Ajlun Castle

The view from top of Ajlun Castle

Zeek and Jim at the top

Jim, Zeek, and Ayoub at the top

Looking west

Main entrance to Ajlun

Looking north toward Jerusalem

Had to get a rest after climbing to the top!! You can see the outskirts of Jerusalem just beyond the back of my head.

Big Balls!!! {for catapults}

No, I'm not drunk...I thought the picture was finished...

Jordan Valley

Ayoub said "don't make my picture!!"

Pines overlooking Jordan Valley

Just look at the farms across the valley!

My god, it's so GREEN!!!!!

This huge fortress was built by Izz al-Din Usama, a commander and nephew of Salah ad-Din al-Ayyubi (Saladin), in AD 1184-1185. The fortress is considered one of the very few built to protect the country against Crusader attacks from Karak in the south and Bisan in the west. From its situation, the fortress dominated a wide stretch of the northern Jordan Valley, controlled the three main passages that led to it (Wadi Kufranjah, Wadi Rajeb and Wadi al-Yabes), and protected the communication routes between south Jordan and Syria. It was built to contain the progress of the Latin Kingdom of Transjordan and as a retort to the castle of Belvoir on the lake of Tiberias. Another major objective of the fortress was to protect the development and control of the iron mines of Ajlun.