Karak
From BlogJordan
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Karak (or Kerak) (Arabic: الكرك), the capital city of Karak Governorate and the cite of the Crusader castle:Al Karak. Located 124 km south of Amman, was built in 1142 by Payen le Bouteiller, lord of Montreal and of the province of Oultre Jourdain, on the remains of earlier citadels, which date back to Nabataean times. This stronghold sits 900m above sea level and lies inside the walls of the old city, providing excellent coverage of the King's Highway. The city today is home to around 170,000 people and continues to boast a number of restored 19th century Ottoman buildings, restaurants and lodgings[1]. |
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[edit] History
[edit] Ancient
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.
Also known at that time as Kir-haraseth, Kir-heres, or Kir, its doom was prophesied by the Isaiah, who mentions its raisin-cakes.
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[2].
[edit] Medieval
Al Karak's greatest importance was during the Crusader and Ayyubid Periods which were responsible for most of the architectural remains to date: the Crusader fortress of Kerak - Crak des Moabites, or Le Pierre du Desert to Crusaders.
Built in 1142 by Paganus (Payen le Bouteiller), lord of Montreal and of the province of Oultre Jourdain, on the remains of earlier citadels, which date back to Nabataean times. He made Kerak the new capital of the province, as it was superbly situated on the King's Highway and east of the Jordan River, where the fort could control all trade traffic from from Damascus to Egypt and Mecca and grow rich by the imposition of road-tolls.
The castle also provided save haven for the inhabitants of the town - as it did in 1173 when the Zengid ruler Nureddin attacked the castle. His siege was unsuccessful, as were later attempts by Saladin in 1183, and again in 1184. It was not until the end of 1189, after the Battle of Hattin in 1187, that Saladin besieged Kerak again and finally captured it. 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).
Kerak's most infamous occupant was Reynald de Chatillon, whose reputation for treachery, betrayal and brutality is unsurpassed. When King Baldwin II (who signed a truce with Saladin) died, his son, a 13-year-old leper, sued for peace with Saladin. The Leper King, however, died without a heir, leaving Reynald in succession of Kerak who gained possession of Kerak after marrying Stephanie of Milly, the widow of Humphrey III of Toron (and daughter-in-law of Humphrey II).
Reynald promptly defied the truce with Saladin, robbing a large caravan in 1177 that prompted fast retribution from Saladin. The attack ended in the defeat of the Crusader army at the Battle of Hattin. Saladin spared most of the captives except Reynald, who he executed himself. The defenders of Karak held out for eight months in a prolonged siege before surrendering to the Muslims who, mercifully, allowed them to walk free.
In 1263 the Mamluk Sultan Baybars took Kerak. The Arab traveler Ibn Battuta, who visited it in 1355, was much impressed by the castle's strength, and said that it was also called "The Castle of the Raven". Under Ottomans it was ruled by local families until 1840, when Ibrahim Pasha son of Mohammad Ali of Egypt took it, greatly damaging its defenses. After World War I, Kerak was a British administrative center until Emirate of Transjordan was established in 1921. It remains the center of a large district[3].
[edit] Modern
In later times, the town more often than not became a refuge for rebels, while the castle was used as the gathering place of tribal councils. Firm Turkish administration was enforced after 1894 and the Mameluk palace inside the castle was used as a prison. The Great Arab Revolt dealt the last blow to Turkish rule, which ended in 1918.
[edit] Castle Architecture
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.
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.
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.
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.
