Ajloun and the Kufranja Dam – Saladin’s Rocky Promontory

July 9, 2023 by admin

When we think of the Holy Land, we think of multi-faith religious sites and crusader castle, yet on the west bank of the Jordan river, Islams’ greatest warlord Saladin the Kurd undertook one the Holy Land’s grandest defensive structures Ajloun Castle. Built in response to the growing proliferation of crusader strongholds in the Holy Land, this site marks the furthest limit of Frankish incursions during the Crusades. This strategic fort served an important purpose controlling the movement of good along the road connecting the Syrian city of Damascus and Islamic Egypt.

Geography
A Brief History
Exploring Ajloun Castle
Back In Town
Exploring the Kufranja Dam & Reservoir

Geography

Located on a hilltop in north-western Jordan Aljoun possesses a commanding view of the countryside. Nearby you will find the Aljoun Forest Reserve, once one of the largest forests in the middle-east before much of it was burned by the Ottoman Turks for fuel for their railway to Mecca.

The castle prompted the building of a settlement which has grown to become the present town of Ajloun. In later years as the village grew and the castle fell into ruin, the later was referred to as Qalʻat ar-Rabad, “the castle of the faubourg” or “the castle with the suburbs”.

A Brief History

A Byzantine Monastery once occupied the site that the castle is built on today. The monastery was renovated and transformed into a fort in 1184 (some elements of this christian structure still remain today!).

It was built for two primary reasons. To keep the Bedouin tribes of the Jabal ‘Auf in check and to counter the Crusader Lordship of Oultrejourdain that had gained a foothold in Transjordan. The Bedouin that allied themselves to the Crusaders and had set up camp next to Belvoir castle of on the opposite side of the Jordan Valley. Ajloun Castle is one of the very few Muslim fortresses built by the Ayyubids to protect their realm against Crusader invasion, one that could now come from either from Beisan or Belvoir in the west (present day Israel) and from their base in Karak in the southern Jordan. It has also been suggested that the castle was built to protect the regions iron mines. The castle lost its importance with the fall of Crusader Karak in AD 1187 to the Ayyubids (Saladin’s Dynasty).

In 1215, the castle was expanded by the Mamluck Arab dynasty of Egypt. The castle found new life when it was captured by Yousef ibn Ayoub, a Syrian King of Aleppo and Damascus. Unfortunately this revival was short lived and in 1260 the castle was ravaged by the Mongols and would subsequently be used simply as a storehouse. By the early 19th century it was inhabited by 40 villagers and in a state of abandon with the exception of a brief occupation by Ottoman troops. It would be hit by two major earthquakes during this time and has only recently been reopened for tourism..

Exploring Ajloun Castle

Driving into the castle from nearby Jerash, you will be privy to a spectacular landscape

You will find car parking not far from the peak of the caslte, you will have to walk the last few hundred meters.

At the castle you will find many stray cats, just doing their thing!

The outer castle is fairly typical of this time period. The construction is square with thick stone walls and powerful towers adjoining its sides.

A wide ditch/moat separates it from its exterior yard and you can only access the entrance via a narrow bridge.

Today the vaulted passageways of the castle are home to a museum. Although the castle looks simple from the exterior one look at the interior will reveal a compact and intricate defensive construction that is much more complex and impressive then it looks. The inside would have been perfect for hand to hand combat and many elements would had put the defenders at a great advantage.

In a fomer armory you will still find stone projectiles that would have been used in response to an atack.

You will also find the original frescoes of the christian church.

From the roof you will get a commanding view of the Transjordan Highlands.

Back In Town

The is little to see in in the tiny town of Aljoun down in the valley below the castle. There are both Christian and Muslim families but the settlement has always been tiny hamlet and has little history to see. One building of note is the Grand Mosque, a converted byzantine church that is considered to be one of the oldest mosques in Jordan.

Exploring the Kufranja Dam & Reservoir

Located on the same rocky plateau as Ajloun, this damn is located downstream of the city, before the cliffs give way to the Jordan Valley. Completed in 2006, it provides a much needed water supply for a region of Jordan with very little, the least in the water starved country.

The structure is 88 meters high and 282 meters long, the dam has a capacity of 6 million cubic meters and was completed in 2016.

The winding roadway will take you down from Ajloun from the Jordan Valley giving making for an interesting drive. The road is in surprisingly good condition so kick back and enjoy the view.