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.

circa 1200 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.

The Knights' Hall in Krak des Chevaliers is a key architectural feature of the inner ward of this Crusader fortress. Constructed during the 12th and 13th centuries, the hall was designed to serve as a functional and communal space for the Knights Hospitaller, reflecting their monastic-military lifestyle. Its layout and construction demonstrate the practical approach to fortification and utility characteristic of the period.

The hall is a rectangular, vaulted chamber constructed primarily of limestone, a material abundant in the region and crucial for the castle’s robust defensive design. The ribbed vaulting is supported by massive piers, which distribute the weight evenly, ensuring durability. This architectural choice not only provided structural stability but also allowed for a large, open interior space free of obstructing columns.

The walls of the hall are particularly thick, a feature that insulated the interior and offered protection from potential artillery attacks. Narrow slit windows were incorporated high on the walls, serving a dual purpose: allowing light and air to enter while minimizing vulnerabilities to incoming projectiles. The placement of these openings reflects the strategic priorities of medieval military architecture.

Evidence of functional details, such as traces of hearths and storage niches, suggests the hall was used for more than just assemblies. It likely served as a dining area, a place for strategic discussions, and possibly for religious gatherings, as the Hospitallers combined their martial duties with monastic practices. The space's austere design, devoid of elaborate ornamentation, emphasizes its utilitarian purpose within the heavily fortified environment of Krak des Chevaliers.

circa 1200 CE

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

circa 1200 CE

Crusader Chapel
The current chapel was most likely built to replace the one destroyed by an earthquake in 1170 CE. Today, only the east end of the first chapel structure, which housed the apse, and a small part of the south wall survives.

The current chapel has a barrel vault and a simpler and undecorated apse; its design would have been considered outmoded by contemporary standards in France, but bears similarities to that built around 1186 CE at the Margat Castle. It was divided into three roughly equal bays. A cornice runs around the entire interior of the chapel at the point where the vaulted ceiling joins the wall. Oriented roughly east to west, the length of the chapel was 21.5 meters (71 feet) and 8.5 meters (28 feet) in width with the main entrance from the west and a second smaller one in the north wall. When the castle was remodeled in the early 13th century CE, the entrance was moved to the south wall. The chapel was lit by windows above the cornice, one at the west end, one on either side of the east bay, and one on the south side of the central bay, and the apse at the east end had a large window. In 1935 CE, a second chapel was discovered outside the castle's main entrance, however it no longer survives.

During the Muslim period the use of the chapel was converted to be as a mosque and underwent a number of alterations to align with the new religious and cultural context. Originally constructed as a Christian place of worship by the Crusader Knights Hospitaller, the chapel was repurposed as a mosque following the Mamluk conquest in 1271. Despite the conversion, remnants of its Christian origins, such as the altar and some Latin inscriptions, remained intact, showcasing a blend of architectural and cultural histories.