Description of the attraction
Karak, one of the bastions of the Crusaders, is located 900 meters above sea level within the walls of the old city. Today its population is about 170 thousand people. It attracts tourists with a large number of well-preserved 19th century Ottoman buildings, restaurants and excellent infrastructure. But its most important attraction is, of course, the Karak Castle.
The city is built on a triangular plateau with a castle at the narrow southern end. The length of the castle is 220 m, width 125 m in the northern part and 40 m in the southern part, where a narrow gorge, turned into a wide ditch, separates its neighboring, higher hill - the once favorite firing position of Saladin. Looking at the walls, it is easy to find, among the dark rough masonry of the Crusaders, meticulously crafted blocks of light limestone, the work of Arab builders.
Several centuries later, the Crusaders spent about twenty years building their massive castle. After completion of construction in 1161, it became the residence of the ruler of Transjordan, which at that time was considered the most important feudal possession of the Crusader state, providing them with agricultural products and paying taxes. After withstanding several sieges in the early 1170s, Karak was captured by Reynald de Chatillon, a ruler known for his recklessness and barbaric behavior. Violating all agreements, he began to plunder trade caravans and pilgrims going to Mecca, attacked the cradle of Islam - the Hejaz, raided Arab ports on the Red Sea, and even threatened to seize Mecca itself. Saladin, ruler of Syria and Egypt, reacted promptly. He took the city of Karak by force, burned it to the ground, and even nearly captured the castle itself.
Reynald's peacetime assault on a large caravan in 1177 resulted in a swift retribution from Saladin, who declared war on the Crusader state, which ended in the defeat of the Crusader forces at the Battle of Hattin. Saladin freed almost all the captured, except for Reynald, whom he personally executed. The defenders of Karak withstood almost eight months of a prolonged siege, and then surrendered to the Muslims, who generously released them on all four sides.
Once again in Muslim hands, Karak became the capital of a region that encompasses most of modern Jordan and played a key role in the political life of the Middle East over the next two centuries. For a time, Karak was even the capital of the entire Mamluk state, when Sultan al-Nasir Ahmad got tired of endless battles in the struggle for power in Cairo. Indeed, his brother and heir, al-Salih Ismail, had to undertake eight sieges before he was able to capture the fortress and regain the royal regalia. It was during these sieges that Karak received the dubious honor of becoming the main target for the most modern artillery in the Middle East at that time: al-Salih Ismail used cannons and gunpowder for the assault.
During the reign of the Ayyubids and the first Mamluk sultans, the castle underwent significant rebuilding, and the city fortifications were reinforced with massive towers, which apparently did not have a gate: the way to the city lay through underground passages, the entrances to which are still visible.
In later times, the city now and then became a refuge for rebels, and the castle was used as a venue for tribal councils. Since 1894, after the establishment of a firm Turkish rule, the Mamluk palace inside the fortress was turned into a prison. The Great Arab Revolt dealt the final blow to Turkish rule, which ended in 1918.
