Castle in Kerak

Construction of the Crusader castle began in the 1140s, under Paganus, the butler of King Fulk. The Crusaders called it Crac des Moabites. Paganus was also Lord of Oultrejordain (Transjordan), and Kerak became the centre of his power, replacing the weaker castle of Montreal to the south. Because of its position east of the Jordan River, Kerak was able to control Bedouin herders as well as the trade routes from Damascus to Egypt and Mecca.

His successors, his nephew Maurice and Philip of Milly, added towers and protected the north and south sides with two deep rock-cut ditches (the southern ditch also serving as a cistern). The most notable Crusader architectural feature surviving is the north wall, into which are built immense arched halls on two levels. These were used for living quarters and stables, but also served as a fighting gallery overlooking the castle approach and for shelter against missiles from siege engines.

In 1176 Raynald of Chatillon gained possession of Kerak after marrying Stephanie of Milly, the widow of Humphrey III of Toron (and daughter-in-law of Humphrey II). From Kerak, Raynald harassed the trade caravans and even attempted an attack on Mecca itself. In 1184 Saladin besieged the castle in response to Raynald’s attacks. The siege took place during the marriage of Humphrey IV of Toron and Isabella of Jerusalem, and Saladin, after some negotiations and with a chivalrous intent, agreed not to target their chamber while his siege machines attacked the rest of the castle. The siege was eventually relieved by King Baldwin IV.

After the Battle of Hattin in 1187, Saladin besieged Kerak again and finally captured it in 1189. During the siege the defenders were said to have been forced to sell women and children into slavery for food (this is also said to have happened at the siege of Montreal).

In AD 1263, the Mamluk ruler, Baybars, enlarged and built a tower on the north-west corner. In AD 1840, Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt captured the castle and destroyed much of its fortifications.

The castle extends over the southern part of the plateau. It is a notable example of Crusader architecture, a mixture of European, Byzantine, and Arab designs. Its walls are strenghthened with rectangular projecting towers, long stone vaulted galleries are lighted only by narrow slits, and a contains a deep moat from the west which completely isolates the site.

In the lower court of the castle, there is Karak Archaeological Museum, which was newly opened in 2004 after renovation work. It introduces local history and archaeology of Karak region- the land of Moab- from the prehistoric period until the Islamic era. History of the Crusader and Muslims at Karak castle and town is introduced in detail.

History of Kerak

It is given various names in the Old Testament - Kir Hareseth, Kir Heres, Kir of Moab - and was certainly one of the chief cities of the kingdom of Moab. The chief Biblical reference to it occurs in 2Ki.3, when Mesha was king of Moab, Jehoram king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, about 850 BCE. Most other Old Testament references are curses against the city by the prophet Isaiah. Kerak was the capital of the Moabite kingdom during the time of king Ajlun.

Little else is known of its history; in Byzantine times it was the seat of an archbishop and contained a much-venerated “church of Nazareth.” Its greatest prominence was during the crusading period, when it was called Crac des Moabites (or Le Pierre du Desert), and was the capital of the province of Oultre Jourdai. It is still the administrative center of a large and fertile district.

The present remains are all of the crusading period and later, the only material evidence of its earlier occupation being the rear half of a lion carved on a basalt slab, and a headless bust of the Nabataean period. Both these pieces are built into later walls.

Geography of Kerak

Kerak lies on the ancient King’s Highway, 75 miles south of Amman, Jordan. The remaining castle, 4,300 feet above sea level, is imposingly situated on an almost isolated hilltop, and commands a magnificent view in all directions, especially towards the Dead Sea. Such a fine site must have been occupied since earliest times, though there is no actual evidence of such until the Iron Age, about 1200 BCE.

It is surrounded by a deep valley from the west which completely isolates it from all sides. One of the most famous villages around Kerak is al-Rabbah, which was the second capital city of King Misha ben Koshet, one of the most well-known kings of the Moabites in the year 780 BCE. Ruins of a Roman temple can still be seen there.

Introducation of Kerak

Kerak (also Karak) (Arabic: ???) is a city in Jordan that contains a famous Crusader castle. It is the capital city of Kerak Governorate.The magnificent Crusader fortress of Kerak - Crak des Moabites, or Le Pierre du Desert to Crusaders - soars above its valleys and hills like a great ship riding waves of rock. But Kerak’s origins go back long before the Crusaders; the earliest remains are Iron Age, shortly after the Exodus, when this was a part of Moab. It was known as Kir-haraseth, Kir-heres, or Kir, and its doom was prophesied by Isaiah (16:7), who mentions its ‘raisin-cakes’, presumably a local specialty. Then it falls out of history until the Byzantine period, when it was important enough to have an archbishop.

It was the Crusaders who made Kerak (biblical Charach Mouba) famous. The fortress, located 124 km south of Amman, was built in 1142 by Payen le Bouteiller, lord of Montreal and of the province of Oultre Jourdain, on the remains of earlier citadels, which date back to Nabataean times. He made Kerak the new capital of the province, for it was superbly situated on the King’s Highway, where it could control all traffic from north and south and grow rich by the imposition of road-tolls.

There were -as there are today- two parts of Kerak, both contained within stout walls, but the citadel and its fortress are separated from the town by a deep dry moat. The fortress is typically Crusader, with dimly lit stone-vaulted rooms and corridors leading into each other through heavy arches and doorways. The best preserved are underground, and to be reached through a massive door (ask at the ticket office).

The castle in itself is more imposing than beautiful, though it is all the more impressive as an example of the Crusaders’ architectural military genius. Each stronghold was built to be a day’s journey from its neighbor. At night, a beacon was lit at each castle to signal to Jerusalem that it was safe.