Kerak Castle

Kerak Castle is a magnificent Crusader-era fortress located south of Amman, Jordan, on the historic King's Highway. Today, the castle is a tourist attraction with a maze of hallways and chambers within the enormous walls.

Kerak, described as "the most magnificent, most impenetrable, and most famed of castles" by a contemporaneous adventurer, is recorded in the Bible, where it was supposed to have been besieged by the King of Israel.

The edifice that is seen now was built during the Crusades in the 12th century. Originally a Crusader fortress, the castle is located within Kerak's city walls and was built in an advantageous location 900 meters above sea level.

The castle is now a tourist attraction, with a maze of passageways and chambers within the massive walls. Kerak Castle is divided into seven floors, and visitors can explore vaulted passages and dungeons. A torch can be useful for traversing some of the smaller and darker corridors. There is an olive press and ovens in the castle kitchens, as well as a partially damaged chapel. A museum is placed on the castle's lower floor, and one route leads to the keep, which offers great views. On clear days, visitors may see across the Dead Sea and out to the Mount of Olives, which borders Jerusalem.