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Ar-Rabad Castle is located over the whole of the
surrounding countryside and over three major wadis
leading to the Jordan Valley. The castle was built
between 1184-85 CE upon the apex of the hill above
Ajloun, and offers a breathtaking view of the
surrounding countryside. On a clear day you can see the
Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley, the West Bank, and Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee).
The castle was built by the nephew of Salah Eddin al-Ayyubi
(known in the West as Saladin), the great Muslim
commander (Jabal Auf) has formerly been the site of an
isolated Christian monastery, home to a monk named
Ajloun. The Castle of Ajloun also protected the
communication
 routes between south Jordan and Syria, and
was one of a chain of forts, which lit beacons at night
to pass signals from the Euphrates as far as Cairo. If
you stand on the top of Ar-Rabad Castle, you will be
able to see Asheikh Mountain. No longer needed for
military purposes after the crusaders were defeated,
Ajloun was used as an administrative center responsible
for Damascus.
A legend tells that Usama Bin Munqith, in an effort to
demonstrate his authority, invited the sheikhs of the
Bani Auf to a banquet in the newly completed castle,
entertained and fed them, then threw them all into the
dungeons. |
