the King, Baldwin IV who was in Jerusalem at the time. In the following days, the Muslim forces aggressively went after Kerak's walls. They continuously sent stones and missiles through, damaging buildings on the inside. Baldwin immediately marched with a relief force, accompanied by his regent, Raymond III of Tripoli. A beacon was promptly lit on David 's Tower in Jerusalem as a sign that help was coming to relieve the siege. Although suffering from leprosy since childhood, Baldwin's determination to frustrate Saladin's attempt was such that he led personally, although he had to be carried on a stretcher. In early December, Saladin got news that King Baldwin's army was on the way. Upon learning of this, he abandoned the siege and fled to Damascus. Aftermath In the following spring of 1184, Saladin advanced through Amman, and again attacked Kerak on August 13. A relieving army once again arrived to save Kerak after three weeks of Saladin's army attacking the walls with their engines. Kerak remained a Crusader stronghold and a symbol of the West's grip in the region until falling to Muslim control in 1188. The next time the Crusaders had to contend with a major siege, it was at the walls of Jerusalem itself. In fiction The motion picture Kingdom of Heaven, where Balian is played by Orlando Bloom and Ghassan Massoud plays Saladin, contains a fictional portrayal of the siege. In the film, knights under the command of Balian engaged the Ayyubids as they approached Kerak, so that defenseless citizens could retreat to Raynald's castle. The film also showed the siege not taking place, but King Baldwin IV and Saladin negotiating a settlement. Baldwin then punished Raynald for breaking the truce (with Saladin) by attacking a Muslim caravan. There is also a "Siege of Kerak" soundtrack in the game Crusader Kings II. Citations Bibliography Smail, R. C. Crusading Warfare 1097–1193. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, (1956) 1995. Kerak 1184 Kerak 1184 Conflicts in 1183 Conflicts in 1184 1183 in Asia 1184 in Asia Karak Kerak 1180s in the Kingdom of Jerusalem