Ajloun Castle was built in 1184-1185 by Izz al-Din Usama to protect against Crusader attacks from nearby fortresses. As one of few fortresses constructed for this purpose, it dominated the northern Jordan Valley region, controlled three key passages, and protected communication routes between south Jordan and Syria.

1. Ajloun Castle

2. This huge fortress was built by Izz al-Din Usama, a commander and nephew of Salah ad-Din al-Ayyubi (Saladin), in AD 1184-1185. The fortress is considered one of the very few built to protect the country against Crusader attacks from Karak in the south and Bisan in the west. From its situation, the fortress dominated a wide stretch of the northern Jordan Valley, controlled the three main passages that led to it (WadiKufranjah, WadiRajeb and Wadi al-Yabes), and protected the communication routes between south Jordan and Syria.