Kerak Castle
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Kerak Castle is a large medieval castle located in al-Karak, Jordan. It is one of the largest castles in the Levant. Construction began in the 1140s, under Pagan and Fulk, King of Jerusalem. The Crusaders called it Crac des Moabites or "Karak in Moab", as it is referred to in history books. It was also colloquially referred to as Krak of the Desert.
Kerak Castle
A night view of the castle
The upper court
The entrance to a tower in the castle that was added during the Mamluk Sultanate with the seal of Baibars - two lions - on it
Baldwin IV of Jerusalem
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Baldwin IV of Jerusalem (1161–1185), known as the Leper King, was the king of Jerusalem, from 1174 until his death in 1185. He was admired by his contemporaries and later historians for his willpower and dedication to the Latin Kingdom in the face of debilitating leprosy. Choosing competent advisers, Baldwin ruled a thriving crusader state and succeeded in protecting it from the Muslim ruler Saladin.
Playmates pinch Baldwin and William of Tyre discovers first symptoms of Baldwin's leprosy, in Estoire d'Eracles, painted in France in the 1250s
Patriarch Amalric crowns King Baldwin IV, as depicted in late 13th-century edition of the Histoire d'Outre Mer
13th-century depiction of Baldwin toppling an enemy at the Battle of Montgisard
Ruined fortress of Le Chastellet