Kerak Castle
قلعة الكرك
The largest Crusader castle along the King's Highway, perched on a ridge, with its maze of vaulted corridors and underground halls well preserved.
Kerak Castle was built in the 1140s and served as the core stronghold of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in Transjordan. It was besieged by Saladin and later expanded under the Mamluk dynasty.
Built along a ridge, the castle contains multi-level vaulted halls, underground passages, stables and church ruins. Its walls overlook the canyon toward the Dead Sea, and a small archaeological museum stands at the foot of the hill.
Admission is about 2 Jordanian dinars, included in the Jordan Pass. It usually opens at 8:00 and closes around 16:00 in winter and 18:00 in summer.
It is about 125 km from Amman, roughly 2 hours by car. It is often combined with Madaba, Mount Nebo and the Wadi Mujib viewpoint as a King's Highway day trip, or visited as a stop on the way to Petra. The underground passages are dim, so bring a flashlight.
Opening hours
08:00–16:00 (winter) / 08:00–18:00 (summer)
Nearby sights
- Wadi Mujib Viewpoint (King's Highway)
- Umm ar-Rasas (Kastron Mefa'a)
- Madaba Map (St. George's Church)
- Mount Nebo
- Baptism Site "Bethany Beyond the Jordan" (Al-Maghtas)
- Iraq al-Amir & Qasr al-Abd
- Royal Tank Museum
- Cave of the Seven Sleepers