Shobak, once a Crusader stronghold, located in the central Jordanian hills just off the King’s Highway between Amman and Petra. Known at the time as Mont Real, it was built by King Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1115 to guard the road from Damascus to Egypt. After multiple attempts, Saladin captured it in 1189, but after a few centuries’ use by the Mamluks it fell into disrepair. Students hike up to the ruins for a beautiful view of the surrounding valleys.