Crac des Chevaliers, Syria
Built by the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem from 1142 to 1271, the Crusader castle in Syria. It was known as Hisn al-Akrad, or "Castle of the Kurds." In 1142 the Knights Hospitallers took possession of it and held it until 1271, when it was conquered by Mamluk forces. Initially, the castle was known as the Crac de l'Ospital; the name Krak des Chevaliers was coined in the 19th century.
