Al Karak (also Karak or Kerak) (Arabic: الكرك) is a city in Jordan that contains a famous Crusader castle. It is the capital city of Karak Governorate. The Arabic language ( ), or simply Arabic ( ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... Karak (also Kerak) (Arabic: الكرك) is one of the governorates of Jordan. ...

Location

Al Karak, once a part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, lies to the south of Amman on the King's Highway. It is situated on a hilltop about 1000 meters above sea level and is surrounded on three sides by a valley. Karak commands a magnificent view of the Dead Sea. A city of about 200,000 people has been built up around the castle. Official language Latin, French, Italian, and other western languages; Greek and Arabic also widely spoken Capital Jerusalem, later Acre Constitution Various laws, so-called Assizes of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 by the First Crusade. ... Location of Amman within Jordan. ... The King’s Highway was a trade route of vital importance to the ancient Middle East. ... The Dead Sea (Hebrew: ; Arabic: ‎) is both the lowest point on Earth at 418 metres (1,371 ft) below sea level and falling[2], and the deepest hypersaline lake in the world at 330 m (1,083 ft) deep and 799 m (2,621 ft) below sea level. ...

History

Al Karak has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age, and was an important city for the Moabites (who called it Qir of Moab). In the Bible it is called Qer Harreseth, and is identified as having been subject to the Assyrian empire; in 2 Kings 16:9 and Amos 1:5, 9:7, it is mentioned as the place whither the Syrians went before they settled in the regions north of Palestine, and to which Tiglath-pileser sent the prisoners after the conquest of Damascus. Evidently it eventually fell under the power of the Nabateans, as the Romans conquered it from them in 105. During the late Hellenistic Period, Al Karak became an important town as was known as Kharkha. Under the Byzantine Empire it was a bishopric—containing the much venerated Church of Nazareth—and remained predominantly Christian under Arab rule. Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... Moab (מוֹאָב, Standard Hebrew Moʾav, Tiberian Hebrew Môʾāḇ Greek Μωάβ; Assyrian Muaba, Maba, Maab; Egyptian Muab) is the historical name for a mountainous strip of land in modern-day Jordan running along the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... Tiglath-Pileser is the name of several kings of Assyria Tiglath-Pileser I (1115- 1077 BC) Tiglath-Pileser II (967 - 935 BC) Tiglath-Pileser III (744 - 727 BC) Tiglath-Pileser IV (also known as Tiglath-Pileser III, see above) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Petra, the Nabataean capital The Nabataeans, a people of ancient Arabia, whose settlements in the time of Josephus gave the name of Nabatene to the border-land between Syria and Arabia from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. ... The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government. ... Events Roman Empire Trajan starts the second expedition against Dacia. ... What Up. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب) are a heterogenous ethnic group who are predominantly speakers of the Arabic language, mainly found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ...

Al Karak's greatest importance was during the Crusader and Ayyubid Periods which were responsible for most of the architectural remains to date. This article is about the medieval crusades. ... The Ayyubid Dynasty was a Muslim dynasty of Kurdish origins which ruled Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Diyar Bakr, Mecca, Hejaz and northern Iraq or Iraqi Kurdistan in the 12th and 13th centuries. ...

Castle

Construction of the Crusader castle began in the 1140s, under Paganus, the butler of King Fulk. The Crusaders called it Crac des Moabites or "Kerak in Moab", as it is frequently referred to in history books. (c.f. Krak des Chevaliers, with which this castle is frequently confused.) Centuries: 11th century - 12th century - 13th century Decades: 1090s 1100s 1110s 1120s 1130s - 1140s - 1150s 1160s 1170s 1180s 1190s Years: 1140 1141 1142 1143 1144 1145 1146 1147 1148 1149 Events and Trends Abbot Suger rebuilds the monastery of St Denis outside Paris, seen as the initiation of the Gothic... Pagan the Butler (French: Payen le Bouteiller; died 1148) was a Crusader lord in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. ... Fulk of Anjou (1092 – November 10, 1143), king of Jerusalem from 1131, was the son of Fulk IV, count of Anjou, and his wife Bertrada (who ultimately deserted her husband and became the mistress of Philip I of France). ... Krak des Chevaliers Gothic cloister by the fortress yard Krak des Chevaliers (also Crac des Chevaliers, fortress of the knights in a mixture of Arabic and French) was the headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller in Syria during the Crusades. ...

Paganus was also Lord of Oultrejordain (Transjordan), and Kerak became the centre of his power, replacing the weaker castle of Montreal to the south. Because of its position east of the Jordan River, Kerak was able to control Bedouin herders as well as the trade routes from Damascus to Egypt and Mecca. His successors, his nephew Maurice and Philip of Milly, added towers and protected the north and south sides with two deep rock-cut ditches (the southern ditch also serving as a cistern). The most notable Crusader architectural feature surviving is the north wall, into which are built immense arched halls on two levels. These were used for living quarters and stables, but also served as a fighting gallery overlooking the castle approach and for shelter against missiles from siege engines. Oultrejordain or Oultrejourdain (French for beyond the Jordan) was the name used during the Crusades for an extensive and partly undefined region to the east of the Jordan river, an area known in ancient times as Edom and Moab. ... Montreal was a Crusader castle located in Idumaea (Edom) on the eastern side of the Jordan river. ... This article is about the Jordan River and its valley in western Asia. ... A Bedouin man resting on a hillside at Mount Sinai Bedouin, derived from the Arabic (), a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Arab nomadic pastoralist groups, who are found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Mecca IPA: or Makkah IPA: (in full: Makkah al-Mukarramah; Arabic: ‎, Turkish: Mekke) is the capital city of Saudi Arabias Makkah province, in the historic Hejaz region. ... Philip of Milly, also known as Philip of Nablus (c. ... Medieval siege weaponry or more commonly, a siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. ...

In 1176 Raynald of Chatillon gained possession of Kerak after marrying Stephanie of Milly, the widow of Humphrey III of Toron (and daughter-in-law of Humphrey II). From Kerak, Raynald harassed the trade caravans and even attempted an attack on Mecca itself. In 1184 Saladin besieged the castle in response to Raynald's attacks. The siege took place during the marriage of Humphrey IV of Toron and Isabella of Jerusalem, and Saladin, after some negotiations and with a chivalrous intent, agreed not to target their chamber while his siege machines attacked the rest of the castle. The siege was eventually relieved by King Baldwin IV. Events May 22 - Murder attempt by the Hashshashin on Saladin near Aleppo Raynald of Chatillon released from prison in Aleppo May 29 - Frederick Barbarossa is defeated in the Battle of Legnano by the Lombard League leading to the pactum Anagninum (the Agreement of Anagni) September 17 - Seljuk Turks defeat Manuel... Raynald of Châtillon (also Reynald or Reginald of Chastillon) (c. ... Stephanie of Milly (died c. ... Humphrey II of Toron (1117-1179) was lord of Toron and constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. ... A camel train is a series of camels carrying goods or passengers in a group as part of a regular or semi-regular service between two points. ... // Events Abbeville receives its commercial charter. ... Artistic representation of Saladin. ... The Siege of Kerak took place in in 1183 between the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and Saladin at Kerak Castle, stronghold of Raynald of Chatillon. ... Humphrey IV of Toron (c. ... Isabella of Jerusalem (c. ... Woman under the Safeguard of Knighthood, allegorical Scene. ... Baldwin IV (1161 – 1185), called the Leper or the Leprous, the son of Amalric I of Jerusalem and his first wife Agnes of Courtenay, was king of Jerusalem from 1174 to 1185. ...

After the Battle of Hattin in 1187, Saladin besieged Kerak again and finally captured it in 1189. During the siege the defenders were said to have been forced to sell women and children into slavery for food (this is also said to have happened at the siege of Montreal). Combatants Ayyubids Kingdom of Jerusalem Commanders Saladin Guy of Lusignan Raymond III of Tripoli Strength Est. ... // Events May 1 - Battle of Cresson - Saladin defeats the crusaders July 4 - Saladin defeats Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem, at the Battle of Hattin. ... Events January 21 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade September 3- Richard I of England is crowned as king of England. ...

In AD 1263, the Mamluk ruler, Baybars, enlarged and built a tower on the north-west corner. In AD 1840, Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt captured the castle and destroyed much of its fortifications. Events Detmold, Germany was founded. ... A Mamluk cavalryman, drawn in 1810 A mamluk (Arabic: مملوك (singular), مماليك (plural), owned; also transliterated mameluk, mameluke, mamlyuk, or mamluke) was a slave soldier who converted to Islam and served the Muslim caliphs and the Ayyubid sultans during the Middle Ages. ... al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdari (also spelled Baybars) (Arabic: ) was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and Syria. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Ibrahim Pasha (Arabic: ابراهيم باشا) ‎ (1789 – 10 November 1848), a 19th century general of Egypt. ...

The castle extends over the southern part of the plateau. It is a notable example of Crusader architecture, a mixture of European, Byzantine, and Arab designs. Its walls are strenghthened with rectangular projecting towers, long stone vaulted galleries are lighted only by narrow slits, and a contains a deep moat from the west which completely isolates the site. European redirects here. ...

In the lower court of the castle, there is Karak Archaeological Museum, which was newly opened in 2004 after renovation work. It introduces local history and archaeology of Karak region- the land of Moab- from the prehistoric period until the Islamic era. History of the Crusader and Muslims at Karak castle and town is introduced in detail.

Cuisine

Al Karak is widely accepted as the capital of Jordan's national dish Mansaf. Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan, and is also cooked in many Levantine and Persian Gulf countries (in the latter, it is sometimes called kabsa or makbus. ...

Sister cities

On November 9, 2005, Karak became a sister city of Birmingham, Alabama, USA. The sister city agreement was signed in Birmingham by Karak Mayor Mohammed Maita and Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid. November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: The Magic City, Pittsburgh of the South, BHam, The Ham Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Jefferson, Shelby Mayor Bernard Kincaid (D) Area    - City 151. ...

The mayors promised to work together and improve the relationship between their two cities.

References

• Politics & Change in Al-Karak, Jordan, A Study of a Small Arab Town & Its District ISBN 0-19-215805-8, Author: Peter Gubser

• Kennedy, Hugh (2000). Crusader Castles. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-79913-9.

External links

• City of Al Karak
• Personal page about Al Karak
• Khirbet Kerak Ware
• A photo tour in and around the castle

Coordinates: 31°11′N 35°42′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...