AJLOUN CASTLE

The castle is a superb example of medieval Islamic architecture. It is also a breathtaking view of the region and the Jordan Valley on a clear day. It was built during the Ayyubid dynasty in 1184 by Saladin's nephew and general, Izz al-Din Usama, on the ruins of a Byzantine monastery. In addition to his uncle's work of conquest, Usama embarked on a policy of building defensive fortresses to limit the expansion of the Crusaders. The castle was also part of a chain of dovecotes that allowed messages to be transmitted from Damascus to Cairo in less than a day. Thanks to the fortress's geographical location and the quality of its defence system, Osama's armies made it a reputedly impregnable base. The Crusaders broke their teeth in 1187.

Originally, the castle had four angular towers as well as loopholes in its thickest walls and was surrounded by a wide pit 15 metres deep. It was enlarged in 1215. In 1265, the Mongols seized the castle and destroyed it completely. The next owner, the Mamluk Sultan Al-Khader Baibars, undertook to rebuild it. The castle was used mainly as a fodder store and lost its strategic importance. The Ottomans revived it in the middle of the 17th century by installing a garrison there. In 1812, the Swiss traveller Johann Ludwig Burkhart stumbled upon the fort. After the damage inflicted by the earthquakes of 1837 and 1927, the castle was restored.