Although actually filmed in Morocco, Qalat Al-Karak, one of the largest Crusader castles in the Levant, was prominently featured in "Kingdom of Heaven." It was the castle of Raynald of Châtillon, who was an evil tyrant and all around mean person. Eventually in 1187 CE he was captured and beheaded by Saladin.

Construction of the castle was begun in 1140 CE. In 1263 CE it was enlarged by the Mamluk ruler. However in 1840 CE Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt captured and destroyed much of the fortifications.

It's an extremely cool place to visit and offers a commanding view of the valley below. You can see how difficult it must have been for Bronze Age armies to capture it. Why it is not a UNESCO World Heritage site is a mystery to me!

In the village centre of Kerak there is a statue on horseback of Saladin, the Kurd warrior from what is now Tikrit, Iraq who once united the Arabs and carved a wonderful legend.

The fortress (129 km from Amman ) stands majestically on top of a mountain in the desert. It used to be a Crusader stronghold in the 12th century. The Crusaders used to build strongholds to protect Jerusalem and to rest after a day journey. The Fortress was on the way of the caravans, so taxes used to be collected at this point. In 1188, Salah Eddin’s besieged and conquered the fortress and thus the reign of the Crusaders started to decline.