02 — The Lower Court
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The Lower Court marked the first controlled space inside the Crusader fortress and played a crucial role in both defense and construction. Research carried out by the Italian archaeological mission at Petra has shown that the Crusader settlement at al-Habis cannot be understood without considering its close relationship with earlier quarrying activity and stone exploitation.
Studies on Petra’s classical-period quarries, particularly the work of Jean-Claude Bessac, have demonstrated how rock-cut spaces and building stone extraction shaped the ancient city long before the medieval occupation. Building on this knowledge, recent fieldwork at al-Habis—including surveys conducted in 2015—has identified at least two quarry areas directly connected to the Crusader fortress. One lies on a lower, flatter area below the settlement and shows signs of intensive extraction, visible today in the almost completely levelled ground surface. A second quarry area is located close to the castle walls, where partially detached blocks and extraction traces can still be observed.
The Crusaders deliberately incorporated these quarry zones into the layout of the fortress. The first gate of the castle was likely protected by a tower carved into the rock of an ancient quarry, whose squared outline remains visible today. This choice reflects a broader strategy: rather than transporting stone from afar, the builders constructed the fortress directly on and within the quarry landscape itself, reusing extraction fronts, rock faces, and earlier cuts as defensive and architectural elements.
The Lower Court also formed part of a sophisticated, multi-level defensive system. Anyone advancing toward the heart of the castle was forced to pass through a sequence of gates, narrow passages, and exposed stairways, all overlooked from above. A drawbridge further restricted access to the inner defenses. Combined with strong walls and an advanced water-management system of channels and cisterns, this integration of quarry, architecture, and defense allowed al-Habis to function as a resilient stronghold capable of withstanding prolonged sieges.
Bibliography:
- J. C. Bessac, R. Sablayrolles (éds.), Carrières antiques de la Gaule, Gallia, 59, pp. 155-175.
- M. Nucciotti, “Archeologia leggera dei sistemi di difesa passiva: i castelli crociati di Petra (Giordania) nel XII secolo,” in Scenari bellici nel medioevo, Edizioni Quasar, Rome, 2019.
- E. Pruno, “Modifying Landscape: Quarries and Infrastructures in the Middle Age Mediterranean Area,” in Cracow Landscape Monographs 2, Kraków, 2016.
- G. Vannini, M. Nucciotti, Da Petra a Shawbak. Archeologia di una frontiera, Giunti, Firenze, 2006
Last update
05.01.2026