Krak des Chevaliers of Siria
Krak des Chevaliers ("Fortress of the Kurds") is a Crusader castle in Syria and one of the most important preserved medieval castles in the world. The site was first inhabited in the 11th century by a Kurdish settlement as a garrison under the Mirdasid dynasty. In 1142, the castle became a gift from Raymond II of the County of Tripoli to the Knights Salvation. The castle remained in their possession until it was abandoned in 1271. The castle is also known as Crac de l'Ospital, the name Krak des Chevaliers which appeared only in the 19th century.
After an earthquake damaged the castle, the Knights Hospitaller began rebuilding the castle in the 1140s and completed it in 1170 when an earthquake destroyed the castle. The Order controlled a number of castles along the border of the County of Tripoli, a state established after the First Crusade. Krak des Chevaliers is one of the most important castles and served as an administrative center as well as a military base. After a second construction in the 13th century, Krak des Chevaliers took the form of a concentric castle. During this time, the outer walls were built and brought the castle to its present shape. The first half of the 13th century is described as the "golden age" of Krak des Chevaliers. At its height, Krak des Chevaliers had a garrison of about 2,000 men. Such a garrison allowed Order knights to collect tribute around a large area. From the 1250s this acquisition became worse and worse, and in 1271, Mamluk's sultan Baybars I captured the castle after a 36-day siege believed to have stemmed from a forged letter surrender of the Grand Leader.
Interest in Crusader castles in the 19th century led to the investigation of Krak des Chevaliers, and architectural plans were drawn up. In the late 19th or early 20th century, a settlement was established within the castle, causing its structures to be damaged. About 500 residents moved into the castle in 1933, and it was given to the French Alawite State, which subsequently undertook a program of reclamation and restoration. When Syria declared independence in 1946, control belonged to the new nation.
Since 2006, the castle Krak des Chevaliers has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was partially damaged during the Syrian civil war by shelling and was recaptured by the Syrian government in 2014. Since then, reconstruction and conservation work on the area has begun.
