Crusade Castle and Walls of Karak (Jordan)
The Department for the Geological Survey of Italy has been supporting since 2013 the Department of Antiquities of Jordan (DOA) for the restoration and conservation of the Crusade Castle and walls of the old citadel of Karak.
The Castle of Karak is one of the most representative and prominent monument of crusade architecture in Jordan and the whole Middle East. Located in the ancient citadel of Karak, the castle has suffered since its construction a long series of damage due to earthquakes and slope instability. At the end of 2013, the western side of the castle was affected by structural damage which led the DOA to close the access of the lower court and the museum to visitors. A preliminary study based on geological, geotechnical and geophysical site investigations, carried out under the scientific supervision of ISPRA, has reconstructed the causes which determined the static-structural damage of the western part of the castle. The damage was mainly due to slope deformation and lack of an effective drainage system of superficial waters. Urgent works were implemented in two distinct project phases which included the slope consolidation of the western slope and the restoration of the original drainage system. A monitoring system has been also installed for the control of cracks deformation developed in November 2013 inside the castle.
In November 2021, a preliminary study for the assessment of the structural conditions of the ancient walls and towers of the citadel has been implemented by ISPRA in cooperation with ACOR (American Centre of Research). The study includes a Master Plan for the implementation of a multi-phase project for the urgent conservation and valorization of the crusade architectural heritage of Karak.