Fighting below Krac des Chevaliers

The most famous Crusader castle in the world is the scene of current fighting in the Syrian counterinsurgency.  It was known in its day as Crac de l'Ospital, after the Knights Hospitaller who inhabited and defended its walls.  The Knights defended it valiantly until 1271, when it was captured after a brutal siege that ended with a forged letter pretending to be orders from the Grand Master to surrender the place.  The Sultan who issued the forgery honored the terms of it, though, and allowed the surviving Knights to withdraw in good order.



Medievalists.net has more details.

3 comments:

douglas said...

If the Syrian Army is shelling the town, how long before the people move into the castle to return it to it's former use?

Grim said...

Depends on whether they think it'll stop modern artillery.

That's why the Parthenon is in such bad shape, by the way. It was well preserved until the Turks decided to use it as a gunpowder magazine.

douglas said...

I knew about that.

I suspect the castle would do pretty well against all but the largest artillery, certainly much better than any other building around.