Shoubak

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title: "Shoubak" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["municipalities-in-jordan", "populated-places-in-ma'an-governorate", "1894-establishments-in-the-ottoman-empire"] topic_path: "general/municipalities-in-jordan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoubak" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
official_nameShoubak
native_nameالشوبك
settlement_typeTown
image_skylineShoubak2.jpg
imagesize250px
pushpin_mapJordan
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameJordan
subdivision_type1Province
subdivision_name1Ma'an Governorate
government_typeMunicipality
established_titleMunicipality established
established_date2001
leader_titleMayor
leader_nameAdel Al-Rafayah
area_metro_km215
population_as_of2015
population_total4275
population_metro19279
population_footnotes
timezoneGMT +2
timezone_DST+3
coordinates
grid_namePAL
grid_position205/993
area_code+(962)3
elevation_m1330
elevation_footnotes
::

|official_name = Shoubak |native_name = الشوبك |nickname = |settlement_type = Town |image_skyline = Shoubak2.jpg |imagesize = 250px |image_caption = |image_flag = |pushpin_map = Jordan |pushpin_label_position = |subdivision_type =Country |subdivision_name = Jordan |subdivision_type1 = Province |subdivision_name1 = Ma'an Governorate |government_type = Municipality |established_title = Municipality established |established_date = 2001 |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Adel Al-Rafayah |area_metro_km2 = 15 |area_metro_sq_mi = |population_as_of = 2015 |population_total = 4275 |population_metro = 19279 |population_footnotes = |timezone =GMT +2 |utc_offset = |timezone_DST = +3 |coordinates = | grid_name = PAL | grid_position = 205/993 |area_code = +(962)3 |elevation_m = 1330 |elevation_ft = |elevation_footnotes = |website =

Shoubak () is a municipality that lies at the northwestern edge of the Ma'an Governorate in Jordan. It had a population of 19,297. At one of the highest elevations above sea level in Jordan, this municipality is famous for apple and fruit farms. The Crusader castle Montreal is located in Shoubak.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Montreal_Castle_01.jpg" caption="Montréal]] in Shoubak."] ::

Antiquity and Middle Ages

Shoubak was first settled by the Edomites who had their capital in Busaira in neighboring Tafilah Governorate, in the second millennium BC. It was then settled by the Nabataeans in the first millennium BC.

Shoubak is known for its Crusader castle Montreal. Along with Petra and Aqaba, Shoubak forms the third head of this triangle that lies on the cross road between Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Its unique high elevation (1330 m above sea level) gave it a strategic importance.

The importance of Shoubak reached its peak after Baldwin I of Jerusalem took control. The Montreal castle was built on top of a hill in 1115. Shoubak was annexed to the Ayyubid dynasty by Saladin in 1187. In the early 16th century, the Arab Christian community migrated to Gaza which became the largest Christian center in Palestine.

In 1596 it appeared in the Ottoman tax registers under the name of Sawbak, situated in the nahiya (subdistrict) of Sawbak, part of the Sanjak of Ajlun. It had 65 households who were Muslim, in addition to 5 Christian households. They paid taxes on various agricultural products, including wheat (5500 a.), barley (2000 a.), vineyards/fruit trees (1000 a.), goats and bee-hives (1800 a.); in addition to occasional revenues (1000 a.) and a water mill (120 a.). Their total tax was 14,000 akçe.

Shoubak became a nahia in 1894, and administratively belonged to the Ottoman Kerak department.

Modern history

The city of Shoubak revolted against the Ottomans in 1900 and in 1905. During the Arab Revolt, T. E. Lawrence entered Shoubak in Feb. 1918, commenting, "We went over the ridge and down to the base of the shapely cone, whose mural crown was the ring-wall of the old castle of Monreale, very noble against the night sky." Upon departure, he wrote, "...we skated timorously down the rapid path to the open plain across which still stretched the Roman road with its groups of fallen milestones, inscribed by famous emperors."

In 1961, there were 4,634 inhabitants in Shaubak.

In 1973, it was ranked up to a qadaa. In the 31st Administrative Divisions System of 1995, Shoubak became a full department within Ma'an Governorate benefiting from the decentralization program.

Geography

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Shoubak3.jpg" caption="Shoubak is known for its cold winters."] ::

Shoubak is located at an area bordering Tafilah Governorate to the north and Aqaba Governorate to the west. It is administratively in Ma'an Governorate. Due to its high elevation, Shoubak experiences freezing winters, but the summer season is dry due its proximity to the Arabian Desert.

The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is Csb, but very close to Dsa and BSk. The average annual temperature in Shoubak is 12.7 °C. About 317 mm of precipitation falls annually.

Climate

|metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Shoubak, elevation 1300 m |Jan high C = 9.1 |Feb high C = 10.3 |Mar high C = 14.3 |Apr high C = 19.0 |May high C = 22.5 |Jun high C = 26.5 |Jul high C = 27.5 |Aug high C = 28.3 |Sep high C = 25.9 |Oct high C = 22.7 |Nov high C = 17.1 |Dec high C = 12.2 | year high C = |Jan mean C = 6.2 |Feb mean C = 8.7 |Mar mean C = 12.5 |Apr mean C = 14.1 |May mean C = 20.8 |Jun mean C = 22.6 |Jul mean C = 24.1 |Aug mean C = 23.9 |Sep mean C = 21.8 |Oct mean C = 19.5 |Nov mean C = 13.3 |Dec mean C = 9.4 | year mean C = |Jan low C = 0.3 |Feb low C = 0.3 |Mar low C = 2.7 |Apr low C = 5.4 |May low C = 7.3 |Jun low C = 10.1 |Jul low C = 12.6 |Aug low C = 13.5 |Sep low C = 10.0 |Oct low C = 8.4 |Nov low C = 5.2 |Dec low C = 1.5 | year low C = |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 72 |Feb rain mm = 62 |Mar rain mm = 41 |Apr rain mm = 29 |May rain mm = 5 |Jun rain mm = 1 |Jul rain mm = 0 |Aug rain mm = 0 |Sep rain mm = 0 |Oct rain mm = 4 |Nov rain mm = 41 |Dec rain mm = 57 |year rain mm = 312 | Jan humidity = 70 | Feb humidity = 67 | Mar humidity = 61 | Apr humidity = 50 | May humidity = 41 | Jun humidity = 38 | Jul humidity = 42 | Aug humidity = 52 | Sep humidity = 64 | Oct humidity = 62 | Nov humidity = 55 | Dec humidity = 68 | year humidity =56 |source 1 = Arab Meteorology Book{{cite web | url = http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf | title = Appendix I: Meteorological Data | publisher = Springer | access-date = 14 October 2024 | archive-date = March 4, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072830/http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf | url-status = dead |date=14 October 2024

Demographics

The national census of 2004 showed that the total population of Shoubak was 12,590 persons, of whom 5,666 are males (45%) and 6924 are females, constituting 55% of the total population. There were 1,663 households with an average of 5 persons/household. Almost the entire population is Muslim.

Economy

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/View_from_Montreal_Castle.jpg" caption="View from the Montreal castle."] ::

Agriculture forms the major source of income for Shoubak, followed by tourism. Benefiting from its high altitude of more than 1,300 m above sea level, the countryside of Shoubak extends to about 189 km2 of olive, vegetable and fruit farms, mainly apple farms surrounding and within the town of Shoubak, resulting in the city spanning a relatively large area. There are 129 honey bee farms in the town's countryside, making it a major producer of honey.

Education

The college of agriculture of Al-Balqa` Applied University is located in Shoubak. The Regional Center of Agricultural Research and Technology Transport is also located in Shoubak.

Notable people

  • Eid Dahiyat, Minister of Education
  • Taha Ali Al-Habahbeh, Minister of State.

References

Bibliography

  • {{cite book | title = First Census of Population and Housing. Volume I: Final Tables; General Characteristics of the Population | author = Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics | year = 1964 |url=http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/JordanCensus1961bits.pdf}}
  • {{cite book | last1= Hütteroth|first1=W.-D.|author-link1=Wolf-Dieter Hütteroth | first2=K. | last2=Abdulfattah |author-link2=Kamal Abdulfattah | title = Historical Geography of Palestine, Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wqULAAAAIAAJ | year = 1977 | publisher = Erlanger Geographische Arbeiten, Sonderband 5. Erlangen, Germany: Vorstand der Fränkischen Geographischen Gesellschaft |isbn= 3-920405-41-2}}

References

  1. "The General Census - 2015". Department of Population Statistics.
  2. "Shoubak Municipality".
  3. (24 August 2021). "Arabic Christianity between the Ottoman Levant and Eastern Europe". BRILL.
  4. Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 173
  5. (1935). "Seven Pillars of Wisdom". Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc..
  6. Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. [http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/JordanCensusPages/JordanCensus1961-p06.pdf 6]
  7. "السكان ومؤشراتهم في منطقة البلدية".
  8. "Shoubak Municipality".

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municipalities-in-jordanpopulated-places-in-ma'an-governorate1894-establishments-in-the-ottoman-empire