Karak

Karak

The city of Karak, or Al-Karak as it is locally known, is famous for the important role it played during the Crusades. It is located 24 km east of the Dead Sea, on the historic King's Highway along the Wadi Al-Karak. Known for Karak Castle, one of the largest Crusader castles in the Levant. It was built in the 12th century and may have been the design of the king of Israel at that time. It was the stronghold for the Crusades between the Crusaders and the army of Saladin, who was the first Sultan of both Egypt and Syria. After years of fighting, Saladin's army finally overthrew the castle. With corridors, dungeons, kitchens and a chapel, the castle is spread over seven levels. Artifacts and historical information about the castle are displayed in a museum. From the top of the it, visitors can see as far as the Dead Sea on a clear day. The site attracts thousands of visitors each year and is located within the ancient city walls. Built on a small rocky outcrop at an elevation of 950 meters, the city is the Qir-hareseth or Qir-heres of the Bible and was among the capitals of ancient Moab. Its ancient name is Hebrew for " Wall of Potsherds" or "City of Potsherds" in the ancient Moabite language. While Kerak Castle's role in the past has been the protection of the crusader states' assets in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, its role today is not so important. The World Heritage Committee decided in 1985 that Kerak should not be inscribed as a UNESCO site because there were "more representative examples of Crusader castles". This is partly because the castle is not in the best condition, and several examples of better-preserved Crusader fortresses exist in Transjordan.