Castles in Jordan/Fortresse en Jordanie
The town of Karak is built on a triangular plateau, with the castle at its narrow southeren tip. The castle is some 220 m long. 125m wide where it faces the town to the north and 40 at its southern end, where a narrow valley deepened by a ditch separates it from the adjoining and much higher hill,once Saladin's favourite artillery position. Alower ward, another 30 m wide, stretches all along the westren front of the main castle. Throughout the castle ,the dark and roughly shaped Crusader masonry is easy to discren from the finely crafted blocks of lighter and softer limestone used in later Arab work.
North Ditch
North Ditch
Originally 30 m deep, it kept the attackers at bay even if they managed to take the town, as happened in 1184. It crossed by a wooden bridge which could be quickly burned if needed.
Entrance Gate
The present gate and bridge are of recent date. Behind the gate are the ticket office and an explanatory plaque.
From here you can start your visit either with the Lower Court to your right, or the Upper Court to your left. Please ask at the ticket office about access to the Underground Galleries of the Lower Court .
Lower Court
The Lower Court in its present form is Mamluk work from the 13th century. Initialy built in Crusader time, it stands on a terrace which might otherwise have been used as a base for attacks against the main castle. For some twenty-five years, its defence had been assigned to the Kinghts Hospitallers.
Museum
Housed in tow vaulted rooms, the Museum presents findings from Karak and the Moab region.
West Front
With some care , you can walk on the crenellated top of the West Front wall and admire the sweeping view. On clear days one can look across the Dead Sea and see all the way to the Mount of Olives bordering Jerusalem.
Monumental Gate
Now blocked from the inside, the Monumental Entance served as the main access way to the Mamluk castle .The actual entry gate was 2.5 m high, the rest of the 12 m high arch being closed by masonry.
Inner Wall
Built at the top of a steep escarpment and strengthened by three towers, the Inner Wall separates north of the tower T5 and branching off the access ramp to the Lower Court takes you through a breach in Inner Wall and into the Upper Court.
Upper Court
Karak castle served as the main residence of the Crusader Lord of Transjordan, and later of the Muslim emir or governor of the region. The Upper Court contains the remnants of their representative buildings, as well as a large number of - mainly underground - rooms, corridors and tunnels.
North Front
The massive North Front is separeted from the town by the North Ditch , and has the typical crude look of Crusader work due to its roughly shaped blocks of hard, dark limestone.
Crusader Galleries
Inside the North Front lie two long vaulted halls, the Lower and Upper Gallery , both provided with arrow slits and connected in the mimmle by a staircase built in the thickness of the north wall. The Lower Gallery had be passed by anyone entering through the Postern Gate, and also served as astable.
Crusader or Poster Gate
Nabatean Relief
East Front
Glacis
Northeast Barracks
Kitchen and Oven
Crusader Church and Sacristy
Underground Vaults
Mamluk Decorated Vestibule
Vaulted Room and East Front Rooms
Mamuk palace :the Reception Hall
Mamluk Palace :the Mosque
Mamluk Keep
South Ditch and Reservoir
محول الاكوادإخفاء الابتساماتإخفاء ركن الاسئلنة