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Desert Castles &
Crusader Forts Attractions
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The Crusaders:
For those fascinated by Crusader legends and lore, a second group of castles beckons. The scenic King's Highway is an historic road stretching from Amman to Aqaba, and littered with remains of Crusader forts and outposts. The most important among these are Kerak and Shobak.
Approaching Kerak, you pass first through Wadi Mujib, a precipitous canyon 1,000 meters deep, guaranteed to set the mood for your visit. The fort itself is a dark maze of stone-vaulted halls and endless passageways. The best preserved are underground, with access through a locked door. The castle in itself is more imposing than beautiful - though it is all the more impressive as an example of the Crusaders' architectural military genius. Each stronghold was built to be a day's journey from its neighbor. At night, a beacon was lit at each castle to signal to Jerusalem that it was safe.
Kerak's most famous occupant was Reynald de Chatillon, whose reputation for treachery, betrayal and brutality is unsurpassed. When Baldwin II died, his son, a 13-year-old leper, sued for peace with Saladin. The Leper King, however, died without an heir, and in stepped Reynald, who succeeded in winning the hand of Stephanie, the wealthy widow of Kerak's assassinated regent. He promptly defied the truce with Saladin, who returned with a huge army, ready for war. Reynald and King Guy of Jerusalem led the Crusader forces and suffered a massive defeat. Reynald was taken prisoner and beheaded by Saladin, marking the beginning of the decline in Crusader fortunes. The castle was enlarged with a new west wing added by the Ayyaubids and Mamluks.
A lonely reminder of former Crusader glory is Shobak Castle, less than an hour north of Petra. Once called "Mont Real," Shobak dates from the same turbulent period. It is perched on the side of a mountain, with a grand sweep of fruit trees below. The castle's exterior is impressive, with a forbidding gate and encircling walls three layers thick. Despite the precautions of its builder, the fortress fell to Saladin only 75 years after it was raised. Inscriptions appear on the castle wall.
Shaumari Wildlife Reserve Much of the rugged desert terrain is an ideal habitat for wildlife. Sinai rose finches, desert larks and redstarts can be sighted in Rum, and sapphire-blue kingfishers in Hammamat Ma'in. The mountain gazelle, hyena, fox and ibex are still common in the Wadi Arabah, while the Shaumari Reserve is breeding and releasing into the wild the once-plentiful Arabian oryx, the ostrich and the wild ass.
