The People - People of Ajloun 

- The Ajloun area has a long history of human settlement, due to its Mediterranean climate, dense forests and fertile soil. This rich history is reflected in the many archaeological ruins scattered in the woodlands and surrounding villages. In the village of Tubna, the visitor will find a Zeidanian mosque and a meeting hall dating back to 1750 AD The visitor will also find a structure known as “Al’ali Shreidah”, home of the governor of the region before the establishment of modern Jordan. The governor’s home was much admired by the contemporaries due to the fast that it was the first two-level building in the region.

- The Ajloun Castle (Qal’at Ar-Rabad) built by Saladin’s nephew [1184 AD] is another important archeological landmark. The castle was built to control the iron mines of Ajloun, and to counter the progress of the Crusaders by dominating the three main routes leading to the Jordan valley and protecting the communication routes between Jordan and Syria.

- Settlement in Zubia Village/ Ajloun area dates back to the Byzantine period. There are also houses and stables dating back several hundred years. A spring located in a valley between Zubia and Tubna served as a major source of water for the surrounding settlements. Today, there are more than ten villages surrounding the Ajloun Reserve. Some villagers are involved in farming crops such as grapes, figs and olives while others work in the public sector. Ajloun area is famous for its olive trees and its assorted products.

- In General, the Jordanian population is almost entirely Arab except for pockets of people from Armenia, Chechnya, and a very small community of Circassians (the oldest indigenous people of North Caucasus). Although there are no accurate figures to date, it is estimated that up to 75 percent of the Jordanian population is Palestinian. The Palestinian people have been flooding into Jordan since the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, when they were either forced to leave their homes or subjected to such economic, cultural, and political hardship that they felt compelled to leave.

Armenian people

Chechnya people

Guard  Royal  Jordanian (Circassians )

- There are existing tensions between the Jordanians who inhabited the country before 1948 and the refugees and immigrants who have since settled. The former group are known as the “East Bankers” and the latter group known as “West Bankers.” Despite these tensions, the 2 communities are deeply inter-linked socially and economically. Many Palestinians living in Jordan refer to themselves as Jordanians, and it is hard to generalize about the loyalty and identity of the Palestinian population. In addition, there are 1 million foreign workers in the kingdom mainly from Egypt, Syria, and Iraq who perform menial, physical, and in some cases managerial jobs.

The History - Ajloun rich History 

- The Ajloun area has a long history of human settlement, due to its Mediterranean climate, dense forests, and fertile soil. This rich history is reflected in the many archaeological ruins scattered in the woodlands and surrounding villages.

- In the village of Tubna, the visitor will find a Zeidani mosque and a meeting hall dating back to 1750 AD. The visitor will also find a structure known as “Al’ali Shreidah,” home of the governor of the region before the establishment of modern Jordan. The governor’s home was much admired by the contemporaries due to the fact that it was the first two-level building in the region.

- Settlement in Zubia Village – Ajloun Area dates back to the Byzantine period. There is an area in the village known as “the monastery,” which contains the remains of an old Byzantine church. There are also houses and stables dating back several hundred years. A spring located in a valley between Zubia and Tubna served as a major source of water for the surrounding settlements. 

- Today, there are more than ten villages surrounding the Ajloun Reserve. Some villagers are involved in farming crops such as grapes, figs and olives while others work in the public sector. The Ajloun area is famous for its olive trees and its assorted products.

- Ajloun Castle, more formally known as Qal’at Ar-Rabad, is the major ancient monument within the Ajloun region. It towers above the green hills and can be seen from many miles away, betraying its strategic purpose as a military watch post that protected the trade routes in the 12th-15th centuries. It was first built in 1184 by one of Saladin’s generals, Izzeddin Usama Mungidh, to repel the Crusader threats to north Jordan (the Crusaders had already occupied south Jordan, from their massive castles at Showbak and Karak, and were driven out of TransJordan in 1188/1189). The Ajloun castle was expanded into its current configuration in 1214.

- The castle is one of the best preserved and most complete examples of Medieval Arab-Islamic military architecture. Among its main features are a surrounding dry moat, a drawbridge into the main entrance, the fortified entrance gate (with decorative stone pigeon carvings), a massive south tower, and several other towers on all sides. The castle boasts a labyrinth of vaulted passages, winding staircases, long ramps, enormous rooms that served as dining halls, dormitories, and stables, a total of 11 water cisterns, and the private quarters of the Lord of the Castle (complete with a small stone bathtub and rectangular windows that convert into arrow-slits for defensive purposes).

- From the top of the castle, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the Jordan Valley and the highlands of north Jordan. Excavations have recently identified a church that was built on the castle site in the earlier Byzantine period, while restoration and conservation works have made all areas of the castle accessible and safe for visitors.

The Nature - Nature at its best

- The large pine forest that stretches from Ajloun towards the north is a unique environmental resource, for it is the southernmost complete pine forest in the world. The area’s cool forests, beautiful picnic areas, and extensive walking trails attract visitors throughout the April-October season, especially from the Gulf and other warmer regions of the Middle East.

- The combination of the invigorating forests, clean air, cool summer temperatures, easy access from all northern Jordan, and a series of major antiquities sites make this a leading tourism destination, for both international and domestic tourists.

- The Ajloun Campsite is located at the edge of the forest in the reserve. It occupies a large grassy clearing, enclosed by oak, pistachio and strawberry trees, and offers beautiful views of the reserve and beyond. There are 10 four- person tented bungalows available and nearby showers and toilets. The Ajloun Campsite opens from the 1st of April till the 31st of October.

- The Ajloun Nature Reserve is located in the Ajloun highlands (North of Amman). It consists of Mediterranean-like hill country, dominated by open woodlands of oak and pistachio trees. The Reserve was first established in 1988 when a captive-breeding programme for the Roe Deer was initiated.

The Reserve (13 sq. km) is located in an area named Eshtafeena. The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature has set up two hiking trails and provides a special area for camping.

- Ajloun’s woodlands consist mostly of oak trees, interspersed with pistachio, pine, carob, and wild strawberry trees. These trees have long been important to local people for their wood, scenic beauty and, very often, for medicine and food.

- The Roe Deer is adapted to forest habitat, and feeds on a variety of trees, shrubs and grasses. The rich Mediterranean-like forests that covered the Ajloun area provided an ideal habitat for millennia. However, deforestation and desertification over the past 200 years led to the decline in numbers of the Roe Deer. Three Roe Deer were introduced to the captive breeding enclosure in Ajloun in 1988, from a similar habitat in Turkey, and their numbers are now increasing.

- The Persian Fallow Deer is another species that was once common in Jordan. This animal probably became extinct by the turn of the century although measures are in place to ensure their return to the local countryside. This species of deer derives its name from the old English word “falu,” meaning “brownish-yellow,” which describes the colour of its coat.

The Attractions - where to go

- 73 km north of Amman, and a short journey northwest from Jerash, through a beautiful pine-forest and olive groves, brings you to the town of Ajloun, where Hadrian stayed over the winter of 129-30 AD, and built himself an arch well outside the town, leaving unbonded its sides for future city walls to come out to meet it.

- Here you will find the Castle of Ajloun or Qalaat Errabadh (Arabic for “Hilltop Castle”), from which there is a splendid view westwards into the Jordan Valley. It looks like a Crusader fortress, but it was built by Muslims in 1184-85 as a military fort and buffer to protect the region from invading Crusader forces. It was built on the orders of the local governor, Ezz Eddin Osama bin Munqethe, a nephew of the Ayyubid leader Salahuddin Al-Ayyoubi (Saladin), as a direct retort to the new Latin castle of Belvoir (Kawkab El-Hawa) on the opposite side of the valley between the Tiberias and Besan, and as a base to develop and control the iron mines of Ajloun.

- This superb example of Arab and Islamic architecture was built as a rectangle with four square towers and an entrance on the south side dominating a wide stretch of the north Jordan Valley and passages to it. From its hilltop position, the Castle of Ajloun protected the communication routes between south Jordan and Syria, and was one of a chain of forts, which lit beacons at night to pass signals from the Euphrates as far as Cairo.

- Ajloun Castle GateTwo years after it was completed the fortress’s original purpose had already been outlived, for Salahuddin defeated the Crusaders at the battle of the Horns of Hattin in 1189, which marked the beginning of the end of their occupation of the Holy Land.

- In 1214-15 the Castle of Ajloun was enlarged by Aybak bin Abdullah, majordomo of the Caliph Al-Muazham Isa; in 1260 it fell to the Mongols, but was later rebuilt by the Egyptian Mamluks. No longer needed for military purposes, it was used as an administrative center responsible to Damascus.

- Some of the stones with which the castle was built have crosses carved into them, giving credence to a tradition, recounted by a 13th century Arab historian that: “an ancient monastery once stood on the site, inhabited by a Christian named Ajloun; when the monastery fell into ruin, the castle took its place and the name of the monk”.

- The castle today is beautifully preserved and is a popular attraction for foreigners & Jordanians alike. The structures, towers, chambers, galleries and staircases that form part of the town as well as the beautiful scenery that surrounds the hills nearby will captivate you.

Northeast Tower

Ajlun Castle, Jordan

 

Leaving the castle, this photo shows Ajlun's partially-rebuilt northeast tower. Its current state picturesquely embodies Ajlun's 800-year history of repair and refurbishment. 

Upper Room

Ajlun Castle(Qalat al Rabad)

 

The castle's vaulted rooms and corridors are relatively spacious. For the comfort of residents, a series of carefully designed ceiling apertures, ventilation shafts, and cisterns allow free circulation of light, water, and air throughout the structure. 

Inner Entrance

Ajlun Castle

Ajlun Castle(Qalat al Rabad)

, Jordan

 

The passage through Ajlun's outer entrance  leads eventually to this double gate, which was actually the original entrance to the castle before a 1214-1215 enlargement. The double gate incorporates a portcullis that could be lowered between its inner and outer arches. 

North and West of Amman

‘Ajloun The road to ‘Ajloun, located 25 kilometers west of Jerash and 73 kilometers from Amman, winds through fertile green hillsides lined with olive groves. The main attraction in ‘Ajloun is the stronghold of Qala’at al-Rabadh, a fine example of medieval Arab/Islamic military architecture. The castle was built between 1184-85 CE by the nephew of Salah Eddin al-Ayyubi (known in the West as Saladin), the great Muslim commander who waged a successful campaign to recover lands lost to the invading Crusaders.

Qala’at al-Rabadh in snow.© Camerapix 1994

‘Ajloun’s strategic position commanding the Jordan Valley, as well as the three small valleys leading to it, made it an important link in the defensive chain against the Crusaders, who spent decades unsuccessfully trying to capture the castle and nearby village. The fortress is built upon the apex of the hill above ‘Ajloun, and offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside. On a clear day you can see the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley, the West Bank, and Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee).The original fortress had four corner towers, with arrow slits and a 16-meter-wide moat. It was enlarged in 1214-15 CE by the Mamluk officer Aibak ibn Abdullah, who added a new tower in the southeast corner and constructed the main one. In 1229, the castle fell to the Emirate of Karak. In 1260, it was largely destroyed by the Mongol invaders, but was reconquered and rebuilt almost immediately by the Mamluk Sultan Baybars. The southwest tower was constructed at that time. During Mamluk times, Qala’at al-Rabadh was one in a network of beacons and pigeon posts that allowed messages to be transmitted from Baghdad to Cairo in only twelve hours! Entrance is free to the castle, which is open seven days a week during daylight hours