Al-Karak

Al-Karak writes also Karak or Kerak is a town of Jordan on the territory of which was built famous a strong Château cross. It is about the capital of the governorship of Karak.

Geography

City Al-Karak, included/understood formerly within the Kingdom of Jerusalem, is located in the south of Amman on the old Road of the King. The city is built on a triangular plate with approximately: 1000 meters of altitude with the old fortified town of Crossed in its southern point. Plate, Al-Karak enjoys a sight released on the Dead Sea. Around the strong castle was built a town of approximately: 20000 inhabitants in whom many buildings of the 19th Othoman century are today restored.

History

The Al-Karak site is inhabited since the age of iron, and becomes an important city at the time of the Moabites which call off the place Qir Moab . In the Bible it is called Qer Harreseth and seems to be subjected to the Assyrian empire. The place falls under the cut from the Nabatéens, then the Roman Empire conquers it in 105.

During the late hellenistic period, Al-Karak becomes an important city called Kharkha .

Under the Byzantine Empire the city becomes an archbishop's palace with its very venerated church of Nazareth and remains with dominant Christian woman under the Arab yoke.

The city becomes an important urban center at the time of the Croisades and dynasty ayyoubide to which one owes the most important architectural vestiges.

The krak of Moabites

The construction of this cross fortress begins around 1140, under the direction of Payen Bouteiller, the majordomo of Foulque V of Anjou. The Crusaders called it the krak of Moabites or Kerak de Moab , as that is found in the books of history (see Krak of the Knights, another fortress with which it is often confused). The strong castle is located at the south of the plate. It is an good example of architecture of the crusades, mixture of a European, Byzantine and Arab style.

Payen was also with the head of the Seigneurie of in addition to-Jordan in transjordanie, and Karak had become its stronghold, to replace that of Montreal less better protected more in the south.

The krak of Moab is known to have sheltered Renaud de Châtillon. This krak is closest to Jerusalem of the three known ones (Krak of the knights, krak of Moab, krak of Montreal). It was built in 1142 on a Rocky Mountain and comprised ditches going up to 20 m in height. Like each Krak, it was ready to resist long seats, as many requirements as in force. It is still upright.

From there, Renaud de Châtillon ordered to attack escorted caravans sarrasines, of which merchants moving Cairo with Damas and pilgrims going with Mecque, imprisoning the merchants in Kérak, which started a seat of the krak by Saladin in 1183, at the time of the 2 {{E}} crusade. But Renaud lit a large blazing inferno top of the keep of the citadel, visible several kilometers, in order to alert the royal Ost of Jerusalem, then still ordered by the leprous king Baudouin IV, which assisted then from Kérak. Saladin thus decided to raise the seat. But that had effect to break the trève between Saladin and Raymond III of Tripoli and started the holy war, the Bataille of Hattin and the catch of Jerusalem by Saladin, last failure which brought partly the 3 {{E}} crusade.

After the Battle of Hattin in 1187, Saladin makes the head office of Karak again and ends up taking it in 1189. The legend tells that during the seat besieged have to sell women and children to buy food.

In 1263, the Mamelouk Baybars increases and builds a tower with the western northern corner of the castle.

In 1840, Ibrahim Pasha takes possession of the place and destroys to it quasi totality of its fortifications.

The archaeological museum of Karak is located in the low court of the castle. It was entirely renovated and reopened its doors in 2004. It presents the local history and the archeology of the area since the prehistoric period until the Islamic era. It concentrates particularly on the history of crossed within their Al-Karak fortress.

Cook

Al Karak is known to be the capital of the Jordanian national dish, the Mansaf .

Twinning

November 9th, 2005, Karak was twinned with Birmingham in the United States. Twinning Co-was signed by the two respective mayors in Birmingham by Mohammed Ma' aita and Bernard Kincaid.

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