القصور
الصحراوية
Desert Castles
Lying in the desert east of Amman are a number of desert castles
built or restored in the seventh and eighth centuries by the
Umayyad caliphs. Constructed as both retreats of pleasure and
bastions of protection they stand as a memorial to the early days
of the Arab Empire. Known collectively as the Desert Castles or
Desert Palaces, the buildings demonstrate the best of early
Islamic ingenuity. These are some of the most well known castles,
Qasr Hallabat, Qasr Azraq, Qasr Amra, Qasr Mushatta, Qasr
Muwaqqar, Qasr Kharana, Qasr Ain es Sil, Qasr Qastal. In addition
there is several fumous castles in the mountains, such as Rabad
and Karak.
Stretching east from Amman is a desert region
bewildering in its size and ruthless climate; a place of sand and
barren basalt landscapes which bear witness to ancient glories.
The Ummayed Caliphs of the early Islamic era, out of socio
economic and political concerns who cherished the hard desert
life, built a string of palaces, hunting lodges, baths, meeting
places, caravanserias and fortresses, in what were then the
farthest corners of the desert. Known collectively as the Desert
Castles or Desert Palaces, (Qasr in Arabic), the constructions
demonstrate the best of early Islamic Architectural ingenuity.
TOP
Qasr
Hallabat:
One of the easiest of all the Desert Castles to
reach from Amman is situated north-east of the capital, just off
the main road that links Zarqa with Azraq. The fortress is the
most ostentatious and complete of all the Ummayed compounds in
Jordan. Its traditional square shape with square corner towers,
was constructed on the site of an earlier bastion of second
century AD origin. Some scholars have suggested that this fort was
erected by the Nabateans. An inscription reveals that the main
fortifications were put up during the rule of Caracella (AD
198-217).
However, the Ummayed overhaul of the site tore
down most of the Roman and Byzantine craftsmanship, replacing it
with ornate frescoes.
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Qasr
Azraq:
Crafted from the region's black basalt rocks,
the town's ancient fortress, with its ominous ambiance, has taken
advantage of Azraq's important strategic position. It is thought
to have been initiated by the Roman's during the last years of the
3rd Century AD. Numerous remodelings and rebuildings continued as
the castle changed hands. Its location protected the town's key
water source. It was redesigned by the Mamlukes in AD 1237, and
was also used by the Byzantines, Ummayeds and Mamlukes. It is
almost square-shaped with walls 80 meters long encircling a
central courtyard. At each corner is an oblong tower. The primary
entrance is through a small doorway, protected by a basalt hinged
door. Inside is a cool chamber that leads into the central
courtyard. Various rocks in this vestibule are inscribed with
Greek and Latin. Within the main courtyard is a mosque and beside
it is the main well.
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Qasr Amra bath house:
Amra is 85 km (19 miles) south west of Azraq.
Of all Ummayed buildings in eastern Jordan, Amra is the most
loved, and charming. Amra gains its fame from the outstanding
frescoes adorning its interior walls and ceilings. They are
thought to be the earliest example of pictorial art made in the
Islamic era, having been painted during the middle years of the
8th Century AD if not earlier. The designs have stood the passage
of time remarkably well.
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Qasr
Mushatta:
Qasr Mushatta is extraordinary because of its
grandeur and construction, its colossal size and its amazing
location. Mushatta is square in shape with its immense yellow
brick walls stretching 144 meters (158 yards) in each direction.
At least 23 round towers nestled along the walls. The palace is
usually attributed to the Ummayed Caliph Walid II, who would have
constructed it between AD 743 and AD 744. It was never completed.
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Qasr
Muwaqqar:
It is no more than about 14 km (9 mile)
north-east of Qasr Mushatta. The palace once stood on a peak above
the cross roads of several ancient desert tracks. We know, from
the Kufic-inscribed water gauge, once in a huge cistern rear by,
that Muwaqqar was constructed by the Ummayed Caliph Yazid II Ibn Abd el Malik. Alas, almost
nothing remains today of the palace.
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Qasr
Kharana:
Qasr Kharana is located 55 km (34 miles) east
of Amman with its imposing walls, and panoramic views, it looks
like a castle, but experts think that it was built as a palace. It
is maintained that Kharana was probably not a caravanserai as
there was no substantial water source or major trading route
passing by. Instead, it is suggested that Kharana was conceived as
a lavish meeting place for Ummayed leaders.
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Qasr Ain es
Sil:
Like several of the Qasers of Jordan's eastern
desert, Qasr Ain es Sil was never used as a palace. It was a
farming estate with a bathing complex attached.
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Qasr
Qastal:
Qastal which gives its name to the modern
village adjacent to it, is one of the oldest of Ummayed palaces.
The remains include a complete range of buildings and facilities,
such as a mosque, central palace, cemetery, small houses, baths, a
reservoir and even a dam. Ummayed ingenuity becomes apparent when
you realize that the dam area was formed from the quarry which
itself supplied the stone for Qastal's palace.
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Qalaat-al-Rabad:
Ajlun's fabled fortress, which provides a
fascinating comparison with the country's crusader castles. In AD
1184-85 the nephew of Salah-el-Din al Ayyubi (Saladin) built a
fortress on the summit of Jabal Bani 'Awaf, on the site of what is
now Qalaat-al-Rabad. Its dominating position, allowed an extra
ordinarily wide vantage over the surrounding lands, affording
protection against the Crusader forces, permitting Saladin to
concentrate on the iron mines at Ajlun without hindrance. Its view
is one of the best in the Middle East. High above sea level it
looks down on the Dead Sea. The bulk of the castle is in good
condition, and most of the high-vaulted ceilings are still intact.
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Kerak
Fortress:
The elaborate crusader fortress is relatively
well preserved with its subterranean chambers and storage rooms.
Once stronghold of the dastardly Peynaud de Chatillon, the castle
has had a colorful history. The fortress was built for defense
rather than beauty. Its critics have deemed it gloomy and morose.
