 In January 1099 on the journey to Jerusalem during the First Crusade , the company of Raymond IV of Toulouse came under attack from the garrison of Hisn al @-@ Akrad , the forerunner of the Krak , who <unk> Raymond 's <unk> . The following day Raymond marched on the castle and found it deserted . The crusaders briefly occupied the castle in February of the same year but abandoned it when they continued their march towards Jerusalem . Permanent occupation began in <unk> when <unk> , Prince of Galilee took control of the site . The early castle was substantially different from the extant remains and no trace of this first castle survives at the site . 
