Shawbak, also spelled Shobeq, was built in 1115 by Baldouin I, King of Jerusalem, as the first crusader castle in Oultre Jourdain.

It crowned the top of a cone-shaped hill near the crossroads of the King's Highway and two connecting roads leading down to Wadi Araba.

Mons Regalis, the "King's Mountain", became part of a defence line that traversed Oultre Jourdain, after additional crusader castles had been built. Shobeq was connected to the north with the large fortress of Kerak via a castle at Tafila, followed to the south by Hormoz, Sela as well as Le Vaux Moyse near Petra and Ela/Aqaba.

In addition to its favourable location on several important travel routes, the countryside around Shobeq offered excellent living conditions. In the course of the years over 6,000 Christians settled in the vicinity of the castle.

Shobeq was conquered by Saladin's troops in 1189, following a siege that lasted one and a half years. Although the defendants did not run out of water due to a deep well, they suffered from diverse deficiency diseases, and were ultimately forced to capitulate. Shobeq then came under Ayyubid rule. During this time the fortress walls were strengthened and further building activities carried out. According to Ibn Shaddad, an Arabian historian, even gardens were arranged at that time.

In 1262 Shobeq was made the administrative centre of southern Jordan by the Mamelukes. The Ottomans used the fortress as military camp, but eventually the meanwhile abandoned castle served only as an easy source of stone as well as for dwellings. The last family left the ruins of the Shobeq castle as late as 1952.

Most of the walls that are still visible in the rather dilapidated fortress originate from the Ayyubid period. Exceptions are two basilicas which were later re-dedicated as mosques and a staircase of more than 350 steps which lead down to a man-made underground course of water. Constructed during the time of the crusaders, the basin of this well is filled with water even today. At the northern edge of the castle mountain is a Mameluke palace with a subterranean structure consisting of four iwan rooms, which resembles the one at Kerak.

Source: Jordanien-Reise - http://www.jordanien-reise.com/index.php?id=550&L=6