Karak

History: Karak is an ancient city with remains of inhabitation from the Iron Age. It is mentioned in the Bible as Kir of Moab. Moabites ruled Karak and the surrounding areas until Karak came under the influence of Nabataeans and later the Romans ruled the region which was then known as Harreketh. Karak remained predominantly Christian with the Church of Nazareth as the hub of religious activities. Karak is also famous for the Crusader castle which sits on top of the southern tip of the hill on which the city is situated. Karak played a central role during the crusades as it lies on the old transport route called the King’s Highway. It was also an important base of military power on the route between Damascus and Cairo. Salah Aldin laid siege around Karak and ultimately conquered the crusader’s castle.

Geography: Karak is 140 kilometers south of Amman. Located on top of a hill of 1,000 meters elevation, Karak offers a good view of its surroundings. The Dead Sea is visible from several locations in the city.

Demography: As of 2013, the population of the Karak governorate stands at 254,700 with 165,600 in rural communities and 89,100 in urban areas. The population of city of Karak is about 20,000 but the metropolitan area has a population of 68,800 which 75% is Muslim and 25% are Christians. Karak has the highest percentage of Christians in the area as compared to the rest of Jordan.

Tourism: The Karak Castle is one of the largest crusader castles in the Levant. Inside the castle is the Karak Archeological Museum displaying remains of the Nabataean, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, and Islamic periods.

Other Facts: Karak is the birthplace of Ibn al-Quff who was an Arab physician and surgeon. Al-Quff wrote the earliest medieval Arabic books about surgery which were widely used as authentic texts by surgeons.