Ajloun Governorate

Ajloun exists because its forests exist—the Mediterranean-climate oak woodlands that made this hill country defensible when Saladin built his 12th-century castle here to block Crusader advances and protect trade routes. The same ecological conditions that supported evergreen oak, pine, carob, and wild pistachio forests created the mild climate and fertile soils that attracted human settlement long before Islamic-era fortification.

The Ajloun Forest Reserve's 12 square kilometers preserve what agricultural expansion elsewhere eliminated, the reserve established in 1987 when Jordan recognized that deforestation threatened both ecology and tourism potential. Zipline adventures and hiking trails now generate revenue from landscapes that once produced charcoal and timber—the economic function shifting from resource extraction to experience provision.

The castle's panoramic views across the Jordan Valley attract visitors whose spending supports communities that subsistence agriculture alone cannot sustain. Just 40 minutes from Jerash and 90 minutes from Amman, Ajloun functions as day-trip destination rather than accommodation hub—the proximity that enables tourism also limits the overnight spending that creates deeper economic impact.