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Ajlun Castle
The Ajlun Castle is found on top of Jabal Auf. This is a huge Islamic castle built by Izz al-Din Usama who was a commander and the nephew of Saladin. The fortress is among the few defenses that were erected to protect against attacks from Crusaders coming from Karak to The South and Bisan to the West. It protected the main passages and communication routes between Jordan and Syria. It was also built to protect the iron mines of Ajlun.
Since its construction in 1184-1185, the Ajlun Castle has been expanded several times. It was first enlarged by Aibak ibn Abdullah in 1214 and 1215. In 1260, the castle was renovated after it was destroyed by the Mongols. Over the years, it has been the sight of many battles and it has been hit by two major earthquakes; one was in 1837 and the other was in 1927.
Today, the Department of Antiquities of Jordan sponsors a program to restore and consolidate the castle wall. They have also rebuilt a portion of the castle.
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