During the rule of the Burid dynasty (1104–1154), work was carried out on the citadel in response to multiple attacks on Damascus by Crusader and Muslim armies. In 1126, a Crusader army approached Damascus, but their advance was stopped from the city. A second attempt by Crusaders in 1129 advanced to within of the city before they had to retreat. Crusader incursions prompted some improvements to the castle in the 1130s by Burid rulers, Taj al-Muluk Buri and Shams al-Mulk Isma'il.