Karak, one of the bastions of the crusaders, is located at an altitude of 900 meters above sea level in the walls of the old city. Today it has a population of about 170 thousand people. It attracts tourists with a large number of well-preserved Ottoman buildings of the nineteenth century, restaurants and excellent infrastructure. But its major attraction is of course the Fort itself.

The city is built on a triangular plateau, on the narrow South end of which stands the castle. The length of the lock - 220 m, a width of 125 m in the North and 40 m in the southern part, where a narrow gorge, turned into a wide moat separates the adjacent, higher hill - once a favorite firing position Saladin. Looking at the wall, easy to spot against the dark rough masonry of the crusaders meticulously crafted blocks of light limestone, Arab work.

Several centuries later the crusaders spent about twenty years to erect their massive castle. After the completion of construction in 1161 it became the residence of the ruler of Transjordan, which at the time was considered the most important feudal possession of the crusaders, providing them with agricultural products and paying tribute. Having sustained several sieges in the early 1170-ies, Karak was captured by Reynald de Chatillon, ruler, known for his recklessness and wanton behavior. Breaking all the treaties, he began to Rob trade caravans and pilgrims, bound for Mecca, attacked the cradle of Islam the Hijaz, raided the Arabian ports on the Red sea, and even threatened to seize Mecca. Saladin, ruler of Syria and Egypt, reacted swiftly. He captured the city of Karak by force, burned it to the ground, and almost managed to storm the castle.

Taken by Reynald in peacetime attack on a large convoy in 1177 caused rapid payback on the part of Saladin, who announced the state of the crusaders war, which ended in the defeat of the army of the crusaders at the battle of Hattin. Saladin spared nearly all captured, but Reynald, which he executed himself. Defenders of Karak held eight months long siege, and then surrendered to the Muslims, who generously sent them on all four sides.

Once again in the hands of Muslims, Karak became the capital of the region, covering a large part of modern Jordan, and in the next two centuries, played a key role in the political life of the Middle East. While Karak was even the capital of the Mamluk state, when the Sultan an-Nasir Ahmad is tired of the endless battles in the struggle for power in Cairo. And in fact, his brother and successor al-Salih Ismail, had to take eight sieges before he was able to capture the fortress and reclaim the Royal regalia. It is during these sieges Karak was awarded the dubious honor of becoming the main target for the most modern in those days in the middle East artillery: as-Salih Ismail used to assault cannons and gunpowder.

During the reign of the Ayyubid and early Mamluk sultans castle has been through significant changes, and the fortifications were strengthened by massive towers, which, apparently, had no gates: the path to the city lay through the underground passages, the entrances to which are still visible.

In more recent times the city had become a refuge for rebels, and the castle was used as a venue for tribal councils. Since 1894, after the establishment of solid Turkish authorities, the Mamluk Palace inside the fortress was turned into a prison. The great Arab revolt dealt the final blow to Turkish rule, which ended in 1918.