Ajloun

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Ajloun, also spelled Ajlun, is the capital of Jordan’s Ajloun Governorate in the north. The town sits on hills about 76 kilometers northwest of Amman. It is best known for Ajloun Castle, a 12th‑century fortress that once guarded the road between Damascus and Egypt. The castle sits on the site of an old monastery and was rebuilt in 1184 by a general of Saladin; it has changed hands over the centuries and was damaged by earthquakes and the Mongols.

Today the Ajloun area is green and fertile, with a Mediterranean climate: mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The Ajloun mountains are popular for hiking, and the Ajloun Forest Reserve is nearby.

In the city center is the Great Ajloun Mosque, one of Jordan’s oldest mosques, about 800 years old. Outside the city, Tell Mar Elias (Elijah) is a site with Byzantine mosaics and a shrine to Saint Elijah.

Population wise, the town had about 149,000 people in 2015, with the wider governorate home to roughly 176,000. The area is mostly Muslim, with Christians living there as well. Agriculture is important in Ajloun.