Battle Castle with Dan Snow Episode 1of6 Crac des Chevaliers (Syria) (2012)

Follow host Dan Snow as he explores the military engineering behind such strongholds as: Dover Castle, Crac des Chevaliers in Syria and Gibralfaro in Spain and details the legendary battles that testified to their impregnability. During the Middle Ages these fortified structures were the ultimate authority in any region they were built. Both defensive and offensive, they were centres of administration, symbols of power as well as concentrations of military might.
But what was it that made each successful? Through dynamic location footage and immersive visual effects, this six episode series reveals the bloody history behind these fortifications and the weapons designed to defeat them. Each episode will climax with the ultimate test of each castle’s strength: examining the epic battle that changed the course of history.

Set high above the Syrian landscape, Crac des Chevaliers was built by the Knights Hospitaller to dominate the landscape and act as a symbol of Christian power. Its flawlessly-cut stones, steep slopes, and deadly entrance designed to resist any attacker. In 1271, a Muslim warrior king and his powerful army came to seize this crown jewel of Crusader castles and drive Christians from the Holy Land. But will the Sultan, Baibar and his army, be strong enough to take the stronghold?