Crusader Castles & Drinks at Petra

Today was spent visiting the Crusader Castles of Kerak and Shobak. Other castles I’ve visited in the past include Belvoir and Nimrod in Israel, Kolossi in Cyprus, and Krak de Chevalier and Sala ed’Din’s castle in Syria. Although Shobak was more dramatically situated on top of a steep hill, Kerak was more impressive, occupying a long, narrow plateau and protecting several obvious routes. At both castles we explored tunnels, arches, vaults and cross-vaults creating an intricate series of rooms, which also contained Arabic inscriptions carved in relief. By evening, we reached Petra, 3 hours south of Amman, and went for drinks at the Moevinpick Hotel.