Crusader Castles & DANA Nature Reserve

We are heading south on the modern desert highway paralleling the Hejaz RR built by the Ottoman’s in 1910 to take pilgrims to Mecca, and targeted by T. E. Lawrence’s raids during WW I. First stop, Karak Castle. Built in 1142 by the Crusaders and taken by Saladin in, 1188, the Castle is strategically situated on the ancient north south trade route to the Levant. Although damaged by a series of earthquakes, quarried for local buildings, and partly demolished by settlement advance, the current castle occupies much of the ridge and has a new museum. Contemporary Karak continues to have a high population of Christina Arabs. Shobak Castle, further south, occupies an equally strategic location, but was built earlier than Karak, and remains only partially restored (a romantic ruin).

DANA Nature Reserve (308 sq. kms) is Jordan’s premier eco-tourism project. We are fortunate to have Dr. Zuhair, a professor of Zoology and early Reserve advocate, planner and consultant, on our southern excursion. Zuhair proves to be an amazing resource for our group, patiently answering questions and telling great stories. We arrive in the evening to stay in the old village overlooking Wadi Dana in the shadow of towering sandstone cliffs and spectacular vistas of the desert beyond the Reserve - many members of our group sleep in roof top “tents.” Modern Dana Wadi villagers have relocated to a new housing complex as the old village is the home of the DANA Reserve complex and village houses are converted to hotels and backpacker hostels. Trekking is popular in the Reserve, home to rare species and animals, plants, trees (the 2000 year old Phoenician Cedars), and birds - although I saw few as migrations are seasonal. The villagers keep orchards of black walnuts, grapes, plums, pomegranates, apricots, and raspberries and sell jams in the Reserve gift shop. An early riser, I drink sweet mint tea seated on the rooftop and watch the sun rise as a covey of Mt. Quail move across a bolder covered slope – tranquility and peace after the hectic pace of Amman.