Image Details

Bettman/Corbis

The impregnable fortifications of Crac des Chevaliers are illustrated in this undated woodcut. Machicolations, chutes or balconies from which rocks or boiling liquids could be dropped on attackers, can be seen in the exterior walls. The round towers used in this castle offered a more effective defense than the rectangular towers of earlier castles and had a 360 degree view. Crac des Chevaliers is a prime example of the design favored by the military orders in the 13th century.