Kerak castle - islamic heritage

This is the Crusader castle in which resided

Reynald-de-Chatillon (also known as Arnat), one

of the worst enemies of the Muslims during the

Crusades. It was taken by Salahuddin Ayyubi on

the second attempt in 1189 CE.

In 1183 Salahuddin besieged the castle, the

siege taking place during the marriage of

Humphrey IV of Toron and Isabella of

Jerusalem. Lady Stephanie (the wife of

Reynald) sent plates of food to the Muslim

army beyond the walls. In response, while his

men were trying to bridge the moat and

catapulting rocks against the walls, Salahuddin

enquired which tower the newly weds were

occupying. As an act of chivalry, Salahuddin

ordered his army not to bombard the tower

and direct their fire elsewhere. The siege was

eventually relieved by King Baldwin IV.

Despite a truce between the Crusaders and

Muslims, in 1186 Reynald attacked a caravan

travelling between Cairo and Damascus. In the

ensuing hostilities, Reynald launched ships on

the Red Sea, partly for piracy, but partly as a

threat against Makkah and Madinah,

challenging Islam in its own holy places. His

pirates ravaged villages up and down the Red

Sea, before being captured by the army of Al-

Adil only a few miles from Madinah and

subsequently beheaded.

Reynald’s rein in Kerak was characterised by

wanton cruelty. Not only did he throw

prisoners from the castle walls, he encased

their heads in boxes first, in the hope that this

would stop them losing consciousness before

they hit the rocks below.

Salahuddin swore that if Reynald was ever

captured he would be executed by his own

hands. In 1187, the Muslims defeated the

Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin during which

Reynald was taken prisoner along with King

Guy, both of whom Salahuddin ordered brought

to his tent. The chronicler Imad ad-Din al-

Isfahani, who was present at the scene,

relates: “Salahuddin invited the king [Guy] to

sit beside him, and when Arnat [Raynald]

entered in his turn, he seated him next to his

king and reminded him of his misdeeds. “How

many times have you sworn an oath and

violated it? How many times have you signed

agreements you have never respected?”

Raynald answered through a translator: “Kings

have always acted thus. I did nothing more.”

During this time King Guy was gasping with

thirst, his head dangling as though drunk, his

face betraying great fright. Salahuddin spoke

reassuring words to him, had cold water

brought, and offered it to him. The king drank,

then handed what remained to Reynald, who

slaked his thirst in turn. The sultan then said

to Guy: “You did not ask permission before

giving him water. I am therefore not obliged to

grant him mercy.” After pronouncing these

words, the sultan smiled, mounted his horse,

and rode off, leaving the captives in terror. He

supervised the return of the troops, and then

came back to his tent. He ordered Reynald

brought there, then advanced before him,

sword in hand, and struck him between the

neck and the shoulder-blade. When Reynald

fell, he cut off his head and dragged the body

by its feet to the king, who began to tremble.

Seeing him thus upset, Salahuddin said to him

in a reassuring tone: “This man was killed only

because of his maleficence and perfidy” .

Salahuddin besieged Kerak castle again and

finally captured it in 1189.

Kerak is the unofficial capital of southern

Jordan and lies around 125 km south of

Amman.

References: Wikipedia, The Rough Guide to

Jordan – Matthew Teller

Source : Wikipedia