Crac Des Chevaliers (Research Paper Sample)

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DATE \@ "d MMMM yyyy" 9 December 2015
Crac des Chevaliers
Abstract
This structure was also known as the Krak des Chevaliers and its self is a many castles in the world and the most important and well kept medieval castle globally located in Syria as a crusader castle. This location was initially occupied by the Kurds during the eleventh century and by then it was referred to as the Kurds castle. Later in 1142 the ownership of the site was transferred to the Knights Hospitaller by the Raymond II who was then the Tripoli Count who maintained it until later in 1271 when it failed. It was later named as Crac de I’Ospital until the nineteenth century when it was called Crac des Chevalier. The construction of the castle was under the Hospitallers from the 1140s until the early seventies when it was brought down by the heavy earthquake. This order of control continued along the Tripoli’s border that resulted to a foundation of a city after the fall of the first Crusade.
Introduction
Crac des Chevaliers was very popular and it was crowned as the military base as well as the administration centre. Crac des Chevaliers became the concentric castle in the thirteenth century after the second reconstruction. In the nineteenth century, there were some renewed interests at the Crusade Castles which resulted to the Crac des Chevaliers to be put under investigation and architectural work and planning begun effectively. In the early twentieth century, a huge settlement had been constructed inside the castle that was the causing agent of the fabric destruction. After this incidence, more than 500 inhabitants were escaped and the management of the castle was put into the hands of the French colonial rule that finished the reconstruction process (Chorowicz 78). The castle was later brought back to the manship of the Syrian government in 1946 after gaining their independence. Currently, there is a huge population of about 9000 inhabitants known as the Al-Husn and who surrounds the castle. The expert location of Crac des Chevaliers is about forty kilometres west of Homs near the Lebanon border and it is directly administered by the government of Homs
Location and architecture
Crac des Chevaliers is located on top of 650 metres high in the eastern part of Titus, Syria at a place called the Homs gap. Near the castle at around twenty-seven kilometres away is where the Gibelacar castles founded in the twelfth century is located. The gap space between the two castles is the Tripoli and Homs cities that are strategically positioned. Jebel Ansariyah castle is located in the northern direction of the Crac des Chevaliers and to the Lebanon southern direction (Chorowicz 78). Due to the availability of high rainfall the surrounding of Crac des Chevaliers is very fertile since it benefits from the streams around. This is far different from the Jerusalem Crusader that had little land left for farming.
Symbolic factor of the Crac des Chevaliers
Besides the limestone mined from the Tripoli peaks suites the castles’ defensive sites, some of the important properties that were presented to the Tripoli county as grants to the Knights such as Rafael town, the Kurds castle, the Buqai’ah plans that separated Tripoli and the Homs as well as the montferrad. The reason as to why all the Homs was never controlled by the Crusaders was due to the venerability state of the Kurds castle area thus expanded from the normal city (Setton 676).Besides the proximity, the castle made the knights is in great problems in matters concerning the defence of the area as well as the closeness of Homs for raiding purposes. This resulted to the Knights making this place to their basement as they had command of the whole plain.
Figure 1: A map of Crac des Chevalier
The Crac des Chevaliers history
Initially, the Crac des Chevalier’s site was occupied by the Kurds in the 1030s and it was from this that the castle obtained its current name. This was different from other castles and museums that were constructed in an elevated position e.g. on hills or even mountains since they believed that these acted as obstacles to their enemies (Margue 666). In 1099, there was an attack from the Garrison to the Raymond IV during their journey to the first Crusade in Jerusalem. However, the ownership did not last for long since after the garrison moved on with their journey they dropped it. Later in 1110 the then Prince of Galilee by the name Tancred permanently took full control of the site. The Hospitallers Knights’ history is not clear; however their order came to be known later in 1070 when they were in Jerusalem. Initially, this order had taken the religious way in that they took care of the sick persons but after some time they took the pilgrim direction of the holy land. St John Hospital was filled with gifts from the Crusaders after succeeding to conquer Jerusalem in 1099. In 1144, the Tripoli count, Raymond II gave the order permission to own property and this led to the establishment of the Palatinate in Tripoli (Chorowicz 78). Inside the premises were several castles that were used by the Hospitallers for the purpose of defending the Tripoli later the same year Crac des Chevaliers was added to the Hospitallers properties alongside with four other castles that were located near the border (Margue 666). And that gave them a chance to dominate the area. However, there was an agreement that made the Raymond II and the order that was meant to share the spoils upon the cooperation of the order and the Knights.
Figure 2: An image of the Crac des Chevaliers
Crac des Chevaliers religious impact
Between 1175 and 1180 a draught emerged and which forced the Crusaders to come into a two-year agreement with the Muslims without the presence of the Tripoli. Later attacks and raids have begun between the Christians and the Muslims thus increase the existing gap. This was stopped by Saladin in 1180 and because the crusaders were not ready to for another battle, they had to retreat and save their fortifications as well. Since Saladin was not able to get hold of the castles, he could not offer the area with enough security and after retreating from control the Hospitallers were able to reclaim the land though damaged (Margue 676). A good example was King Andrew II from Hungary who visited the castle in 1218 and identified the castle as a Christian centre offered it almost his yearly earning both to the masters and also to brothers (Margue 666).
Figure 3: an overview of the Crac des Chevaliers
Crac des Chevaliers political influence
The year 1250 was the most challenging since the Hospitallers who lived at the Crac des Chevaliers released their army who covered the area a situation that resulted in a financial crisis (Margue 365). According to the Hug Reveal who was the master placed complains saying that the area was initially occupied by more than ten thousand inhabitants later became a deserted area. The area was later occupied by the Baibars who grazed in the area around the castle but were later transferred to Cairo to avoid confrontations with King Lois IX from France. After the death of King Louis in 1271 the Baibers community returned to the Crac des Chevaliers through treaty signings (Chorowicz 78).
In 1271, there was a great decline of the familiarity of the European within the crusades castles sometimes after driving Frank away. The nineteenth century marks the era when many people started having the interest in the castles and renovations begun but not many details can be traced. Later in 1929 suggestions were made on removing the castles from the hands of the control of the French, which was made to be to happen in 1933.
Cultural importance of Crac des Chevaliers
After its completion Crac des, Chevaliers was regarded as a tourist attraction under the supervision of the castle from the Sidon and the Lions Towers. Apart from restoring the structure the archaeological excavations remained in the structure. In 2006, the castle was declared to be an international centre of heritage by the UNESCO together with Qal’at Salah El-din under the ownership of the government of Syria. After here all the residents who had been displaced from the area built their residential around the castles and resulted in the formation of the today al-Husn village. Most of these inhabitants are Muslims, who greatly benefit from the tourism that goes on within the area (Margue 365).
Crac des Chevaliers architectural design
According to Lawrence, who wrote in the early twentieth century identified the Crac des Chevaliers to the most admired and well-preserved castle internationally. The structure acts as a commentary throughout in the world as well as in Syria as a crusading building. Most of the castles found in Europe acted as centres for administration as well as accommodation centres due to their large sizes (Jana 700). The design of the castles also acts as the defence to the Lavant as well as being a paramount structure. Besides the castle displays a scientific monument since is acts as a fighting machine as it looks like other great structures such as the Crac des Chevaliers and the Margat buildings (Chorowicz 78). The site of the Crac des Chevalier could be classified as a spur castle and later in the thirteenth century after the expansion the castle was built as a concentric castle. The design of the structure and the resembled the Vadum Jacob Castle in both size and layout. Is has as well being discussed as a sister castle to the Crac des Chevaliers.
Figure 4: An image of the architecture of Crac des Chevaliers spaces
Limestone was the major construction material that was used at Crac des Chevaliers. The utilisation of the material in around the asslar that is the face of the ca...