Shobak Castle: A Forgotten Sentinel of the Crusades

Shobak Castle, known historically as Montreal, stands as a lonely yet evocative monument to the age of the Crusades in southern Jordan. Perched on a dramatic hilltop overlooking the wide plains of Edom, this 12th-century fortress was the first Crusader castle built east of the Jordan River. Though often overshadowed by its more famous sister, Karak Castle, Shobak played a vital strategic and symbolic role during the tumultuous era of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Origins and Construction

The castle was built in 1115 CE by Baldwin I of Jerusalem, shortly after his conquest of the region. The site was chosen for its elevated, defensible location and its proximity to key trade and pilgrimage routes, particularly the King’s Highway — a route that had served as a caravan trail since ancient times (Kennedy, 1994). Baldwin named the fortress Crac de Montreal, or “Castle of the Royal Mount,” emphasizing its royal patronage and spiritual symbolism.

Constructed primarily of local limestone, Shobak originally featured a rectangular design with fortified towers and a massive curtain wall. Over time, the castle expanded, incorporating elements from later Ayyubid and Mamluk modifications (Pringle, 1997).

Strategic Importance

Montreal’s position enabled the Crusaders to control the movement of people and goods between Egypt and Syria. It also served as a base from which they launched raids into surrounding Muslim territories. The castle played a critical role in the feudal network of the Lordship of Oultrejordain, which was responsible for the security of the eastern frontier of the Crusader kingdom (Boas, 2001).

Its isolation, however, also made it vulnerable. Unlike coastal Crusader strongholds, Montreal was far from reinforcements and supply lines. This vulnerability became apparent during the reign of Raynald of Châtillon, who used Shobak as a base for provocative attacks on Muslim pilgrims — including an infamous attempt to attack Mecca itself — enraging Saladin (Hill, 2004).

Siege and Fall

In 1189, following his victory at the Battle of Hattin and the recapture of Jerusalem, Saladin turned his attention to Shobak. After a protracted siege that lasted nearly two years, the defenders surrendered. The castle was then incorporated into the Ayyubid defense system and later fortified further under the Mamluks (Ibn al-Athir, 1231/2006).

Archaeological remains at Shobak, including Arabic inscriptions, a Mamluk-era madrasa, and a ‘secret’ tunnel descending to a spring outside the castle, attest to its continued importance in later Islamic periods (Kennedy, 2000).

Current Condition and Tourism

Today, Shobak Castle is a quiet, rarely visited site, though efforts by the Jordanian government and international scholars have aimed at restoring and preserving the structure. Despite its ruined state, it remains a powerful symbol of the clash of empires and faiths that defined the medieval Levant.

As a less-commercialized site than Petra or Jerash, Shobak offers a more contemplative experience for visitors — one where the winds whisper stories of sieges, faith, and empire.

Bibliography

• Boas, Adrian J. Crusader Archaeology: The Material Culture of the Latin East. Routledge, 2001.
• Hill, George. A History of Cyprus, Vol. 2: The Frankish Period, 1192–1432. Cambridge University Press, 2004.
• Ibn al-Athir. The Chronicle of Ibn al-Athir for the Crusading Period from al-Kamil fi’l-Ta’rikh, translated by D.S. Richards, Ashgate, 2006.
• Kennedy, Hugh. Crusader Castles. Cambridge University Press, 1994.
• Kennedy, Hugh. The Muslim World in the Age of the Crusades. Routledge, 2000.
• Pringle, Denys. The Churches of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: A Corpus, Volume 1. Cambridge University Press, 1997.