This is a beautiful crusaders castle that was expanded by the Mamluks on the Eastern side of the Arabah valley, perched on the side of a rocky conical mountain, looking out over fruit orchards below. The ruins are located next to the modern town of Shobak in Jordan. Unlike other castles in our country it still needs a lot of restoration as many parts of it are not accessible to visitors and tourists. Definitely worth the visit if you’re in the south

A Crusader castle, built in the 12th Century. From a distance it’s quite spectacular but up close it is badly in need of restoration. The path up to the castle is steep, although golf buggies are available to taxi you to and from the car park. Once at the castle entrance the floors are uneven at best and often rubble. There are no guard rails, and in places horizontal scaffold poles support the walls, with planks being used as makeshift steps. In my opinion there are far better, and safer, archeological sites to visit in the area.

Such a beautiful castle with so much history. I would totally recommend visiting this place. The views from the top are just amazing

Beautiful castle ruins. It is a 10 min walk from the parking lot but they also offer a golf cart transfer it you struggle to walk. It wasn’t crowded at all when we were there so we had the place all for ourselves. It is included in the Jordan pass so it’s a must visit if you’re nearby

Was definitely worth the visit, it is on top a very beautiful mountain, with an incredible view. Its ruins aren’t in the best condition but you can still walk around the site and enter the remains of the castle. I really enjoy visiting historical sites so for me this was lots of fun. The scenery was also very beautiful. If you like the same thing I would definitely recommend visiting this castle.

Built in 1115 AD by Baldwin I, the king of Jordan. It was built on the crown of a hill for two reasons: 1) extend the area of Frankish settlement east of the Dead Sea, and 2) control the road between Syria, the Red Sea, and Egypt. At its peak, 6,000 people lived in the castle.

The ruins of a 12th Century castle noted for its hidden tunnels. Its deceiving, as this structure towers high above the landscape on its own hill, providing great views of the surrounding area.

Someone really takes an effort to restore this beautiful piece of history. Unfortunately the staff in the castle is not very attentive and asks for extra money even with the Jordan pass. Just continue, they will let you in anyway. The castle itself is definitely worth a visit. PS the hosts in the visitor centre are super nice!

We were here in the middle of August and it was extremely hot. We did not do any long hikes or walks to the castle, we just admired it from afar. And to be honest and I am ok with my decision of not going. If you’re really into this part of history it might be worth the look of going over there.

What amazing sight to see, a crusader castle still standing. Even if it's damaged by earthquake it's still well worth to see.

Very impressive from a distance but less so from inside. Great views from the top for only 1JD, although the golf cart ride is 5JD. The hidden tunnel is too well hidden for us to find. Overall it's worth a stop if you're passing by, but it's not a destination.

A very beautiful place worth seeing. The cost of the ticket is only one Jordanian dinar and there are small golf cars available for three Jordanian dinars. They will take you to the castle above and take you back to the visitor center. It is recommended to buy jordan pass

Location and surroundings are nice. The castle itself is in complete ruins. Not worth visiting unless one intends to have a look where crusaders used to stay on their journey beyond. One hour is ok. Jordan pass allowed.

Hilltop castle/ruins built by the crusaders around 1100AD. Ongoing restoration so many areas has no access. Be prepared to walk uphill, good shoes needed. Not currently wheelchair friendly. Golfcart transport is available from the Information centre to the castle at a fee. Not recommended for small children.

Interesting location with a deep and complex history that if placed anywhere in Europe would be crawling with tourists. The castle is still in a rough and ready state and you really do need to watch your step. Nonetheless, the influence of many different civilizations over thousands of years is evident and the views of the surrounding region are spectacular.

Loved this castle with its interesting history. It was built by King Baldwin 1 during the crusades and was besieged by Sallahdin of the Battle of Hattin fame. You can walk all round it and some of it is being restored. You have to park at the visitor centre, which has toilets. You walk from there, or, there are some guys with gold buggies who will take you up to it. They started at 5JD but went down to 3 then 1 quite quickly, so haggle if you want a ride

If you have time to kill, it is a good place to do so. There are some golf carts which take you all the way there, but as most things in life, they are not free. The castle itself has no explanations nor a path to follow. You are pretty much done in about 15 mins. Views are great.

The castle is fine but there are constructions everywhere.. compared to other castles in the country, I'd say this is not well preserved or accsible for people to walk all over the place. If you have the Jordan Pass, I'd give it a try. Otherwise I would rather go to other castles or places. At least right now because of the constructions.

The castle sits at an impressive height compared to the surrounding area. You can see some of the old arches and rooms that remain along with old inscriptions. You get a real sense of how safe you would ha e felt within its walls. It would however have been nice to have some depictions dotted around of how the castle would have looked back when it was a working site along with some discriptions of its history. All in all it is worth a visit if you are in the area.

Good visitor parking. A climb. A view. An understanding of the reason for the castle.

I was the only tourist when I was there two weeks ago. There is a guide available but I just relied on my Lonely Planet guidebook. Included in the Jordan Pass. The views from the ramparts are considerable and some of the reconstruction is done well. It’s a shame there is such few information placards anywhere though. Was there no more than a half hour.

Very interesting place to visit. The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. He explained us all about the castle and the history of Jordan.

Nice views from the top of the castle. Worth popping in for a visit if you are passing by, but don’t think it’s worth going out of your way for.

Kinda cool to walk around this place. The atmosphere is really cool, but the place is in ruins. BEWARE of the guy wandering around who will tell you that "the tour starts over here." He'll follow you around and beg for a tip afterwards. He got mad at me for a $5 tip and asked for $10. That really made me mad. I guess he's there everyday so just bring your own guidebook and ignore him. I have no problems tipping someone but he really should have asked us in the beginning if we wanted a guide, instead of just inserting himself in our group and leading us, then begging for money after!

Secret place with imposant history. You can get individual tourist guide and discover ancient world of crusaders. We have got also typical jordanian's meal in the visitor centre. I recommend the visit very much

Really nice castle a short drive from Petra, the jordan oass covers admission and the views are stunning from the top of the castle.