Ep.1
Picture Shows:
Crac des Chevaliers)
The inner castle of Crac des Chevaliers from the south west side. The talus (sloping walls) made the castle less susceptible to earthquake damage. The moat to the right provided the castle with an additional layer of defence between the outer and inner walls.
(Crac des Chevaliers: originally an old Kurdish fort given to the Knights Hospitaller in 1142 by Count Raymond of Tripoli. The Knights upgraded the castle so that it bore the concentric design (many layers of walls) which we see today. Besieged by Sultan Baybars of Egypt in 1271. The Mamluks (An Islamic warrior class which became the ruling dynasty) subsequently made further alterations.