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.See the website www.lehun Stele was discovered (see opposite).There is family and through marriage fell into thex03 / Pop 20,000-excavations.be for details.nothing left of the ancient city.The ancient Crusader stronghold of Karak sadistic hands of Renauld de Chatillon whoAbout 3km down (south) from Dhiban (or Kerak) lies within the walls of the old delighted in torturing prisoners and throw-Getting There & Away is an awesome lookout over Wadi Mujib.To city and is one of the highlights of Jordan.ing them off the walls into the valley 450mA few minibuses go directly to Umm ar- admire the views without crossing the val- The fortified castle that dominates the below; he even went to the trouble of hav-Rasas, via Nitil, from the bus/minibus ley, walk (or charter a taxi) to the lookout town was a place of legend in the battles ing a wooden box fastened over their headsstation in Madaba.Alternatively, catch from Dhiban.At the bottom of the valley between the Crusaders or Franks and the so they wouldn t lose consciousness beforeanything going to Dhiban, and hitch a ride the main road crosses the large Mujib dam Islamic armies of Saladin (Salah ad-Din).hitting the ground.Hated by Saladin for hisfrom there.Another option is to charter a before winding up the far side in a series of Now among the most famous, the castle at treachery, de Chatillon had arrived fromprivate taxi from the obvious turn-off at switchbacks.Karak was just one in a long line built by France in 1148 to take part in the Crusadesthe roundabout in the middle of Dhiban, At the point where you will start to again the Crusaders stretching from Aqaba in the and from Karak he was able to control thebut taxi drivers can demand as much as breathe easy after negotiating the peril- south to Turkey in the north.trade routes to Egypt and Mecca, therebyJD5/7 one way/return, including waiting ous climb, you will see the strategically Often ignored by travellers speeding severely disrupting the supply lines of thetime.Umm ar-Rasas is also accessible from placed Trajan Rest House (x079 5903302; bed in south towards Petra, Karak is worth the ef- Islamic armies.the Desert Highway by private or chartered shared room JD3, with breakfast & dinner JD10), which fort to get here.De Chatillon was later executed at thevehicle.is also signed as Trajan Restaurant.The hands of Saladin (the only Crusader leaderThe Church of St Stephen isn t signposted restaurant only serves open buffets for tour History to suffer such a fate), whose Muslim ar-from the village.Take the dirt track beside groups but you can get hot and cold drinks Karak lies on the route that ancient caravans mies took the castle in 1183 after an epicthe post office for 500m to the site.The and breakfast (dinner can be arranged if you travelled from Egypt to Syria in the time of siege.The Mamluk sultan Beybars took thepost office is 500m north of the T-junction are staying overnight) here.The accommo- the biblical kings, and was also used by the fort in 1263 and strengthened the fortress,of the road between the King s and Desert dation here is basic, with curtains for doors.Greeks and Romans.The city is mentioned deepening the moat and adding the lowerHighways and the signposted road leading It is a good place to hitch a ride down into several times in the Bible as Kir, Kir Moab courtyard, but three towers collapsed in annorth to Nitil.the valley.and Kir Heres, capital of the Moabites, and earthquake in AD 1293.Ariha is the first village you ll reach as you later emerges as a Roman provincial town, Little more is known of the castle untilWADI MUJIB GORGE ' J/'H climb up the southern wall of Wadi Mujib, Charac Moaba.The city also features on Jean Louis Burckhardt (the Swiss explorerStretching across Jordan from the Desert although the village is about 2.5km off the the famous mosaic in St George s Church who rediscovered Petra) passed throughHighway to the Dead Sea (covering a main King s Highway.in Madaba.Karak in 1812, describing the castle as shat-distance of over 70km) is the vast and The arrival of the Crusaders launched the tered but imposing.beautiful Wadi Mujib gorge, rather opti- Getting There & Away city back into prominence and the Crusader In the 1880s, religious fighting compelledmistically known as the Grand Canyon Dhiban is where almost all transport south king Baldwin I of Jerusalem had the castle the Christians of Karak to flee north to re-of Jordan.Aside from being spectacular, of Madaba stops.At the moment, the only built in AD 1142
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