Shahid – Al-Fudayn Castle, Mafraq .. was built in 1517 and was used to protect the Shami pilgrimage trail

About 70 kilometers from the capital, Amman, in the northeastern part of the Kingdom of Jordan, Mafraq is the second largest Jordanian governorate in terms of area. Dozens of archaeological sites are evidence of the depth of their history, and evidence of the ancient civilizations that followed them.

The people of those ages – from the Hadidiyah, Hellenistic Greek, Nabataean, Byzantine, Umayyad, Abbasid, Ayyubid, and Mamluk eras to the Ottoman era – left their traces in the Jordanian governorate immortal through the ages, telling its visitors stories of excellence and content of creativity. Read also The Jordanian truck driver who became a novelist The death of the Jordanian Palestinian writer and journalist Aida Al-Najjar, aged 81The Jordanian Writers Association .. The absence of a cultural project and political lineups before the elections

The Ottoman era witnessed the establishment of castles and forts to secure the path of pilgrims, especially on the “Shami Hajj Path”, which is the road for those coming from Damascus, passing through Jordan, and reaching Makkah Al-Mukarramah.

Al-Fudayn castle

Al-Fudayn Castle in Mafraq is one of the most prominent and important of these castles.

The castle was called by this name in relation to the old name of the city of Mafraq, which was known as Fudayn.

The castle was built during the reign of Sultan Selim I in 1517, and it is square in shape with an area of ​​361 square meters, and consists of 9 side rooms, and it has two stairs leading to the upper floor, which no longer exists.

And in the center of the castle is a yard paved with white limestone and black basalt stones, and a well for storing rainwater.

This castle was used, in the twentieth century, to protect the train passing through the Hejaz Railway, which is located at a close distance to the east of it. Advertising

Garrison

Historical studies indicated that the Swiss traveler and historian, Johann Ludwik Burckhardt, visited the castle in 1809, and said it was “a small military garrison headed by the Aga.”

It was visited and mentioned by many travelers, such as the Tunisian Muhammad al-Senussi in 1881, and the Ottoman Suleiman Shafiq in 1890.

The castle remained in an integrated manner until the end of the nineteenth century, and as a result of its abandonment and lack of care, it gradually disappeared. However, its effects still remain, and a testament to the Ottoman security sophistication and their eagerness to protect religious rituals.

Restoration of the castle

“The castle is located within an area that includes a group of antiquities, dating back to different eras,” said Imad Obeidat, director of Mafraq antiquities, to Anadolu Agency.

He continues, “Before becoming in its current form, studies indicate that it existed until the thirties of the last century, with 9 rooms distributed over two floors.”

“The central courtyard of the castle contains a well to collect rainwater, and limestone and basalt rocks have been used in its construction, and there is only one door on the northern side for it.”

According to Obeidat, in 2013, the Directorate of Antiquities of Mafraq completed a group of projects aimed at upgrading the archaeological sites in the governorate, including Al-Fudayn Castle.

He pointed out that work has been carried out on the restoration of the castle, especially the outer walls, over a 20 square meter span.

Obeidat also indicated that the stone floors were restored in a way that preserves the privacy of the archaeological area, with the walls inside and out.