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KerakKerak (also Karak) is a city in Jordan that contains a famous Crusader castle. It is the capital city of Kerak Governorate.The magnificent Crusader fortress of Kerak - Crak des Moabites, or Le Pierre du Desert to Crusaders - soars above its valleys and hills like a great ship riding waves of rock. But Kerak's origins go back long before the Crusaders; the earliest remains are Iron Age, shortly after the Exodus, when this was a part of Moab. It was known as Kir-haraseth, Kir-heres, or Kir, and its doom was prophesied by Isaiah (16:7), who mentions its 'raisin-cakes', presumably a local specialty. Then it falls out of history until the Byzantine period, when it was important enough to have an archbishop. more... National name:KerakLanguage:Moabite(a West Semitic Language) History of KerakIt is given various names in the Old Testament - Kir Hareseth, Kir Heres, Kir of Moab - and was certainly one of the chief cities of the kingdom of Moab. The chief Biblical reference to it occurs in 2Ki.3, when Mesha was king of Moab, Jehoram king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, about 850 BCE. Most other Old Testament references are curses against the city by the prophet Isaiah. Kerak was the capital of the Moabite kingdom during the time of king Ajlun. more... Fact for TravellersVisa: Passport valid for at least six months required by all. more... Geography of KerakKerak lies on the ancient King's Highway, 75 miles south of Amman, Jordan. The remaining castle, 4,300 feet above sea level, is imposingly situated on an almost isolated hilltop, and commands a magnificent view in all directions, especially towards the Dead Sea. Such a fine site must have been occupied since earliest times, though there is no actual evidence of such until the Iron Age, about 1200 BCE. more... Castle in KerakConstruction of the Crusader castle began in the 1140s, under Paganus, the butler of King Fulk. The Crusaders called it Crac des Moabites. Paganus was also Lord of Oultrejordain (Transjordan), and Kerak became the centre of his power, replacing the weaker castle of Montreal to the south. Because of its position east of the Jordan River, Kerak was able to control Bedouin herders as well as the trade routes from Damascus to Egypt and Mecca. more...
Sights The main attractions within Fayyum city are Egyptians living tourist-free lives. Visitors who weren't ossified by the Islamic architecture in Cairo should visit the Mamluk Mosque of Khawand Asal-Bay, about lkm west of the town center along the canal. The restored mosque was named for the favorite concubine of ...
Fayyum Oasis
Fayyum offers a glimpse of a kinder, gentler Egypt that most tourists never see. A little more than 100km from Cairo, Fayyum is a large oasis spreading west and north of the Nile Valley along an offshoot of tlie river. Although occasionally victim to tlie grime, crowding, and overnight ...
Deir Abu Maqar (the Monastery of St. Maccarius) lies roughly 8km southeast of neir Anba Bishoi and can be seen to the west of the Cairo-Alexandria desert road efrom Point about 129km from Alexandria or 86km from Cairo). Tlie monastery is ordinarily closed to visitors.
The foundation of Deir ...
Deir Anba Baramus (The Monastery of the Virgin Mary) is about 4km northwest of the Monastery of St. Bishoi. Take a taxi from Wadi an-Natnin town, or catch a ride from Deir Anba Bishoi for about 50pt. This is the oldest monastery in the Natmn valley. Relics of St. Moses ...
Deir as-Suryan (the Monastery of the Syrians, for the Syrian monks who once inhabited it), lies 0.5km northwest of the Monastery of St. Bishoi and is easy to reach. (Open 9am-6pm, 7pm in summer.) Tlie monastery was established when a group of monks broke away from the Monastery of St. ...
Travel Chronicle: Asia Destination GuideIntroducatio of Tafilah Al Tafilah is a small city with a population of 35,000 people in south Jordan 180 km away... Districts of Israel Districts of Israel There are six main districts of Israel, known in Hebrew as mehozot and fifteen sub-districts known as... Aswan: Egypt Aswan: Egypt Aswan (24°05′ N 32°56′ E, population 200,000) is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of... Browse the Asia Destination Guide |
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