Karak

The history of Karak parallels that of many other cities in the region and Jordan as a whole. It was an important Moabite city due to its strategic location along a caravan route that connected Syria with Egypt and Arabia, and it was also used by the Nabateans, Greeks, and Romans, as well as their successors, the Byzantines. Evidence of its importance can be found in the famous Madaba mosaic map.

However, Karak undoubtedly occupies a prominent place in Jordanian history due to the significant role it played during the time of the Crusaders. King Baldwin I of Jerusalem built a large castle in the mid-12th century, which was part of a vast network of fortresses to defend the eastern flank of his kingdom. This network also included castles such as Shobak, further south.

Karak played this role for approximately half a century, as it was conquered by Saladin’s troops at the end of the 12th century. In fact, the capture of this castle in 1183 is considered a pivotal event in the process of Arab reconquest: it was besieged for a whole year, and upon entering the castle, Saladin took the life of its lord, Reynald of Châtillon. Later on, a large equestrian statue was erected in the city in memory of the revered Ayyubid sultan.

In the following century, the castle of Karak was consolidated by the Mamluks, but by the end of that century, it could not withstand another onslaught, this time from the earth: a major earthquake caused significant damage to its structure. This was how Jean Louis Burckhardt, the Swiss explorer who rediscovered Petra for the Western world, found it in 1812 during his travels in the area.

Parallel to the castle of Karak, the city gradually grew, with Arabs and Christians living together, albeit not without conflicts: in the late 19th century, the entire Christian population was forced to leave the city after one of those clashes, heading towards Madaba, where the climate of tolerance was greater.