The Church of St Mary

The identification of a specific technique used to finish the surfaces of the pillar blocks and the façade wall allowed archaeologists to recognize the “signature” of Crusader builders, who employed stone axes (as seen in the lower church) and toothed blades.

_{For further details:}

• ^{Nucciotti, Michele, and Elisa Pruno. “Great and Little Traditions in medieval Petra and Shawbak: contextualizing local building industry and pottery production in cc. 12-13.” Archeologia Medievale 43 (2016): 309-320.}

In the early 19th century, some travelers who visited the castle described the church—then used as a coffee house—with its entrance arch and architrave still intact. On the architrave was a partially preserved Latin inscription mentioning the date 1118, likely referring to the construction or dedication of the church.

_{To learn more:}

• ^{Pringle, Denys. The Churches of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: a Corpus, vol. 2. 304-313. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.}
• ^{Irby, Charles Leonard, and James Mangles. Travels in Egypt and Nubia, Syria, and the Holy Land. Including a Journey Round the Dead Sea, and through the Country East of the Jordan. 115-116. London: Murray, 1844.}
• ^{Burckhardt, John Lewis. Travels in Syria and Holy Land. 416. London: Murray, 1822.}

At Shobak, as at Al-Wu’ayra, the churches within the castles were an integral part of the defensive system and, from the outside, appeared as large projecting bastions strategically positioned to guard the main gates.

_{For more on the defensive strategies used by the Crusaders in the Petra region:}

•  ^{Nucciotti, Michele. “Archeologia leggera dei sistemi di difesa passiva: i castelli crociati di Petra (Giordania) nel XII secolo.” In Scenari bellici nel medioevo: guerra e territorio tra XI e XIV secolo, edited by Giorgia Annoscia, 135-152. Roma: Quasar, 2019.}

During excavations carried out to the northeast of the church, Mamluk-period burials were discovered.

_{To learn more:}

• ^{Walker, Bethany, and Francesca Dotti, Michele Nucciotti. “Shawbak and the mamluk Transjordan.” In Da Petra a Shawbak. Archeologia di una frontiera. Catalogo della Mostra, edited by Guido Vannini, and Michele Nucciotti, 126-131. Firenze: Giunti, 2009.}
• ^{Ranieri Raffaele. The Wheel Thrown Pottery in Southern Bilad al-Sham (12th-13th c.): production and consuption. The case-study of Shawbak (Southern Jordan). Firenze: All'Insegna del Giglio: 42-46.}