Known for its towering castle and 800 year-old Musjid, the quaint little town of Ajloun is situated in the northern part of the Jordanian Highlands.

Amongst the many attractions in the town is the Great Ajloun Musjid whose minaret can be seen from all over the city and is the oldest extant in Jordan. Dating back to 1247CE, the Musjid was possibly built on the site of  Byzantine church as there have been reports of Greek writing in the oldest sections.

The towering Ayyubid castle of Ajloun also known as Qal’at Ar-Rabad is however the towns main attraction. Situated 3 kilometers from the town, above Mount Auf, the Castle was constructed in 1184CE by Izz ad-Din Usama, the general and nephew of Salah al-Din ibn Ayyub RA. It provides a terrific hilltop position above the town which helped defeat the Crusaders eight centuries ago.

The Castle dominated the three main routes leading to the Jordan Valley and protected the trade and commercial routes between Jordan and Syria; it became an important link in the defensive chain against the Crusaders, who, unsuccessfully spent decades trying to capture the castle and the nearby village. It also marks the furthest limit of Frankish incursions during the Crusades.

In the year 1215CE, the Mamluks expanded the Castle by adding a new tower (to the original four) and a bridge. It was later captured by the Mongols in 1260CE. It was also repeatedly damaged by earthquakes, but despite its turbulent history, the Castle remains quite well preserved.