Idea #562 – Exploring the Kerak de Moab castle, in Renaud de Châtillon’s steps
The Kerak of Moab or Krak of Moabites is a fort dating the XIIth century. It situated in Kerak, the current city of Al-Karak in Jordan. The castle is a beautiful example of architecture of the Crusaders, a mixture of European, Byzantine and Arabic style.
The construction of this impressive cruisader fortress began around 1140, under the orders of Payen Bouteiller, Lord of Oultre Jourdain and Butler of Foulque the Vth of Anjou. The castle took the place of an older fortification, already occupied by Nabatean. The fortress was achieved by Philippe of Nablus. In 1177, the castle passee to Renaud of Châtillon, who was besieged there. Kerak and its region fell to the Saladin’s hands after the battle of Hattîn in 1187, and al-‘Adîl, future sultan of Damascus, became the first governor. In 1197, the city passed to al-Mu’azzâm ‘ Isâ who began the reconstruction of the citadel. In 1228, al-Nâsir Dâwûd received Kerak from al-Kâmil, and the fortress became the seat of a principality which was extended to Jerusalem, Nablus and Bayt Jibrîl. In front of the Mongolian threat in the 1260s, the al-Dîn last one Ayyûbide Mughîth Fakhr ‘ Umar tried to become allied to the Mongol Hülegü; the victory of the Mamelukes in ‘Ain Jalût annoyed its project and it was executed by the sultan al-Zâhir Baybars, who tok the fortress in 1263. The sultan began then a vast program of restoration of the western and south fronts of the castle.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Al Karak Castle, Kerak, Jordan
