Krak des Chevaliers stands on a hilltop in western Syria, controlling the pass between Homs and the Mediterranean coast. A Kurdish garrison was first stationed on the site by the emir of Homs in the early eleventh century, and the crusaders took it in 1110. In 1142 it was handed to the Knights Hospitaller, who rebuilt it as a massive concentric fortress with two rings of walls, round towers and a great hall. It resisted many sieges before the Mamluk sultan Baibars forced its surrender in 1271. Regarded as one of the best-preserved medieval castles, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, though it was damaged in the Syrian civil war.
Before and after
- 1024The Song dynasty issues the first government paper money
- c. 1020sAl-Biruni measures the size of the Earth
- 1025Avicenna completes the Canon of Medicine
- 8 November 1028Birth of William the Conqueror
- 1031Construction of Krak des Chevaliers
- from 1035 to 1707Kingdom of Aragon
- from 1037 to 1194Seljuk Empire
- 18 June 1037Death of Avicenna
- from 1038 to 1227Western Xia
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 691 CEConstruction of Dome of the Rock
- 8th centuryConstruction of Borobudur Temple
- 1066Construction of Tower of London
- from 1206 to 1368Mongol Empire
- from 1368 to 1644Ming dynasty
- 1473Construction of Sistine Chapel
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 11th century.