Inner Ward of Krak des Chevaliers

By the Editors of the Madain Project

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The inner ward of Krad des Chevaliers is the strongly fortified enclosure at the heart of the castle. It was protected by an outer ward.

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Overview

The inner ward (identify) or the inner bailey was rebuilt by the Hospitallers in a Gothic style. A number of buildings were built around the central courtyard, including a meeting hall (Knights' Hall), a chapel, a 120-meter-long storage facility, and two vaulted stone stables which could have held up to a thousand horses. Other storage facilities were dug into the cliff below the fortress.

Krak des Chevaliers

Architecture

circa CE

Central Courtyard
lies at the center of the inner bailey, surrounded by vaulted chambers.

circa CE

Hall of the Knights
The Knights' Hall, located along the western flank of the inner bailey or courtyard, was a large meeting hall, refectory, and an elegant cloister. Though probably first built in the 12th century, the interior dates from the 13th-century remodelling. In 2013 during the Syrian civil war the Knights' Hall suffered severe damage to its facade decorations and arches.

circa CE

Chapel
The current chapel was built in place of an earlier chapel that was destroyed in 1170 CE due to an earthquake. It was built to fulfil the religious requirements of the castle's inhabitants.

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