Shobak (Jordan)

The Shobak castle is located at the top of a hill which dominates the whole of Wadi Araba (Araba Valley). The views during walks in this hilly region and of the landscapes are amazing. The ruins are less spectacular than the Karak or Ajloun castles, because it is difficult to recognise the places with heaps of old rocks everywhere, but it is really worth seeing for its historical interest.

This castle was built by the Knights of the Cross who wanted to control the trading routes between Egypt and Syria. They fought against the Muslims for almost 70 years until Saladin himself took it over after a year and a half of siege. With a similar history, you can imagine an enormous, amazing fortress.

Local guides are really useful by providing explanations about the remains of churches, chapels and even torture chambers! The secret of the Knights of the Cross was a very deep well (approximately 70m) which allowed the Shobak castle to have very long sieges. Bring a pocket torch to explore the dark corners.