Crow
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- Jan 28, 2005
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Gidday Amigos
High up in hills lost and forgotten and totally abandoned is an immense ruined castle of many names. One must wonder what treasures and secrets these ancient walls keep?
![Hatay-Antakya-07984-1 small.jpg Hatay-Antakya-07984-1 small.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714808-09e1573d4e3ec881d5714d48e8b5b655.jpg)
If there is a Templar castle left to rot this one would be up high on the list. But the following castle was never built by the Templars but occupied by them and later rebuilt by them by modifying the original structure.
![Hatay-Antakya-07990-1 small.jpg Hatay-Antakya-07990-1 small.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714812-77810980531bfed3380ac20a79daa264.jpg)
The castle of Pagrae was erected c. 965 by the Byzantine emperor Nikehoros II Phokas below.
![nikephoros-ii-phokas-9700eda3-1891-400b-a1e8-c031f304e2a-resize-750.jpg nikephoros-ii-phokas-9700eda3-1891-400b-a1e8-c031f304e2a-resize-750.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714824-2491da302157804d2c8f127ae9772525.jpg)
Who stationed there 1000 footmen and 500 horsemen under the command of Michael Bourtzes to raid the countryside of the nearby city of Antioch. The castle provided a base for a force to cover the . Armanian Gate. It was built in two levels around a knoll, the fortification resembling Armanian work, and with water supplied by aquaducts.
It was then rebuilt about 1153 by the Knights Templars under the name Gaston (also Gastun, Guascon, Gastim) and held by them or by the Principality of Antioch until it was forced to capitulate to Saladin on 26 August 1189. Below
![vyIX1NSU_400x400.jpg vyIX1NSU_400x400.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714825-bc323bfa5029f769c260b2f487197912.jpg)
It was retaken in 1191 by the Armenians (under Leo II ) and their possession of it became a major point of contention between them and the Antiochenes and Templars. Here is Leo Below
![220px-Leo_III_of_Armenia.jpg 220px-Leo_III_of_Armenia.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714826-b1a539acef3ccaf05bc1228bf21c8afe.jpg)
After much negotiation, it was finally returned to the Templars in 1216. 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 below in 1268.
![index.jpg index.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714827-212ccf00c2e7292a6e6f171d1e775543.jpg)
The garrison lost heart, and one of the Templar brothers deserted and presented the keys of the castle to him. The remaining defenders decided to destroy what they could and surrender the castle which was destroyed. It was known at the time in that that part of holy land or Levant that the Templar castle held large sums of money collected from Pilgrims in which the fate of has never fully resolved. Was it looted at the time? Or still hiding in a secret chamber far under the castle walls?
Today the crumbling ruin lay silent hiding a 1000 year plus history..Inside you can see eerie empty rubble filled rooms...... What secrets lay buried under the ancient stone floors buried with rubble and the dusts of time?
![Hatay-Antakya-07992 small.jpg Hatay-Antakya-07992 small.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714820-24d5da7c1c7100c70947db1057c7428b.jpg)
Strange enough there has never been any attempt excavate the ruin?
Even today this ruined Templar Fortress is rarely visited.
Crow
High up in hills lost and forgotten and totally abandoned is an immense ruined castle of many names. One must wonder what treasures and secrets these ancient walls keep?
![Hatay-Antakya-07984-1 small.jpg Hatay-Antakya-07984-1 small.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714808-09e1573d4e3ec881d5714d48e8b5b655.jpg)
If there is a Templar castle left to rot this one would be up high on the list. But the following castle was never built by the Templars but occupied by them and later rebuilt by them by modifying the original structure.
![Hatay-Antakya-07990-1 small.jpg Hatay-Antakya-07990-1 small.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714812-77810980531bfed3380ac20a79daa264.jpg)
The castle of Pagrae was erected c. 965 by the Byzantine emperor Nikehoros II Phokas below.
![nikephoros-ii-phokas-9700eda3-1891-400b-a1e8-c031f304e2a-resize-750.jpg nikephoros-ii-phokas-9700eda3-1891-400b-a1e8-c031f304e2a-resize-750.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714824-2491da302157804d2c8f127ae9772525.jpg)
Who stationed there 1000 footmen and 500 horsemen under the command of Michael Bourtzes to raid the countryside of the nearby city of Antioch. The castle provided a base for a force to cover the . Armanian Gate. It was built in two levels around a knoll, the fortification resembling Armanian work, and with water supplied by aquaducts.
It was then rebuilt about 1153 by the Knights Templars under the name Gaston (also Gastun, Guascon, Gastim) and held by them or by the Principality of Antioch until it was forced to capitulate to Saladin on 26 August 1189. Below
![vyIX1NSU_400x400.jpg vyIX1NSU_400x400.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714825-bc323bfa5029f769c260b2f487197912.jpg)
It was retaken in 1191 by the Armenians (under Leo II ) and their possession of it became a major point of contention between them and the Antiochenes and Templars. Here is Leo Below
![220px-Leo_III_of_Armenia.jpg 220px-Leo_III_of_Armenia.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714826-b1a539acef3ccaf05bc1228bf21c8afe.jpg)
After much negotiation, it was finally returned to the Templars in 1216. 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 below in 1268.
![index.jpg index.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714827-212ccf00c2e7292a6e6f171d1e775543.jpg)
The garrison lost heart, and one of the Templar brothers deserted and presented the keys of the castle to him. The remaining defenders decided to destroy what they could and surrender the castle which was destroyed. It was known at the time in that that part of holy land or Levant that the Templar castle held large sums of money collected from Pilgrims in which the fate of has never fully resolved. Was it looted at the time? Or still hiding in a secret chamber far under the castle walls?
Today the crumbling ruin lay silent hiding a 1000 year plus history..Inside you can see eerie empty rubble filled rooms...... What secrets lay buried under the ancient stone floors buried with rubble and the dusts of time?
![Hatay-Antakya-07992 small.jpg Hatay-Antakya-07992 small.jpg](https://www.treasurenet.com/data/attachments/1714/1714820-24d5da7c1c7100c70947db1057c7428b.jpg)
Strange enough there has never been any attempt excavate the ruin?
Even today this ruined Templar Fortress is rarely visited.
Crow
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