Jordan (Part IV) Ajloun Castle

In the northern part of Jordan is the Ajloun Castle. It sits on a mountain and dates back to the Byzantine Period on the site of an old Christian monastery.

Photo: Castle on top of hill. The castle was built in stages. The first was in 1183 when Salahuddin ordered the castle be built by his nephew and is one of the very few Muslim fortresses built to protect them from Crusaders and to control the iron mines of Ajlun and to deter the Franks from invading Ajlun. In the 12th century, it was captured by a Bedouin tribe and now belongs to the Ajloun Governorate (an administrative division of a country). It is headed by a governor who governs 27 villages and towns with a total population of 147,000. Families are referred to as "tribes" and population consists mainly of 11 Muslim tribe but one of the tribes divided into four and became Christian. Although Christians are a minority in the overall governorate, they form about more than half of the population in Ajloun city residing with Muslims of the Al-Smadi tribe.

The castle guarded three wadis (valleys) and protected routes leading to the Jordan Valley, controlling traffic along the road connecting Damascus and Egypt and routes between Jordan and Syria. It also became an important link in the defense against the Crusaders who spent decades trying to capture the castle and nearby village without success.

Originally there were four towers and the castle also protected nearby mining operations and was key to the manufacturing of weapons.

The Ajloun Castle secured the safety of pilgrim caravans traveling to the Hejaz. (Hejaz in Arabia is the site of the holiest shrines of Islam. The holy city of Mecca is the destination of the Hajaz annual pilgrimage.)

Photo: Pigeon box. Read the sign in the next photo regarding how pigeons were used for communication.

Maybe we should trash our cells phone and just buy some pigeons?

The Ajlun mountains are famous for their lush vegetation and thick green forests and a good place for hikes. The castle was well prepared for many attacks. Several military defense systems were built into the castle. A dry moat surrounded it, making it difficult to reach except through a gate.

Arrow slits can be seen in various levels of the towers and were one of the features of the castle.There were gaps left in the floor between the supporting stone corbels above the main gates so that stones, boiling water, or oil could be dropped on any enemy soldiers. The towers were also important to the defense on the top levels so soldiers could drop down fire balls on attackers and could watch all the roads leading to the castle.

The castle was built on Salahuddin's command as part of the major military effort to stop the expansion of the Crusader territory.

The castle was beautiful inside and the cooler temperature was a welcome break.

Ten Salah ed-Din soldiers are guarding the castle every day of the week. They are placed at the four different gate levels that the castle has with two on the roof.

Jewelry made of Roman glass is a popular souvenir in Jerusalem. Many types of glass vessels were made and thousands of pieces of glass excavated have been made into pendants. Photo: Iron and bronze artifacts.

How would you like one of these dropped on you? (Ouch!) They were catapulted down on threatening invaders.

Being with students makes us feel younger. They are so full of energy and inspire us to put a little spring in our steps.

Give me a kiss but don't let the students see us.

Photo: Worn stone steps.

Photo: View from the top.

In 1926, there was a massive earthquake which caused massive damage to the castle.

Lunch time so it's time to leave.

Photo: Chef preparing a type of flat bread. We eat a lot of sandwiches made from flat or pocket bread.

Photo: We had a buffet lunch but were told we should not eat salads and vegetables unless they were peeled. The reason for this is that we could only drink bottled water while in Jordan. However, I was so hungry for a salad, I could not contain myself and took a chance on the salad of cucumbers and tomatoes. I figured it might be safe since it was made with vinegar and vinegar kills bacteria. While eating, several observers said, "I hope you don't get sick." (Update: I was lucky and didn't get sick. Whew!)

Photo: This is a popular drink made from lemon/lime juice and mint leaves. There were too many leaves to suit my fancy!

Photo: Dessert. The round balls were deep fried and were similar to dough nut holes.

Photo: View of the city from the restaurant. Our next stop will be the King Abdullah I Mosque. (To be continued)