Karak Castle

The entrance to the Karak Castle is at the southern end of Al Qala’a St. Throughout the castle, informative display boards give detailed descriptions of the history and function of each structure. Bring a torch (flashlight) to explore the darker regions, and watch your head on low doorways. Reconstruction and excavation work within the castle is ongoing. The main entrance, Ottoman’s Gate, is reached via a bridge over the dry moat. The Crusader’s Gate (old entrance) is not open to the public. From Ottoman’s Gate, pass the ticket office and take the path to the left. Resist the temptation to head into the vaulted corridor straight ahead and instead turn left and enter the Crusader Gallery (stables). Near the far end of the gallery, steps lead down to the Crusader’s Gate. Those entering the castle did so via a narrow winding passage (separated from the Crusader Gallery by a wall). This restrictive access is typical of Crusader castles, ensuring the entrance could be easily defended. On the north wall is a (now headless) carved figure that local legend claims to be Saladin, but which actually dates from the 2nd century AD and is believed by scholars to be a Nabataean funerary carving. A small staircase leads up to the site of the ruined northeast tower while a long passageway leads southwest to the soldiers barracks. Note the small holes for light, walls of limestone and straw, and a few Byzantine rock inscriptions on the walls. Across the corridor is the kitchen, which contains large, round stones used for grinding olives, and huge storage areas for oil and wheat. In a dark tunnel (only visible with a torch) are some Greek inscriptions of unknown meaning. A door from the kitchen leads to a giant oven. Continuing southwest along the main passage, leave the cool, covered area and emerge into the light. Peer over the parapet at the glacis, the dizzyingly steep rocky slope that prevented invaders from climbing up to the castle and prisoners from climbing down. This is where Renauld de Chatillon delighted in expelling undesirables. Turn right into the overgrown upper court, which has a large cistern and the largely unexcavated domestic residences of the castle. At the northern end of the castle is the terrace, directly above the Crusader Gallery, with fine views. Above the far (southern) end of the castle rises Umm al-Thallaja (Mother of Snows), the hill which posed the greatest threat to the castle’s defences during times of siege. To the west is the village of Al-Shabiya, which was once called Al-Ifranj because many Crusaders (Franks) settled here after the fall of the castle. Returning to where you emerged from the long corridor, head southwest. On the left is a tower and what is believed to have been a Mamluk mosque. On the right is the castle’s main Crusader church with a sacristy down the stairs to the right (north). Note how in this lowered room there are arrow slits in the walls, suggesting that this originally formed part of the castle’s outer wall. Continue to the southern end of the castle towards the impressive, reconstructed Mamlukkeep. Because it faces Umm al-Thallaja, it was here that the defences were strongest, with 6.5m-thick walls, arrow slits on all four levels and a crenellated section at the top. The keep was built from 1260 by the Mamluk sultan Beybars. From the keep, find the stairs leading down to the Mamluk palace, built for Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad in 1311. The open-air reception hall is a variation of the classic Islamic design of four iwans (chambers) off the main hall; on two sides are barrel-vaulted rooms. The mosque here, with a clearly visible mihrab (niche) facing Mecca, was probably reserved for palace notables. Pause near the top of the stairs for good views of Wadi Karak and the alleged site of the condemned cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Return to the main Crusader church and you will find two corridors. The left (east) corridor leads past seven prison cells and the prison administration office. The right (west) corridor leads from the foot of the stairs through the Rosettes Gallery, named after the carved rosette at the bottom of the staircase. If you’re game, take the third passage to the left of the steps, which leads northwest through the bowels of the castle, roughly underneath the church. The corridor turns right (north) and emerges into the better-lit areas of the delightful underground marketplace with various shops and cellars. At the northern end of the market, the path leads back to the entrance (also the exit) or you can detour down the hill to the Mamluk ruins and the excellent Islamic Museum (8am until 1 hr before castle closing time).