It is located about 70 km northwest of the capital Amman, and was built atop one of the ‘Ajlun Mountains, historically known as Jabal Bani ‘Awf, and is distinguished by its isolation from the surrounding mountains.

‘Ajlun Castle is the official and most common name for the site, although it has also been referred to by other names such as Qal’at al-Rabad and Qal’at Salah al-Din.

This castle is one of the fortified military castles built by Izz Al-Din Osama, a leader under Sultan Salah al-din, in 1184 AD, to serve as a strategic link between Sham (Syria), Hijaz and Egypt. It was used to monitor Crusader army movements in Palestine and served as a military supply and provisioning center, storing grain and weapons for the Islamic armies. The castle also acted as a base for quick movements between Sham, Hejaz, and Egypt.

The castle covers an area of 70m x 80m, with seven towers and several halls of varying sizes, surrounded by a moat approximately 12 meters deep.

The castle was inscribed on the ISISCO Islamic World Heritage Sites list in 2019.