Krak des Chevaliers - fortress nepriyatiya

The Krak des Chevaliers, a fortress of the knights Hospitaller built in Syria, today is one of the most well-preserved fortifications from the middle Ages. The sun and Sands of the Syrian desert perfectly preserved and the outline of the castle, its impressive walls and fortifications ingenious constructions.





Krak des Chevaliers was built during the second half of the XII century on the top of a high solitary hill. This location served well as the main function of this formidable fortress of protection, withstanding a siege and, in General, intimidate the enemy. However, not only a good place kept the castle for nearly a thousand years. Its wonderful fortification characteristics due to the specific architecture. The Central structure of the castle, its "heart", surrounded by two rings of walls and towers (each wall is "accompanied" by a deep ditch). The knights, defending the outer perimeter of the Muslims, could, if required, to retreat to the inner perimeter and to finish off the attackers. The defenders were always at a higher elevation than the attackers, because the wall of the inner perimeter is higher than the outer walls.





On the South side of the castle, more vulnerable than the North, the cunning, the Hospitallers built a large sloping stone platform. Of course, the attackers, seeing such a convenient climb – except that no carpet – spinning finger to his temple in the direction of European construction – and threw him "on Board" wall. Then it was discovered, that the platform is polished to a mirror Shine, and even barefoot climb up is very difficult – very slippery. However, this was not the main problem. The Hospitallers, too long to wait wasn't going to, and "bread and salt" in the form of huge rocks and the molten resin was not long in coming.





Among other "surprises" Krak des Chevaliers had a drawbridge, a narrow passage inside the castle with four iron bars, a strategic loopholes and holes, allowing to seamlessly send messengers for a variety of needs, and also throw flaming arrows of the enemy camp.





Such a diabolical cunning of the defenders of the Christian faith for over 200 years has allowed the Hospitallers lazy to show the Arabs the language of the height of the walls of Krak des Chevaliers. Here, inside the castle it was warm and cozy at their disposal was a beautiful Banquet hall, a Romanesque chapel, a huge barn, dining rooms, and quite comfortable personal cells. But in the end, the Christians left the Holy Land. No exception and our castle. In the end it has a group of 200 people (despite the fact that the fortress was designed for comfortable accommodation of two thousand soldiers within five years of siege!). In 1271, after a short siege the castle was surrendered to the Muslims, for the futility of further struggle. However, the Ottomans-the Mamluks were able to seize the fortress, only digging a tunnel to the interior of the castle. The surviving Hospitallers "under a subscription about good behavior" were sent home.



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