Bagras or Baghras is the name of a town and nearby castle in present-day Turkey, in the Amanus Mountains.

The castle, properly known as Gastun (or Gaston, Guascon, Gastim) provided a base for a force to cover the Syrian Gates, the passes between Iskenderun and Antioch. It was built in two levels around a knoll, the fortification resembling Armenian work, and water supplied by aqueducts. İskenderun, formerly known in the west as Alexandretta or previously as Scanderoon (Arabic الإسكندرون al-ʼIskandarūn), is a city in the Turkish province of Hatay. ... Antioch on the Orontes (Greek: Αντιόχεια η επί Δάφνη, Αντιόχεια η επί Ορόντου or Αντιόχεια η Μεγάλη; Latin: Antiochia ad Orontem, also Antiochia dei Siri), the Great Antioch or Syrian Antioch was an ancient city located on the eastern side (left bank) of the Orontes River about 30 km from the sea and its port, Seleucia Pieria. ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman aqueduct built circa 19 BC. It is one of Frances top tourist attractions and a World Heritage Site. ...

It was built about 1153 by the Knights Templars and held by them or by the Principality of Antioch until it was forced to capitulate to Saladin on August 26, 1189. It was retaken in 1191 by the Armenians, and their possession of it became a major point of contention between them and the Antiochenes and Templars. Events January 6 - Henry of Anjou arrives in England. ... The Seal of the Knights — the two riders have been interpreted as a sign of poverty or the duality of monk/soldier. ... The Principality of Antioch (in red) within the frame of the Crusader states. ... Artistic representation of Saladin (1137 - March 4, 1193), Kurdish: Selahedîn Ayûbî; ; Saladin or Salah el Din, (Arabic: صلاح الدين الأيوبي, Kurdish: صلاح الدین ایوبی) (c. ... August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ... Events January 21 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade September 3- Richard I of England is crowned as king of England. ... // Events May 12 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. ...

After much negotiation, it was finally returned to the Templars in 1216. It continued to serve as their headquarters in the north, and was the point of departure for the expedition disastrously defeated at Darbsâk in 1236. According to the Armenian chronicles, it withstood a siege by the forces of Aleppo at about this time. After the fall of Antioch to Baibars in 1268, the garrison lost heart, and one of the brothers deserted and presented the keys of the castle to him. The remaining defenders decided to destroy what they could and surrender the castle. Despite the loss of the castle, Hethum II of Armenia and Leo IV of Armenia soundly defeated a Mameluke raiding force in the nearby pass in 1305. Events Prince Louis of France, the future King Louis VIII, invades England in the First Barons War Henry III becomes King of England. ... // Events May 6 - Roger of Wendover, Benedictine monk and chronicler of St Albanss Abbey dies. ... Old Town viewed from Aleppo Citadel Aleppo (or Halab Arabic: ‎ meaning he milked, ) is a city in northern Syria, capital of the Aleppo Governorate. ... al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdari (also spelled Baybars) (Arabic: ) was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and Syria. ... Conradin (right) is executed by Charles I of Sicily, thus extinguishing the Hohenstaufen dynasty, in 1268. ... Hethum (or Hetoum) II of Armenia (1266-August, 1307) was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1289 to 1293, 1295 to 1296 and 1299 to 1303. ... Leo (or Leon) IV of Armenia (1289-1307) was king of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, ruling from 1303 to 1307, along with his uncle Hethum II. He was the son of Thoros III of Armenia and Margaret de Lusignan, daughter of King Hugh III of Cyprus. ... An Ottoman Mamluk, from 1810 Mamluks (or Mameluks) (the Arabic word usually translates as owned, singular: مملوك plural: مماليك) comprised slave soldiers used by the Muslim Caliphs and the Ottoman Empire, and who on more than one occasion seized power for... Events August 5 - English troops capture William Wallace Wenceslas III becomes king of Bohemia Archbishop of Bordeaux, Bertrand de Got, was elected as Pope Clement V. Philip IV of France accused the Knights Templar of heresy. ...

External links

• Picture of Bagras today

References

• Kennedy, Hugh (2001). Crusader Castles. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-79913-9.
• Kurkjian's History of Armenia, Chapter 30
• Smbat Sparapet's Chronicle