Located in Syria, it is the largest crusader castle in the world

As today, in the 12th century, Siria was a conflict zone. The Christian kingdoms of the time, established during the crusades, along with the knight orders (templars, hospitals etc.) fought against the Arabs for control of the territory.

In this context, the order of the Hospitallers built between 1142 and 1170 AD, the most imposing defensive bulwark of the time: Krak Des Chevaliers.

Its name comes from the combination of the arabic word Krak, (which means fortress) and the French word des Chevaliers (of the knights).

The castle is located in the Homs region, on a hill 650 meters high, controlling the surroundings.

Its imposing exterior walls of more than 30 meters high, stand majestically next to 13 towers, between 8 and 10 meters high. The walls, had small openings by which the defenders could throw stones, arrows and boiling oil on enemies. To further strengthen the powerful defense of the bastion, the castle had an inner ring, also fortified, which was accessed by 3 large gates flanked by defensive towers. In this area, the knights’ quarters were located which protected the castle, the food stores and a chapel 21 meters long, where vestiges of crusader’s art were preserved, of which hardly anything remains.

Despite its powerful defense, the castle had 2 vulnerable points: The main gate and the southern area, which was exposed to the plain. The Hospitallers solved this problem in 2 ways. First, they reinforced the entrance with 3 huge turrets and a zigzag path so that assailants could not assault it easily. As for the southern area, they increased the thickness of the walls, until making them 25 meters thick.

But, in addition to these defenses, the Hospitallers had cisterns up to 120 meters deep, dug into the cliff. In case of a siege, they could stock up on water and food for years. For these reasons, UNESCO has accredited it as the greatest exponent of medieval fortifications.

In total, the enclosure has 30,000 square meters of extension, double than any castle of the time, and its garrison could accommodate between 2000 and 4000 horsemen. From 1142 to 1271, Krak des Chevaliers resisted more than 12 sieges by the Muslims. Even the celebrated general Saladin, was drawn away by the defenders of the castle in 1168. But, despite its power, the castle was conquered.

But wasn’t it an impregnable castle?

It is true, militarily it could not be defeated. But on March 3, 1271, Mamluk sultan Baybars started an assault on the castle. Excavating a tunnel, he managed to undermine the walls of the southern zone and opened a breach. But, after succeeding, he found the second line of fortifications and thousands of knights defending it.

Baybars, realizing that he could not conquer the castle by force, resorted to cunning. He forged a letter with the signature of the Grand Master of the Order of Hospitallers. The letter said that they had to surrender the fortress and reach an agreement with the Sultan. A carrier pigeon arrived at the fortress carrying the forged message. The knights deceived by this trap retreated on April 8th, 1271, and the castle was occupied by the Arabs to this day.

What to do in Krak Des Chevaliers?

Before the Syrian civil war, Krak des Chevaliers was a popular tourist destination. The good state of preservation of the castle, its beautiful architecture and its history, attracted tens of thousands of visitors a year. In 2006 it was declared UNESCO World Heritage.

Unfortunately the conflict in Syria caused serious damage to the fortress between the years 2012 and 2013. Several missiles hit the castle causing serious damage. But, in spite of everything, the fortress with 8 centuries of history managed to hold on.

Currently it is possible to visit the castle, but it is a high-risk area. If you want to have an adventure trip, with strong emotions it is undoubtedly the ideal destination.