subject: Crack De Chevaliers, Syrian Most See Site [print this page] Crack De Chevalier an amazing site in Syria Tour Location: it is connected to Homs Gov., /65/ km., west from the city, the middle of Syria It was built on a mount with elevation of / 750/ m above sea level. There is a /35/ km., distance between the citadel and the sea. Architectural description: Total area is 240 m2. , from north to south; and 170m from east to west, total area is estimated to be /3/ Hectares. The outer fence contains halls for cavalries with stables, warehouses, guards rooms, 13 towers some are cylindrical, some Square others are rectangular, surrounded with a ditch supported with sloppy walls The ditch is engraved in rock. And propped by carefully smoothed stones. The internal fort overviews the whole outer fence and installations. The internal fence consist of a stand alone citadel was built over rocky base separated from the outer fence with a deep ditch, which used to be filled with water called Berkah, the internal fence overviews the outer one and controls the surrounding area The second fence which is directly over the pool and it is /26/m high., with /3/ cylindrical tower The original fortress at the location had been built in 1031 for the emir of Aleppo. During the First Crusade in 1099 it was captured by Raymond IV of Toulouse, but then abandoned when the Crusaders continued their march towards Jerusalem. It was reoccupied again by Tancred, Prince of Galilee in 1110. In 1142 it was given by Raymond II, count of Tripoli, to the Hospitallers, contemporaries of the Knights Templar. Krak des Chevaliers was the headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller during the Crusades. It was expanded between 1150 and 1250 and eventually housed a garrison of 2,000. The inner curtain wall is up to 100 feet thick at the base on the south side, with seven guard towers 30 feet in diameter
