Karak Castle

The magnificent Crusader fortress of Karak Castle soars above its valleys and hills like a great ship riding waves of rock. It was built in 1142 on the remains of earlier citadels which date back to Byzantium times.

Karak was made the new capital of the province, for it was superbly situated on the King's Highway, where it could monitor the trade and pilgrim routes and grow rich by the imposition of road-tolls.

The fortress is typically Crusader, with dimly lit stone-vaulted rooms and corridors leading into each other through heavy arches and doorways.

The castle in itself is more imposing than beautiful. As the visitor enters the modern gate, one path leads down to the stairs to the lower courtyard, and lower vaults, and a second path leads to the upper level.

The ruins of the upper level are attributed to the Crusader period, and the staircases leading to the underground level of the upper courtyard provide access to Mamluk architecture complexes, most of which were probably associated with an earlier palace.