Kerak, Jordan
Coordinates: 31.180556, 35.701389
Kerak Castle was a large Crusader castle located in al-Karak, Jordan.
It is one of the largest crusader castles in the Levant. Construction of the castle began in the 1140s, under Pagan and Fulk, King of Jerusalem.
While Kerak Castle had historically been used to protect the assets of crusader states in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, today its job is much more mundane.
The city surrounding Kerak Castle is home to roughly 170,000 people and is a “lively tourist destination.”
There are not many references to Kerak Castle in popular-culture today, however it did play a large role in the 2005 film Kingdom of Heaven.
History
Kerak was the stronghold of Raynald of Châtillon, Lord of Oultrejordain, 124 km south of Amman. The fortress was built in 1142 by Pagan the Butler, Lord of Montreal.
Raynald raided caravans that were trading near the Kerak castle for years. Raynald’s most daring raid was an 1182 naval expedition down the Red Sea to Mecca and Medina Sharif.
He continuously plundered the Red Sea coast and threatened the routes of pilgrims to Mecca sharif in spring 1183.
He captured the town of Aqaba, giving him a base of operations against Islam’s holiest city, Mecca Sharif.
Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi, a Sunni Muslim and the leader of the Muslim forces, decided that the Kerak castle would be an ideal target for a Muslim attack, especially due to it being a block on the route from Egypt to Damascus.
Siege by Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه
The Muslims had sought to take Kerak for several years, but now they stretched its defenses to the breaking point.
There had long been plans of Baldwin’s half-sister Isabella to marry Reynald’s stepson in the fall of 1183.
When Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه learned of this, he prepared a siege with his large army and eight siege catapults.
According to the historian Ernoul, “Etiennette, mother of the young bridegroom, sent out to Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه a present of bread and meat and wine, with a message that gave him greeting and reminded him that he once in his youth had been a prisoner in Kerak, and had, as a slave, carried her when a child in his arms.”
Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه was touched by the message and ordered his army to not attack that specific tower. Messengers managed to escape the town and take word to the King, Baldwin IV who was in Jerusalem at the time.
In the following days, the Muslim forces aggressively went after Kerak’s walls. They continuously sent stones and missiles through, damaging buildings on the inside.
In early December, Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه got news that King Baldwin’s army was on the way. Upon learning of this, he abandoned the siege and left for Damascus.
In the following spring of 1184, Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه advanced through Amman, and again attacked Kerak on August 13.
A relieving army arrived once again arrived to save Kerak after three weeks of Hz. Salahuddin Ayyubi رحمة الله عليه’s army attacking the walls with their engines.
Kerak remained a Crusader stronghold and a symbol of the West’s grip in the region until falling to Muslim control in 1188.
The next time the Crusaders had to contend with a major siege, it was at the walls of Jerusalem itself.
Know This
Like a big maze, this well-preserved castle is almost impossible to find your way around. As nice as it is to explore for yourself, trying to figure out what is what based on the guidebooks is just not easy, but get a guide and you’ll find that it’s much more enjoyable.
