the walls.
Narrower wall gallery
Underground part of the fortress.
Chapel
Throne room
Krak des Chevaliers is considered to be one of the best preserved ancient fortresses in the world.
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