Shaubak Castle

We were pretty thrilled that we arrived in the area in the late afternoon with just enough time to visit Shaubak Castle the evening before we went to Petra. This made it our first stop in Jordan, and it was pretty cool to see the ruins of a crusader castle and to ponder the history there. Its hilltop location is great with an interesting overview of the desert landscape. All that said, there isn't really much to see in the way of castle remains here. One main tower and Shaubak's famous stairway/passageway are pretty much what there is to see. We later visited the Karak (Kerak, Al Karak,...) crusader castle, and I much preferred that one -- there was just a lot more to see and explore there. (There's also a lot more to see at other crusader castles such as Belvoir in Israel.)

If you have some free time after visiting Petra, going to Shaubak castle may be a good idea. The castle is located about 30 km from Petra and is easily reachable by car in 30 minutes. Shaubak Castle is one of the best preserved crusader castle in the Middle East and, as many other crusader fortresses, has a picturesque location on top of the mountain. The external wall is well preserved and even inside there is a lot to see. The ticket is 2JD, free with Jordan Pass.

Although I am not sure whether the castle has any chances to become a WHS, judging from other reviews of Israeli crusader fortresses, it is much more worth visiting. On the other hand, it is a pity that the best example of fortresses from that period – Nimrod Castle in Golan Heights, due to political situation is not even on T-list.