Mongols

Reading variuous museum displays one always notices Crusader castles were attacked and besieged by Salh-ha Din. Some he took, some just quit, for instance Krak de Chevaliers was taken but only because the Latin Kingdoms were at an end, not because they were in danger of falling. Others he showed up and then walked away knowing they'd never be taken.

One also reads the histories of the castles. Built by crusdaers, augmented by muslim owners etc, but then...for all the polemics attached to the crusades, the Christians vs the Muslims etc. in this area a lot of the fortresses also include a little section on the Mongols.

There is never any 'the Mongols tried to take it and failed'...they simply didn't. I don't know why this struck me as so interesting. I suppose in part because it is mildly amusing that THAT part of the history gets forgotten, but also because the Mongols are so bad-assed. I mean look at a map of the empire at its fullest extent and have your mind blown. And apparently 6-12% (or something) of all the population in those areas can trace some ancestry to Genghis himself. Good to be the king. (I very easily could have mis-remembered some of these facts and figures, but intersting to\ be sure).