T. E. Lawrence’s Undergraduate Dissertation – Page 172

Hosn (Krak) and Margat (Markab) both date mainly from the thirteenth century. At the same time Crac, as a finished example of the style of the Order, and perhaps the best preserved and most wholly admirable castle in the world forms a fitting commentary on any account of the Crusading buildings of Syria. It cannot compare for a moment with Coucy in France, or with Caerphilly in its science of defence, but is more impressive than both since it is neither ruin nor show place. A few years back it withstood a siege on the part of a neighbouring district with complete success, and were Baibars to reappear he would think it as formidable as of old. There are signs of two or three periods of construction (56). In the inner ward the wall from the tower of entry L to the tower with buttress-machicoulis P including the chapel M appears earlier than the rest of the inner ward. Of the outer ward the whole south front is Arab, and the eastern side so far as tower D. In the siege of the place in 1271 by Baibars the central tower A was entirely destroyed, and probably other parts of the outer line as well. The lower part of the three half-round towers on this stretch of wall is old. The upper parts were rebuilt by Baibars, and Malek-es-Said Berek-Khan. Kelaoun built the square tower A, and Baibars the gate-tower D. The rest of the outer ward is Hospitaller work, though later in date than the inner ward.