Country

Castles in Jordan

23 landmarks in the Castle Map atlas — every one mapped with a photo and its story, 17 with sourced founding dates, ranked by Wikipedia coverage and real readership.

The most famous castle in Jordan is Kerak Castle, ranked #430 of 9,079 in the world — followed by Qasr Amra and Machaerus.

The Castle Map atlas charts 8 castles, 4 fortresses, 2 palaces & châteaux and 9 ruins in Jordan. They span more than 37 centuries — from Amman Citadel (founded 1800 BC) to Raghadan Palace (1926). Every one is plotted with its photo and story on the interactive castle map of Jordan.

Map of castles in Jordan

On the map they cluster thickest around Amman — 17 within a 100 km day trip, then Irbid (6). The northernmost is Qasr Burqu', the southernmost Aqaba Fortress — about 444 km apart.

Planning a visit? Day-trip guides: Castles near Amman · Castles near Irbid.

By region: Castles in the Levant.

Castle routes in Jordan: The Crusader castles of the Levant (7 stops, the Syrian coast to southern Jordan). See all 22 castle routes.

See them on the map →

When they were built

Of the 23 landmarks mapped in Jordan, 17 carry a sourced founding date. Most were founded in the 12th century — 4 of them. 16 predate 1500 and 1 was built after 1700.

All 23 castles in Jordan

Kerak Castle
Castle · 12th century · #1 in Jordan
Kerak Castle is a large medieval castle located in al-Karak, Jordan. It is one of the largest castles in the Levant.
Qasr Amra
Palace & château · 8th century · #2 in Jordan
Qusayr 'Amra or Quseir Amra, sometimes also named Qasr Amra, is the best-known of the desert castles located in present-day eastern Jordan.
Machaerus
Ruin · 1st century BC · #3 in Jordan
Machaerus was a Hasmonean hilltop palace and desert fortress, rebuilt by Herod and now in ruins, in the village of Mukawir in modern-day Jordan.
Montréal Castle
Ruin · 12th century · #4 in Jordan
Montreal, or Qal'at ash-Shawbak in Arabic, is a castle built by the Crusaders and expanded by the Mamluks, nestled amid the mountains of Edom just…
Amman Citadel
Ruin · 18th century BC · #5 in Jordan
The Amman Citadel on Citadel Hill is an archaeological site on an L-shaped hill towering over Downtown Amman, in the central part of the capital of…
Ajlun Castle
Castle · 12th century · #6 in Jordan
Ajloun Castle, medieval name Qalʻat ar-Rabad, is a 12th-century Muslim castle situated in northwestern Jordan.
Qasr Kharana
Castle · 8th century · #7 in Jordan
Qasr al-Harrana, sometimes Qasr Harrana, Qasr al-Haranah, Haraneh, Hraneh, Harana, Qasr al-Kharana or Khauranee, is one of the best-known of the…
Qasr Azraq
Castle · 4th century · #8 in Jordan
Qasr al-Azraq is a large fortress located in present-day eastern Jordan. It is one of the desert castles, located on the outskirts of present-day…
Qasr Mshatta
Ruin · 8th century · #9 in Jordan
Mshatta, also known as Qasr al-Mushatta, is the ruin of an Umayyad winter palace, probably commissioned by Caliph Al-Walid II during his brief reign.
Raghadan Palace
Palace & château · 20th century · #10 in Jordan
Raghadan Palace, the first Hashemite structure in Jordan, was built by King Abdullah I, the founding monarch of the country.
Aqaba Fortress
Fortress · 12th century · #11 in Jordan
The Aqaba Castle or Aqaba Fort, also known as the Mamluk Castle of Aqaba, Jordan, is a Mamluk and Ottoman fortified caravanserai on the pilgrimage…
Qasr Bshir
Fortress · 3rd century · #12 in Jordan
Qasr Bshir is an ancient Roman fortification in what is now Jordan. Isolated in an area of the desert rippled with shallow valleys that drain into…
Qasr Tuba
Castle · 8th century · #13 in Jordan
Qasr Tuba is an 8th-century Umayyad qasr or castle in the Amman Governorate of northern Jordan.
Betthorus (El-Lejjun)
Ruin · 3rd century · #14 in Jordan
Betthorus was a Roman legionary fortress on the Limes Arabicus. It is located in today's El-Lejjun, Karak Governorate, Jordan, north-east of Al-Karak.
Qasr Burqu'
Ruin · 7th century · #15 in Jordan
Qasr Burqu' is a set of ruins and an archaeological site in the badia of eastern Jordan. It is the site of one of the earliest Umayyad desert castles.
Wu’era Castle
Ruin · #16 in Jordan
Wu'ayra Castle is a ruined Crusader castle located in Wadi Musa, Jordan, 1 kilometre north of the main entrance to Petra.
Watchtower in Rujm Al-Malfouf
Fortress · 7th century BC · #17 in Jordan
Rujm Al-Malfouf is an ancient structure consisting of a round stone tower and several adjacent storerooms, located in the northern side of the Jabal…
Qatrana Castle
Castle · #18 in Jordan
Qasr al-Qatraneh is an Ottoman structure which largely served to provide water and protection on the Syrian pilgrimage route between the Levant and…
Qasr Usaykhim
Ruin · 1st century · #19 in Jordan
Qasr Usaykhim or Qasr Aseikhin, is probably a Roman fortlet on the extreme eastern edge of the Limes Arabiae et Palaestinae.
Qasr el `Uweinid
Ruin · #20 in Jordan
Qasr el `Uweinid is situated south-west of southern Azraq and was built on a height overlooking a meadow rich in trees.
Tafilah Castle
Castle · #21 in Jordan
Tafilah Castle is a historical fortress located in the city of Tafilah in southern Jordan. It is situated on a hill overlooking ancient trade routes.
Unayzah, Jordan
Fortress · #22 in Jordan
Uneizah, or Qasr Uneizah, is a historical site located in Al-Husseiniya District in the Ma'an Governorate of Jordan, about 36 kilometers north of the…
Qasr al Hallabat
Castle · #23 in Jordan
The Qasr al Hallabat complex is a castle located in the town of the same name in the eastern desert of Jordan.

Frequently asked questions

How many castles are in Jordan?

The Castle Map atlas maps 23 landmarks (8 castles · 4 fortresses · 2 palaces & châteaux · 9 ruins) in Jordan — a curated selection of well-documented landmarks from Wikidata, not a count of every fortification ever built.

What is the most famous castle in Jordan?

Kerak Castle, ranked #430 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's fame ranking, founded in the 12th century.

What is the oldest castle in Jordan?

The oldest dated landmark in the atlas in Jordan is Amman Citadel, founded 1800 BC. Earlier structures may have existed — this is the oldest with a documented founding year.

Where are most of the castles in Jordan?

They cluster thickest around Amman — 17 of the atlas's landmarks within 100 km, then Irbid (6).

Which castles in Jordan are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

Per Wikidata, 1 of the mapped landmarks holds a UNESCO World Heritage designation — inscribed in its own right or as part of an inscribed ensemble: Qasr Amra.