Kerak Castle
Kerak is a Jordanian town south of Madaba on the old King's Highway. Perched atop a hill with a sheer drop on three sides, Kerak is dominated by the most massive and best preserved of the Crusader castles in the region.
History
Kerak was an important city, and for a time the capital, of the Biblical kingdom of Moab. For this reason, the castle is also sometimes known as Krak des Moabites.
Kerak Castle was built in 1142 by the Frankish lord of Oultrejourdain, Payen le Bouteiller, to whom the territory had been ceded by King Baldwin II of Jerusalem in 1126. The castle was constructed over foundations of earlier citadels dating back to Nabatean times.
The great castle became the pearl in the chain of fortifications that ran between Jerusalem and Aqaba. Each fortress was built a day's journey from its nearest neighbor, and each night a beacon was lit at every castle to signal to Jerusalem that it was safe.
Under Reynald de Chatillon, Kerak resisted assaults by Saladin's troops in 1183 and 1184, but it finally fell after a siege in 1188. Arab repairs and additions in the white limestone contrast with the Crusader parts built in dark, volcanic tufa.
What to See
Kerak Castle is typically Crusader in its architecture, with stone-vaulted rooms and corridors leading into each other through heavy arches and doorways. Through a massive door (ask at the ticket office), steps lead down to vast, dimly-lit, vaulted rooms and corridors underground.
The impressive upper courtyard, containing a much-damaged Crusader chapel, provides an exceptional viewpoint of the surrounding countryside. In the west wing is the small Kerak Archaeological Museum displaying locally excavated artifacts.
Map
Location map and satellite view of Kerak Castle. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Kerak Castle; Krak Castle; Crak des Moabites; Le Pierre du Desert |
| Type of site: | Crusader castle |
| Dates: | Built 1142; fell to Arabs in 1188 |
| Location: | El-Mujamma St., Kerak, Jordan |
| Hours: | Daily 8-5 |
| Phone: | 03-235-1216 (museum) |
| Cost: | JD 1 ($1.40) |
Sources
- The Crusader Castles - Jordan Tourism Board
- Kerak, Jordan - Atlas Tours
- Eyewitness Travel Guide to Jerusalem and the Holy Land, 1st ed.
