Karak Governorate
Encyclopedia
Karak is one of the governorates of Jordan
, located south-west of Amman
, Jordan's capital. Its capital is Al Karak
. It borders Madaba
and the Capital
Governorates to the north, Ma'an Governorate
from the east, Tafilah Governorate
from the south, and the Dead Sea
form the west.
, during the first mellenium B.C. Their capital and stronghold is believed to be near the city of Al Karak
, which was known as the Qir of Moab.
For a brief period of time, the land of Karak Governorate came under Persian rule, and then the Nabateans took control of it, until the Romans
invaded the Levant
region and occupied their capital Petra
.
After the coming of the Byzentines
, they established a vassal state
ruled by the Ghassanids
.
The city of Mu'tah
was the sight of the first clash between the Muslim Arabs and the Byzantine Empire
at the Battle of Mu'tah
in 629 AD.
With the coming of the Crusaders
, the Principality of Kerak
was established, after which Kerak was a center front between the Ayyubids and the Crusaders.
, Kerak Became a governorate on June 16, 1966 with Waheeb Al-Bitar as its first governor.
The land of Karak Governorate is situated along the south eastern coast of the Dead Sea
and the mountain chain known as the Mountains of Moab. Wadi Mujib
biblically known as Arnon River flows through the mountains of Karak Governorate and ends in the Dead Sea. The cities in the governorate are located at elevations ranging from over 1000 meters above sea level in the South Mazar Department to 800 meters above sea level in the northern departments to about 350 meters below sea level at Gour Al Safi Department.
The governorate is connected to the rest of Jordan by two highways:
, and is one of the largest universities in Jordan
by number of students .
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, located south-west of Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan's capital. Its capital is Al Karak
Al Karak
Karak is a city in Jordan that is known for the famous crusader castle Kerak. The castle is one of the three largest castles in the region, the other two being in Syria...
. It borders Madaba
Madaba Governorate
Madaba, is one of the governorates of Jordan, it is located south west of Amman, capital of Jordan. Its capital is Madaba. The governorate is ranked eighth by population and by area in Jordan...
and the Capital
Amman Governorate
Officially known as Muhafazat al-Asima , Amman Governorate is one of the governorates - locally known as muhafazat - in Jordan. This governorate's capital is the City of Amman, It is also Jordan's capital...
Governorates to the north, Ma'an Governorate
Ma'an Governorate
Ma'an is one of the governorates of Jordan, it is located south of Amman, Jordan's capital. Its capital is the city of Ma'an. This governorate is the largest in the kingdom of Jordan by area.-History:...
from the east, Tafilah Governorate
Tafilah Governorate
Tafilah is one of the governorates of Jordan, located about 180 km south-west of Amman, Jordan's capital.Tafilah Governorate is bordered by Karak Governorate to the north, Ma'an Governorate to the east and south, Aqaba Governorate to the south, and by Israel to the west. The area of this...
from the south, and the Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
form the west.
Ancient History
The land of Karak Governorate was the home of the Kingdom of MoabMoab
Moab is the historical name for a mountainous strip of land in Jordan. The land lies alongside much of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The existence of the Kingdom of Moab is attested to by numerous archeological findings, most notably the Mesha Stele, which describes the Moabite victory over...
, during the first mellenium B.C. Their capital and stronghold is believed to be near the city of Al Karak
Al Karak
Karak is a city in Jordan that is known for the famous crusader castle Kerak. The castle is one of the three largest castles in the region, the other two being in Syria...
, which was known as the Qir of Moab.
For a brief period of time, the land of Karak Governorate came under Persian rule, and then the Nabateans took control of it, until the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
invaded the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
region and occupied their capital Petra
Petra
Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited...
.
After the coming of the Byzentines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, they established a vassal state
Vassal state
A vassal state is any state that is subordinate to another. The vassal in these cases is the ruler, rather than the state itself. Being a vassal most commonly implies providing military assistance to the dominant state when requested to do so; it sometimes implies paying tribute, but a state which...
ruled by the Ghassanids
Ghassanids
The Ghassanids were a group of South Arabian Christian tribes that emigrated in the early 3rd century from Yemen to Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and the Holy Land....
.
The city of Mu'tah
Mu'tah
Mu'tah is a town in Karak Governorate in Jordan. It is known for the Battle of Mu'tah in 629 AD, the first military engagement between the Arab muslims and the Roman Empire. Mu'tah University is located in the city....
was the sight of the first clash between the Muslim Arabs and the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
at the Battle of Mu'tah
Battle of Mu'tah
The Battle of Mu'tah was fought in 629 , near the village of Mu'tah, east of the Jordan River and Karak in Karak Governorate, between an army sent by the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and an army of the Byzantine Empire- The Eastern Romans.In Muslim histories, the battle is usually described as the...
in 629 AD.
With the coming of the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
, the Principality of Kerak
Kerak
Kerak Castle is a large crusader castle located in Kerak in Jordan. It is one of the largest crusader castles in the Levant.Construction of the castle began in the 1140s, under Pagan, the butler of Fulk of Jerusalem. The Crusaders called it Crac des Moabites or "Karak in Moab", as it is frequently...
was established, after which Kerak was a center front between the Ayyubids and the Crusaders.
Modern History
From the 15th century until 1917, Karak was under Ottoman rule, then the Emirate of Transjordan. After the creation of the administrative governorates system in the Hashemite Kingdom of JordanJordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Kerak Became a governorate on June 16, 1966 with Waheeb Al-Bitar as its first governor.
Geography
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
and the mountain chain known as the Mountains of Moab. Wadi Mujib
Wadi Mujib
Wadi Mujib is a gorge in Jordan which enters the Dead Sea at 410 meters below sea level.The Mujib Reserve of Wadi Mujib is the lowest nature reserve in the world, located in the mountainous landscape to the east of the Dead Sea, approximately 90 km south of Amman...
biblically known as Arnon River flows through the mountains of Karak Governorate and ends in the Dead Sea. The cities in the governorate are located at elevations ranging from over 1000 meters above sea level in the South Mazar Department to 800 meters above sea level in the northern departments to about 350 meters below sea level at Gour Al Safi Department.
The governorate is connected to the rest of Jordan by two highways:
- Highway 65Highway 65 (Jordan)Highway 65 in Jordan is also known as the King's Highway runs in Jordan south to north. It starts in Aqaba passing through Wadi Araba, and adjacent to the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley to the western suburbs of the city of Irbid in Jordan's northern tip. It is over 5,000 years old. This highway...
also known as the Kings Highway - Highway 15Highway 15 (Jordan)Highway 15 in Jordan is also known as the Desert Highway runs in Jordan south to north. It starts in Aqaba going north east towards Ma'an, passing through the desert to the east of the major settlements in the southern region of Jordan. It then merges into the regional Highway 35 going to Amman....
also known as the Desert Highway
Demographics
In the year 2004, according to the Jordan National Census of that year, the population of the Karak governorate was 204,185 , i.e. 4% of the population of Jordan. The male-to-female ratio was 50.6 to 49.4 , Jordanian citizens made up 95.42% Among the Jordanian citizens the male-to-female ratio was 50.38 to 49.62. Of the non-Jordanians, the male-to-female ratio was 55.19 to 44.81. The estimated population as of 2010 is about 239,000. . The next census is scheduled for 2014| Demographics of Karak Governorate | 2004 Census | 2010 Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Female to Male ratio | 49.4% to 50.6% | 49.4% to 50.6% |
| Jordanian citizens to foreign nationals | 95.42% to 4.58% | NA |
| Urban population | 34.78% | 35% |
| Rural population | 65.22% | 65% |
| Total population | 204,185 | 238,600 |
Education
Mu'tah University is the only university in the governorate, located in the city of Mu'tahMu'tah
Mu'tah is a town in Karak Governorate in Jordan. It is known for the Battle of Mu'tah in 629 AD, the first military engagement between the Arab muslims and the Roman Empire. Mu'tah University is located in the city....
, and is one of the largest universities in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
by number of students .
Administrative Departments
Karak Governorate is divided into 10 departments according to article 7 of the 46th Administrative Divisions System of the year 2000:| Departments of Kerak Governorate by population (2004 census) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Capital Department South Mazar Department South Aghwar Department Qasr Department Gour Al-Mazra'a Department |
Department | Arabic Name | Areas | Population | Administrative Center | Faqou' Department Aii Department Moab Department Qatraneh Department Moujeb Department |
|
| 1 | Capital Department (Al-Qasabah) | لواء قصبة الكرك | includes the city of Al Karak Al Karak Karak is a city in Jordan that is known for the famous crusader castle Kerak. The castle is one of the three largest castles in the region, the other two being in Syria... and 35 other towns and villages |
64,850 | Al Karak Al Karak Karak is a city in Jordan that is known for the famous crusader castle Kerak. The castle is one of the three largest castles in the region, the other two being in Syria... |
||
| 2 | South Mazar Department | لواء المزار الجنوبي | includes 30 towns and villages | 57,191 | Mu'tah Mu'tah Mu'tah is a town in Karak Governorate in Jordan. It is known for the Battle of Mu'tah in 629 AD, the first military engagement between the Arab muslims and the Roman Empire. Mu'tah University is located in the city.... |
||
| 3 | South Aghwar Department | لواء الاغوار الجنوبية | includes seven towns and villages | 32,446 | Safi | ||
| 4 | Al-Qasr Department | لواء القصر | includes nine towns and villages | 20,860 | Rabba Rabba Rabba is a town in Jordan in the governorate of Al Karak. It is about 15 kilometers away from the city of Karak itself. It has a population of about 9,000.-Economy:... |
||
| 5 | Gour Al-Mazra'a Department | قضاء غور المزرعة | includes six towns and villages | 12,743 | Gour Al-Mazra'a | ||
| 6 | Faqou' Department | لواء فقوع | includes six towns and villages | 12,178 | Faqou' | ||
| 7 | Aii Department | لواء عي | includes four towns and villages | 9,711 | Aii | ||
| 8 | Moab Department | قضاء مؤاب | includes five towns and villages | 9,692 | Husseiniya | ||
| 9 | Qatraneh Department | لواء القطرانة | includes four towns and villages | 6,949 | Qatraneh Qatraneh Qatraneh is a small town in Jordan. It is located 90 miles south of Amman.. It belongs administratively to Karak Governorate.-History:The town is famous for its historic Qasr Al-Qatraneh, which was bilt by the Umayyads.-Geography:... |
||
| 10 | Moujeb Department | قضاء الموجب | includes five towns and villages | 5,818 | Mugheer | ||
| Source: وزارة الداخلية - الأردن Jordanian ministry of interior | |||||||