Krak des Chevaliers (also spelt Cracs des Chevaliers, and known in Arabic as Hisn al-Akrad) is a castle in Syria originally built for the Emir of Aleppo in 1031 CE but acquired and extensively rebuilt by the Knights Hospitaller in 1144 CE. Considered virtually impregnable, it was the largest Crusader castle in the Middle East and a bulwark against the expansion of the Muslim states during the 12th and 13th centuries CE. The castle is today listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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Definition
Timeline
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1144The Knights Hospitaller acquire the castle of Krak des Chevaliers in Syria.
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Jul 1188Saladin besieges the Knights Hospitaller castle of Krak des Chevaliers but withdraws to meet the Third Crusade.
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1202An earthquake damages the castle of Krak des Chevaliers in Syria which is then rebuilt and enlarged by the Knights Hospitaller.
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8 Apr 1271Al-Zahir Baibars, Sultan of Egypt and Syria, captures the Knights Hospitaller castle of Krak des Chevaliers.
