Le Crac des Chevaliers

It's located 160km south of Mashta Helou.

((Crac's pictures are at page bottom))

Crac des Chevaliers is one of the great building of all times. It stands on top of a steep hillside at a height of 2.300 feet, looking over a wide stretch of country. Crac's architecture was grand & strong enough to survive earthquakes, weathering and other forces of nature, as well as attacks and wars over the centuries. This castle needs a complete research as it has a great history but we are going to mention only the main points as stated by the engineer Mr. Malatyous Jaghnoun.

He says:

A prince from Homs established a garrison for Akrad and called the district as Hisn al-Akrad in 1031.

In 1099, a European Prince called Raymond de San Jill based his attack nearby Crac, he was documented as camping his army within sight of Crac & attempting to attack the castle. That campaign was the first crusader one against Arabs.

The prince occupied the Crace but not for long time, it was recaptured in 1102 by the Amir of Homs.

In 1110 prince Tankrid ,who was Antakia's European Prince, took the Crac and joined it to the County of Tripoli. He built the castle on a style still existing till now.

In 1115, Aleppo ruler Al-sallouqi Alp Arsalan failed to get the castle back.

In 1142, the County of Tripoli's Prince, Raymond the 2nd , handed the Crac to a religious brotherhood known as St. John Knights or " Hospitaller mounted Knights", and then it became known as the Nights' Castle.

The second half of the twelfth century was a period of considerable seismic disturbance. A severe earthquake was recorded in 1157, after which many of the original structures were rebuilt and new lines of defense were added by the Hospitallers.

During that period and in 1163, Noor Din Zincky installed his own troops in the area and raided the European army in Al-bekea'a district. He tried to conquer the castle, but the Crac survived from his attacks and sieges.

A new unsuccessful trial for conquering the castle was recorded for Sultan Zincky in 1166. During this period the Crac was renewed and a church was built inside the castle.

Another earthquake was recorded in 1170. It damaged the buildings severely even no one of its walls was left.

In 1188, Saladin based his attack through the nearby Homs. And after his great victory in Hitteen, he was documented as camping his army within the sight of Crac, not actually attempting to conquer the Crack but to conquer the Syrian coast.

Another major earthquake occurred in 1202, damaged even more of the castle. All the destruction caused by earthquakes forced the Hospitallers to renovate and improve existing defenses especially the outer walls which were the first outer circle of defense, the southern massive square defensive wall and the warehouse which lay behind the south wall.

In 1206 one of Saladin's brother failed to conquer the Crac.

The castle leader tower was established in the upstairs In 1206.

The big knights hall and its passageway were built in 1250.

The approaching defensive tower was in the castle northern entrance.

In 1255, Nicolas De Laurny built the front defense tower in the Crac's northern entrance.

Early in 1270 Baybars brought his army to the area around Crac. He couldn't attack the castle as he had to back away & return in a hurry to Egypt to fight the French King Louis IX.

In 1271 Baybars devoted his full attention to take the castle by using a combination of projectiles engines such as catapults. By March 4, The Mamluks raised the catapults in front of the southern wall, and they finally took the castle on April 8.

Conquering the Crac opened the way to conquer Al-markib Fort which was retaken by Kalaoon in 1285.

In 1285 The Mamluk Al-nasir Ibn Mohammad Kalaoon Salhy built a massive, square defense tower in the middle of the southern wall.

In 1857 a French archeologist called Guillaume Rey offered the first archeological study about the Crac.

Much thought, effort, and wealth went into the development of the castle, and the result was magnificent. In 1927 the first archeological mission under Paul Dechamps' control arrived to the area . It wrought towards renovating the Crac. In 1934 the mission published its first study about the castle.

As we were unable to fulfill the Crac's right due to the Page's narrowness, Crac des Chevaliers is considered one of the most important Syrian archeological mark you couldn't neglect when you speak about the archeological places in Syria.

This castle witnessed the most powerful historical periods. It was grand and strong enough to survive earthquakes, weathering, and other forces of nature, as well as attacks and wars over centuries, and it remained "Le Crac des Chevaliers" that magnificent and famous fortress with its tremendous walls narrate to the castle's visitors its great historical stories..........

A Latin phrase was engraved on one of the castle's wall, it said:

"If you were granted amenity, wisdom and above all beauty, don't let them coupled with arrogance because it destroys them all."