Ajlun: The Castle that was never conquered

For some reason the Middle Eastern region has always been a tumultuous one, be it contemporary times or the Middle Ages. Located at the cross roads of the known world back in ancient times, the Middle Eastern region was not only richer in history and culture as compared to any other part of the world, it also had the best produce and most favorable weather. If this was not enough reason for nations to fight to gain control over it, then the fact that it also happened to be the birth place of the major religions of the world, made it the most sought after piece of land.

For hundreds of years the Church and the Monarchies of Europe joined hands together to send wave after wave of Christian Zealot fighters to free the Holy lands from the clutches of what they called the “infidels” ; or in other words "The Muslims".

But the Muslims of the area did not take this lying down.

Perched on top of a hill, above the valley of Jordan, overlooking the wide horizons, sits the Castle at Ajlun.

Built on the orders of Salahudin, sometime during the 12th century, probably on the site of an old Byzantine monastery, the purpose of construction of the castle at Ajlun was to protect the area from foreign invaders i.e the crusaders. 
Most of the Medieval castles that I have seen are in ruins, little more than piles of stones and half broken walls but Ajlun is pretty intact. While walking through its numerous corridors, rooms and going up and down the stairways, it is not difficult to imagine what the castle must have looked like at its peak, complete with furniture and occupants.
Not at all difficult to visualize where in the center of the room a huge long table may have been placed to serve food. (that is, if the Muslim soldiers used a table to eat back then. It may be possible that using a table for meals was a European custom that might have arrived with the crusaders). Nor is it difficult to envision where the sleeping quarters would have been for the regular guards of the castle and possibly of those soldiers who were passing through the area to go resume their duties in more disturbed regions.
Each chamber, each corridor reveals new images of years gone by and tells new stories of what must have once been. There is enough loose yarn of historic ambiance spread throughout the facility to weave into an imaginary pattern of events and actions that might have taken place there centuries ago. All that is needed is a little over active imagination and a desire to lose oneself in the mysteries that the castle is so willing to reveal.
Back in the days when this land was not divided through borders into multiple nations, the whole area formed one huge region under the Muslim’s rule. The roof of the Castle not only offers an unlimited view for miles and beyond in all directions to what in current day is Lebanon, Syria and Israel, it also provides the coolest breeze ever, even in the middle of the hot summer season. The orchards in the valley below produce the most wondrous variety of olives, figs and grapes. There is also a special tower where pigeons used to be kept. These served as speedy means of communication in times of war as well as in peace time
It was no doubt ideally located given the circumstances of that time and it obviously boasted excellent defensive mechanism as well but I personally believe that being located on high ground as compared to the surrounding area also made it extremely difficult, if not totally impossible to be captured by an invading army. Perhaps that is why unlike most castles and keeps in the area that have come under the rule of the invading crusaders at some point or the other, Ajlun was never subjugated and to this day remains the Castle that was never conquered.