Kerak Castle
View of Kerak Castle (left) and town. Photo
Chris Booth.
Strong walls of Kerak castle. Photo
Roel Meurders.
Tunnels and corridors. Photo
templar1307. 
Inscription in Kerak Castle. Photo
Red Betty Black.
Stone vault of the castle chapel. Photo
Daniel and Anita Saunders.
Location map and aerial view of Kerak Castle. For a larger interactive view, see our Jordan Map.
South of Madaba on the old King's Highway is Kerak, which was the capital of the biblical kingdom of Moab. Perched atop a steep hill, Kerak is a predominantly Christian town dominated by the largest and best preserved of the Crusader castles in the region.
History
Once an important city of the Biblical kingdom of Moab, Kerak was also home to the Nabateans, Romans (from 105 AD), and the Byzantines, before the Crusaders built a castle here. In the Byzantine period Kerak was a bishopric and it remained mostly a Christian town even under Arab rule.
In 1126, Payen le Bouteiller (Paganus the Butler) received Kerak from King Baldwin II of Jerusalem as part of the lordship of Oultrejourdain (Transjordan). In 1142, he built Kerak Castle over the existing foundations on the site.
Kerak Castle replaced Shobak as the center of the Transjordan and became the most important in a series of fortresses between Jerusalem and Aqaba. The Crusaders set up an impressive system of security: all the fortifications were a day's journey apart and each one lit a beacon at night to inform Jerusalem it was safe.
Kerak Castle resisted attacks by Saladin's troops in 1183 and 1184, but finally fell after a siege in 1189. The Mamluk ruler Baybars added a tower on the northwest corner in 1263. It was later owned by local families until 1840, when Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt captured the castle and destroyed much of it in the process.
After World War I, Kerak was administered by the British until the Emirate of Transjordan was established in 1921. Kerak is still a predominantly Christian town, with many of today's inhabitants tracing their roots back to the Byzantines.
What to See
Kerak Castle is a typical example of Crusader architecture, with Romanesque-style stone vaults, numerous corridors, and strong doorways. The Crusader parts of the ruins are mostly on the upper level and can be identified by their dark volcanic tufa; later Arab additions are in white limestone.
Through a massive door (ask at the ticket office), steps lead down to vast, dimly-lit, vaulted rooms and corridors underground.
The upper courtyard includes the remains of a Crusader chapel and provides excellent views over the Jordanian landscape to the Dead Sea.
The west wing of the complex is home to the small Kerak Archaeological Museum, which displays artifacts excavated at the site.
Quick Facts
Site Information |
| Names: | Kerak Castle; Krak Castle; Crak des Moabites; Krak des Moabites; Le Pierre du Desert; Charach Mouba |
| Location: | Jordan |
| Category: | Castles and Palaces |
| Faith: | Christianity |
| Denomination: | Catholic |
| Status: | ruins |
| Date: | 1142-89 |
| Patron: | Payen le Bouteiller |
| Architecture: | Romanesque |
Visitor Information |
| Coordinates: | 31.180827° N, 35.70133° E (view on Google Maps) |
| Address: | El-Mujamma Street, Kerak, Jordan |
| Phone: | 03-235-1216 (museum) |
| Hours: | Daily 8-5 |
| Cost: | JD 1 |
Article Sources
Article written by Holly Hayes with reference to the following sources:
- The Crusader Castles - Jordan Tourism Board
- Kerak, Jordan - Atlas Tours
- Eyewitness Travel Guide to Jerusalem and the Holy Land, 1st ed.
- Oultrejordain - Wikipedia
Article last updated: 08/06/2009.
