Overview

Bibliography

'Ajlun, also known as Qal'at al-Rabad, is a castle built during the Ayyubid period. It is situated on a high hill south of the town of 'Ajlun, overlooking the Wadi Kafranja, one of the major routes from the Jordan valley into the highlands.

The castle was built by Izz al-Din Usama between 1188-1192 at the request of Salah ad-Din (Saladin) as a counter to the Crusader castle at Belvoir across the Jordan valley. The castle initially consisted of a quadrilateral keep, with an entrance on the east wall, and two baileys on the east and the south. Two towers protected the larger eastern bailey, with the southern bailey surround only by a thick wall.

In the thirteenth century, the castle was expanded and refortified by Izz al-Din Aybeg (1214-1215), the Lord of Salkhad, for al-Muazzam 'Isa, the son of al-'Adil, the Ayyubid prince of Damascus. At this time a new southern tower was built to protect the two baileys, a new entrance was built adjacent to the southern tower, and the original structure was given new height to match the height of the new tower. It was probably during Izz al-Din Aybeg's construction that the dry moat was cut around the castle.

The castle continued to be occupied until the late Ottoman period. The castle was restored by the Department of Antiquites of Transjordan in 1927-1929. Although later additions can be recognized, the present form of the castle represents largely the work of Izz al-Din Aybeb.

The archaeological strata uncovered at the site, as illustrated in the site plan, date to the following periods:

	Expanded Construction, Thirteenth Century
	Original Construction, Twelfth Century