Skip to main content
Skip to footer

The Krak des Chevaliers

The Krak des Chevaliers

Home
Home
Resources
- Explore the site
- - Context and environment
  - Historical and geographical context
  - The transfer of the Krak to the Hospitallers
- - Crusader castle (12th-13th centuries)
  - Introduction to the castle
  - The first Hospitaller castle (12th century)
  - Strengthening of the fortifications in the 13th century
  - Final construction phase
  - The great Gothic hall
- - The Mamluk castle (13th-14th centuries)
  - Baybars' siege of 1271
  - The Krak des Chevaliers under the Mamluks
  - The Mamluk refortification
  - Baybars’ alterations
  - Sultan Qalawun’s tower
  - Changes to the entrance system
  - The hammam
  - Residential and religious alterations
- - Daily life in the castle
  - Castle life and the monastic rule
  - Common dormitory
  - Early unitary spaces
  - Hierarchical living spaces
  - Latrine tower
  - Prayer
  - Chapels decorated with frescoes
  - Food
- - Rediscovery of the castle
  - The pioneers
  - Paul Deschamps: inventor of the Krak
  - The Fonds Deschamps
  - The acquisition and management of the castle
- - Contemporary research
  - French research
  - European teams
- The study of Near Eastern medieval castles
- The citadel of Damascus (Syria)
- The castle of Doubiyeh (Lebanon)
- The citadel of Apamea (Syria)
- Resources
- Media library
- The collection
- Credits
- About us
- Actors in archaeology
- Contact
- Content uploading platform
- Legal notice

The Krak des Chevaliers

A jewel of 12^th- and 13^th-century military architecture, the Krak des Chevaliers (Qalʿat al-Hoṣn) is the most iconic of the fortresses built by the Crusaders in the Near East.

archeologie.culture.fr
patrimoineprocheorient.fr - (new window)

The Site of The Krak Des Chevaliers

The site of the Krak des Chevaliers

Accueil
Media Library
The Site of The Krak Des Chevaliers
The site of the Krak des Chevaliers

Reduce the size of the text Increase the size of the text

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Print

<p>Watch a video of the 3D reconstruction of this fortress dating from the time of the Crusades.</p>

Grand Palais

Resources

Site plan

About us

Legal notice

Context and environment

Historical and geographical context
The transfer of the Krak to the Hospitallers

Crusader castle (12^th-13^th centuries)

Introduction to the castle
The first Hospitaller castle (12<sup>th</sup> century)
Strengthening of the fortifications in the 13<sup>th</sup> century
Final construction phase
The great Gothic hall

The Mamluk castle (13^th-14^th centuries)

Baybars’ siege of 1271
The Krak des Chevaliers under the Mamluks
The Mamluk refortification
Baybars’ alterations
Sultan Qalawun’s tower
Changes to the entrance system
The hammam
Residential and religious alterations

Daily life in the castle

Castle life and the monastic rule
Common dormitory
Early unitary spaces
Hierarchical living spaces
Latrine tower
Prayer
Chapels decorated with frescoes
Food

Rediscovery of the castle

The pioneers
Paul Deschamps: inventor of the Krak
The Fonds Deschamps
The acquisition and management of the castle

Contemporary research

French research
European teams

The study of Near Eastern medieval castles

The citadel of Damascus (Syria)
The castle of Doubiyeh (Lebanon)
The citadel of Apamea (Syria)

Resources

Media library
Site plan

The collection

About us
Contact
Legal notice
Credits

Follow us

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Dailymotion
Sketchfab

About

Beyond time and space, the Archeologie.culture.fr collection presents the history and life of men through the research of the greatest specialists in French archeology.
Visit Archeologie.culture.fr

Discover other sites of the collection

Cuneiform and the Near East
Iraq - 2700 years ago

Khorsabad
Syria - 2,000 years ago

Palmyra
Syria - 1,300 years ago

The Umayyad mosque in Damascus

Contact - Accessibilité : Partiellement conforme - - 2025. Ministry of Culture (en)