Kerak was a Crusader castle in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, now located in Jordan.The site is located on a cliff, about 1000 meters above sea level, surrounded on three sides by a valley. It has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age, and was an important city for the Moabites and the Nabateans. In the Bible it is called Qer Harreseth, and the Romans conquered it from the Nabateans in 105. Under the Byzantine Empire it was a bishopric, and remained predominantly Christian under the Arabs.
Construction of the Crusader castle began in the 1140s, under Paganus, the butler of King Fulk. The Crusaders called it Crac des Moabites. Paganus was also Lord of Oultrejordain (Transjordan), and Kerak became the centre of his power, replacing the weaker castle of MontrealMontreal was a Crusader castle located in "Idumaea" ( Edom) on the eastern side of the Jordan river. The ruins, called Shaubaq in Arabic, are located in modern Jordan. The castle was built in 1115 by Baldwin I of Jerusalem during his expedition to the are to the south. Because of its position east of the Jordan RiverThis article is about the Jordan River is western Asia. For other meanings, see Jordan River (disambiguation The Jordan River seen from spaceNASA photo''Northern Part of the Great Rift Valley The Jordan River is a river in western Asia flowing through the, Kerak was able to control BedouinMount Sinai Bedouin derived from the Arabic badawi , a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Arab nomadic groups, who are found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western herders as well as the trade routes from DamascusThis is about Damascus, the capital of Syria. There is also a Damascus, Maryland, a Damascus, Oregon, a Damascus, Pennsylvania, and a Damascus, Virginia. Damascus ( Arabic: Dimashq Dimashq al-Sham al-Sham Tiberian Hebrew Dammeseq Dammseq Sephardi Hebrew D to EgyptJumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah ( In Detail) Official language Arabic Capital Cairo Largest City Cairo President Hosni Mubarak Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif Area Total % water Ranked 29th 1,001,450 kmē 0. 6% Population Total (2003) Density Ranked 15th 74,718,797 and MeccaMecca or Makkah (in full: Makkah al-Mukkaramah Arabic ) is a city in the Hijaz region of western Saudi Arabia. It is revered as the holiest site of the Islamic religion, and a pilgrimage to it is required of all Muslims who can afford the trip. The term M.
In 1176Events May 22 Murder attempt by the Hashshashin (Assassins) on Saladin near Aleppo. September 17 Battle of Myriokephalon Births Rastko Nemanjic, serbian prince who will later become the Saint Sava Leopold VI of Austria, the Glorious Deaths Emperor Rokujo Raynald of ChatillonRaynald of Chatillon (also Reynald or Reginald of Chastillon (died July 4 1187) was a knight who served in the Second Crusade and remained in the Holy Land after its defeat. There he ruled as Prince of Antioch from 1153 to 1160. He was a younger son of He 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.
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).
The castle of Kerak is a notable example of Crusader architecture, a mixture of European, Byzantine, and Arab designs. It is now in ruins, but a city of about 170 000 people has been built up around it. The castle has a museum dedicated to the Crusader period.
Crusades
Castles in Jordan
