Desert Castles - Castelli del deserto

Desert Castles is an itinerary that develops through the Eastern Jordan.

Introduction

The Desert Castles are a series of buildings (not all are castles) built by the Umayyads in the desert, precisely east of Amman. They provide a fascinating glimpse into how the Umayyads lived in the desert and the characteristics of their architecture.

How to get

To learn more, see: How to get to Amman.

From the airport of Amman it is convenient to rent a car.

The main castles can be seen starting from 32.06095536.0944361 Zarqa on the main road east of Amman.

How to get around

As public transport is scarce, the only possibility to complete the itinerary is by car or with an organized tour. In the case of an autonomous itinerary, it is advisable to mark in advance the GPS position of the individual monuments to visit and to evaluate the route well also according to the distances.

Preparations

Expect the possibility of having supplies of water and food because many castles are located in desert areas.

Avoid driving off-the-beaten-track areas unless you have an off-road vehicle.

Stages

From the first to the fourth castle

• 32.09292636.3280661 Qasr Al-Hallabat (the first castle in a clockwise direction, east of Zarqa and just west of Hallabat). A large castle that has gone through multiple stages of construction, showing black rock additions to the original work, as well as some large mosaics.  

• 32.08341736.3630522 Hammam as-Sarah (Qasr Assekhin, Qasr As-Sarah) (a few kilometers east of Qasr Al-Hallabat, about 55 km northeast of Amman). The baths used by the rulers of Hallabat Castle, now subjected to archaeological work. The gate will be closed but unlocked, which means that you could enter without problems.  
• 31.94651236.9523373 Qasr Ussaykhim (head east from Azraq - there will be a signposted fork, but the closed road ends 1km before the castle.). A ruined castle built from the black rock of the desert, some arches that stand out against the pile of rubble. This is a great, peaceful place to look out over the rocky desert. 

• 31.87996436.8274284 Qasr Al-Azraq (Azraq Castle) (about 100 km east of Amman. 5km north of the Azraq south intersection, right next to the road). 1 JD. A large ruined castle on the northern outskirts of Azraq. In the entrance vestibule the graffiti of a Roman board game is visible. In the upper room of the gatehouse there was the office of T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) from whom he organized the Arab uprisings in the region.

It is a great place to explore due to the presence of multiple environments.  

Intermediate stop

You can make a stop a 31.83449436.8145312 Azraq, and then proceed easily to the other monuments.

From the fifth

• 31.80444436.5855565 Qusayr Amra (to the right of highway 40, about 85 km east of Amman and 15 km from Qasr al-Kharana, still on the same road that leads to Amman). 1 JD valid for Qusayr Amra and Qasr al-Kharana. May-September 08: 00-18: 00, from October to April 08: 00-16: 00. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This recognition derives from the fact that it is a "unicum" in the Islamic world, since its interior is completely frescoed even though Islam does not admit depictions of people. The total area of ​​the frescoes is 350 square meters, and over 250 human and animal figures have been counted.

At the time of its construction which dates back to Walid I (705 - 715), who would have conceived it as a place of leisure and delights for the Umayyad Caliphs, it had several buildings and was surrounded by lush gardens, thanks to the abundance of water that the area provided. Some archaeologists also attribute to it a role of protection of the caravan trail of Azraq, Kharanah and Qasr at-Tubah, and consider this construction as the place where the caliphs could spend periods of leisure and simultaneously carry out their political duties. The precious frescoes show an unusual representation of people and environments including a series of kings considered unfaithful and even a naked woman taking a bath. This representation is unusual in the Islamic world and this also constitutes the particularity and interest of the site. Qusayr Amra is among the best preserved Umayyad monuments.

Simple and elegant in its architectural lines, the building consists of three sixth arches that define three naves; the central one ends with a room that most likely served as a throne room; the two side aisles end with a small apse each, protruding outside the central nave which ends in a linear manner, which must have been a small alcove.

The entire internal wall surface is covered with frescoes of exceptional historical and artistic value, which were largely restored in the 1970s. The conservation works of the frescoes continue to this day thanks to French and Italian scientific expeditions. The paintings were very damaged after the abandonment of the structure, as an attempt was made to destroy them by scraping the walls up to a man's height, and by striking stones in the wall areas too high to be reached by arm; the aim was to eliminate the representations. Experts affirm that these paintings are to be attributed to Arab or Syrian artists, in which the very strong influence of Byzantine art is expressed.

On the sky of the central nave there are frescoes depicting rural scenes; on the west wall is the painting of the You are Sovereigns, some of whom would have been identified as the Emperor of Byzantium; the Visigothic king Rodrigo; the last Sassanid ruler Cosroe and the Abyssinian Negus, all characters enemies of Islam, who are deliberately represented in an attitude of respect towards the Caliph. Next to it, a female figure lying on a sofa and surrounded by various characters; then a naked woman coming out of a hammam tub. There are also numerous hunting scenes.

The frescoes on the vault, which are considered the most interesting as evidence of the life of the time, depict various trades: stonecutter, stonemason, bricklayer, carpenter, blacksmith, in short, all the works that were used for the construction of this extraordinary building in the desert. The allegories of Victory, Philosophy and Poetry, indicated by their Greek names, are frescoed next to the windows.

In the Hammam, which extends over half the left side of the building, there are three rooms: the tepidarium, with round barrel vault; a second environment that served as both tepidarium that gives calidarium and it is surmounted by a cross vault; finally the calidarium. From the second room a series of pipes reached the entire building of the hammam to distribute hot water; there is a large tub that rests on a double floor, equipped with a cavity that allows the circulation of hot air. Even in the rooms of the hammam there are pictorial cycles of frescoes (a naked woman; three women in the bathroom are the most prominent works). The dome of the third room is of great interest for its fresco representing a celestial map the northern hemisphere; there appear the constellations of the Zodiac and characters from Greek-Roman Mythology.

Outside the building the remains of the hydraulic system are visible: a wooden wheel driven by a camel drew water from a well which was conveyed to a tank connected to the hammam or to a reserve basin.  

• 31.737536.0102786 Qasr Al-Mshatta (about 35 km southeast of Amman). free. Of the desert castles it is the closest to Amman, being on the side of the international airport. This palace dates back to 744 and was erected by Caliph al-Walīd II. Its remains were found in 1840 and the facade donated by the Ottoman sultan to the German Kaiser Wilhelm II. For this reason, only ruins remain on the spot while it is well placed at the Pergamonmuseum in Berlin where it is possible to visit it. It is a Unesco site.  
• Qasr Al-Muwaqqar (It is located in the city of the same name on which Highway 40 passes, about 30 km south of Amman). 
• 31.74694435.9355567 Al Qastal (It is located in the city of the same name about 25 km south of Amman).  
• Qasr el Feifeh. 
• Umm al-Walid. 
• Qasr el `Uweinid. Little more than a ruin in the middle of the desert. 

• 31.72888936.4627788 Qasr al-Kharana (Qasr Kharana) (to the right of highway 40, It is located a short distance (15 km) from Qusayr Amra, always on the same road that leads to Amman). 1 JD valid for Qusayr Amra and Qasr al-Kharana. May-September 08: 00-18: 00, from October to April 08: 00-16: 00. A large 7th century rectangular building that was probably a meeting point. Perfectly preserved, built in pink stone, this magnificent and imposing quadrilateral construction shows four round towers in each corner, a semicircular tower in the middle of the sides, and two towers surrounding the monumental entrance. The construction of this castle it was established by some scholars in 711, on the basis of an inscription. However, other writings in Latin and Greek also open the possibility that it was built on pre-existing Roman or Byzantine structures, which could have been conceived as a control point for this important crossroads of caravan roads and desert tracks. Although the construction recalls the characteristics of the fort, archaeologists tend to exclude its military function. This is confirmed by the structure of the slits, too narrow to be used by archers, and too high, so it is believed that they were vents or conditioning; and in fact from these slits a good ventilation perennially enters, which allows to keep the rooms relatively cool.

Once you enter the majestic portal, in the internal courtyard there are the stables for the animals of the caravans that traveled these tracks that connected the Syria to Arabia, in addition to warehouses for goods. A staircase next to the entrance leads to over sixty rooms embellished with barrel vaults, arches, medallions, sculptures, frames, frescoes. Climbing further you reach the top of castle, which offers a beautiful view of the surrounding desert.

Set aside the theory of military use, the hypothesis of its use for political meetings by the various tribal leaders and the Umayyads, the first dynasty of caliphs of Islam (660-750), enjoys greater credit; its position at the intersection of important caravan routes of the ancient world also suggests its use as a caravanserai for caravans and merchants ... Nearby with a short detour, you can reach Qasr at-Tubah, an ancient caravanserai with vaulted roofs and thick walls. Originally the structure had to be double, with a connecting corridor; however, only one was built. The construction stands out from the desert but, unfortunately, it also has the highway and power lines in close proximity.  

Other castles far from the itinerary

• 32.60843637.962379 Qasr Burqu '.  
• 31.32555636.57083310 Qasr Tuba (about 95 km southeast of Amman).  

Safety

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Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Desert Castles
• Commons contains images or other files on Desert Castles

Usable : the article respects the characteristics of a draft but also contains enough information to allow the itinerary to be carried out.