Knights Hospitaller Krak Castle

Timeline

1. 1142–1170Krak des Chevaliers · SyriaThe Knights Hospitaller gained control of the castle from local lords, adding walls and towers to the existing Kurdish fortress and converting it into an important Hospitaller outpost on the frontier of the Principality of Antioch.
2. 1200–1250Krak des Chevaliers · SyriaThe order systematically expanded the castle in the 13th century, forming inner and outer concentric walls, projecting bastions, a winding entrance, and a cistern system, able to garrison about two thousand defenders, becoming the pinnacle of Levantine crusader fortification.
3. 1241–1250Krak des Chevaliers · SyriaAs crusader state territory shrank, Krak des Chevaliers still controlled the key Homs Pass route; the Knights Hospitaller maintained supplies by sea and land, allowing the fortress to continue its regional blockade role under Ayyubid and subsequent Mamluk pressure.
4. 1271Krak des Chevaliers · SyriaSultan Baybars besieged Krak des Chevaliers with heavy artillery and psychological warfare; the garrison was forced to surrender, and the Knights Hospitaller lost their most important fortress in Syria, marking the end of the Levantine crusader defense system.