Page 175 - DK Eyewitness Travel Guides - The World's Must-See Places

General view of
Krak des Chevaliers >-

Inner fortress
Tower of the King's Daughter>-
The northern face of this tower
gJ loggia gJ Tower of the has a large projecting gallery from
King's Daughter which rocks could be hurled if the
outer wall was breached. At ground
level, the tower is decorated
with three blind arches.
Outer wall

Chapel loggia>-
Built by the Crusaders Running along one side
and converted into of Krak' s innermost
a mosque after the courtyard, the loggia is
Muslim conquest, its a graceful Gothic arcade
Islamic minbar(pulpit) with a vaulted ceiling
can still be seen. (Gothic Style, see p54).
It is decor a ted with
carved floral motifs and
depictions of animals.
gJ Main Beyond the loggia
entranceway
is the Great Hall,
which functioned
as a refectory.

Main Entranceway >-
A long, stepped passage leads
from the site of the former
drawbridge to the upper castle.
Small ceiling apertures throw
light into the corridor, although
they were also intended for
pouring boiling oil over
invaders. The passageways
were high and wide enough to
allow for mounted riders.

Entrance Passage
The passage doubled
back on itself to
confuse any invaders
who managed to get A FORTRESS WITHIN A FORTRESS
this far into the castle.
Krak des Chevaliers has two distinct
parts, separated by a moat-an outer
wall With 13 towers, and an inner
wall and glacis bui It a round a higher,
rocky platform. Anyone attacking
The British author l E. Lawrence therefore had to, in effect, breach
("Lawrence of Arabia") described Krak two castles.
des Chevaliers as "the most wholly
admirable castle in the world." Indeed,
KEY
the castle served as an i nspi ration for
Edward I, king of England, who passed ~ Baths
by on the Ninth Crusade in 1272 and ;:] 11/bat
returned home to build his own castles Inner walls
across England and Wales. ~ Outerwalls