Magnificent Crac des Chevaliers
A virtual tour of the greatest Crusader castle.

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Crac des Chevaliers A panoramic view of the mighty 12th century Crusader castle, situated on hilltop in Syria 29 miles west of Homs and 19 miles from Tartus on the Mediterranean coast. It is the south-west corner of the castle that is closest to us in this view.
Please click on the image for an enlargement.
Plan of Crac des Chevaliers The vaulted corridor Glimpsing the moat Looking north east at the tower Between the walls On the west wall The north-west tower The yard The round tower Three views from the round tower The central southern tower The Crusader chapel The long room The moat The tower of the daughter of the king A large room containing 12 latrines in the northern part. The Pillars Room - containing 5 ranks of heavy pillars on which tunnel vaults are set. Above this is a raised yard known as 'The Esplanade'. A vaulted warehouse without pillars. A warehouse containing big oil jars. A warehouse containing the remains of an oilmill. A corridor. A large room used for meetings and as a reception room. A tower. A tower. Please click on the numbers and the asterisk to see photos taken by me whilst on holiday with the Explore group in Syria.

Also - if, armed with the latest Internet browsers (i.e. IE5.5 onwards) you rest your mouse pointer on any particular room of the castle you may be lucky enough to have a brief description of that room appear.

To read up on the history of Crac, please click here.

The History of Crac des Chevaliers

The hill on which Crac des Chevaliers was constructed was originally the site of a small fortress called the "Castle on the slope". It was taken over in 1011 by the Emir of Homs, who garrisoned his Kurdish soldiers there to protect the Syrian interior from the potential threat of invasion from the direction of the Mediterranean coast.

In June 1110 the small fortress was occupied by the Crusaders under Tancred, Prince of Antioch. They housed a garrison of four thousand soldiers and built fortifications throughout their occupation when demanded by circumstances. They also had to restore parts of the castle that were shattered by earthquakes in 1157, 1170, 1201 and 1202.

The castle was attacked in 1163 by Nur ed-Din Sultan of Damascus, whose troops met the Franks in the Buqai'ah valley below the castle. Saladin (Salah ad-Din Yusuf) beseiged it in 1188, but renounced his plans to occupy it and continued on his march northward.

Saladin
from his statue by the Damascus citadel

It was during the winter of 1271 that king al-Zaher Baybars, in his endeavour to rout the Franks, "beseiged it for several days (3rd March - 8th April), harassing it with the bullets of his mangonels before his troops began to attack and occupy the castle, door by door, and tower by tower." (The Krak of the Knights - Touristic and Archaeological Guide).

Baybars later restored the damaged parts and built new towers; and the fortress retained its importance under the rule of the Arabs.

NB. 'Crac' is also commonly spelt with two K's as 'Krak'.

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Castles of the World - Contains a large collection of castle related information.