bird's eye view of Rey
1871 coloured by a student apprentice
a photo of the Crac coloured
by a student apprentice, taken by
Louis de Clercq in the year 1859
four
outlines of model reconstruction reflections by
Architect Dipl.-Ing.
Bernhard Siepen
Backview of the Model
Section of the model of the Crac in
M 1 : 26,5
of architect Bernhard Siepen
based on masterplan of Jean Mesqui, look at
http://www.castellorient.com
KRAK DES CHEVALIERS
(frk. Le Crat, Crac de
l’Ospital, Cratum, Castellum Curdorum etc.; arab. ÍiÒn al-Akrād, today:
Qal‘at al-ÍiÒn)
History:
The first fortification on the site, erected by the emir of Homs, Šibl ad-Dawla NaÒr; A Curdish garrison is stationed there.
Short occupation during the First Crusade.
After having become tributary to the Crusaders the year before, the castle is conquered by Tancred of Antioch
Tancred leaves the castle to Pons of Tripoli, the son of Bertrand of Saint-Gilles.
Count Raymond II of Tripoli sells his property to the Knights Hospitaller, most probably after earthquake damages
Unsuccessfull Muslim sieges.
Rebuilding of the castle after a heavy earthquake.
Unsuccessfull siege by sultan Saladin.
After earthquake damages further construction works; In this time the castle serves as a base for repeated raids to the Orontes valley and against Hama.
First siege conducted by Mamluk sultan Baibars.
After a one month’s siege by Baibars the garrison surrenders on terms of free retreat; Subsequent reconstruction works conducted by the Mamluks until 1285.
Description:
Most impressive and best-preserved castle of
the Crusaders, situated on a hilltop at a height of 650 m in the mountains
of the southern Syrian coast. It guarded the strategically important passage
from inner Syria to the coast, the ‘Gate of Homs’, and the northeastern
flank of the county of Tripoli. The main castle, most probably erected after
the heavy earthquake of 1170, is the oldest part. It has a concentric
polygonal form with a circular hall, interrupted in the northeast by a
chapel and in the east by the tower-flanked gate. The main front of attack
in the south was strengthened by three rectangular towers. Later they were
replaced by massive semi-circular bastions with a further wall added in the
south and west topping a high talus and a moat in front of it. This
arrangement was surrounded by a polygonal outer enclosure wall with
semi-circular towers at regular intervals. Both gates were connected by a
long sharp-angled access way. In the Mamluk period a comprehensive
reconstruction was conducted, mainly at the southern and eastern parts of
the castle. Part of this was a massive square tower in front of the south
wall, erected in 1285 by sultan Qalāwūn.
Author: Dr. Mathias Piana, Augsburg