Amman – Desert Castes – Amman

After breakfast, transfer A full fun-filled morning touring the remains of Jordan's Desert Castles. Visit Qasr Kharaneh, the sole
castle built ... See more

After breakfast, transfer A full fun-filled morning touring the remains of Jordan's Desert Castles. Visit Qasr Kharaneh, the sole
castle built exclusively for defense, and Qasr Amra with its beautiful mosaics from the
Omayyad era. Stop at the Azraq Oasis, a resting point for one hundred species of migratory birds. Amidst its many pools, visit
Qasr Axraq, the black basalt fort which was headquarters for Lawrence of Arabia. Qasr al-Hallabat is located just off the main road about 30 kilometers east into the desert from Zarqa. It was originally a Roman fort built during the reign of Caracalla (198-217
CE) to defend against raiding desert tribes. There is evidence that, before Caracalla, Trajan had established a post there on the
remains of a Nabatean settlement. During the seventh century CE, the site became a monastery, and the Umayyads then fortified it and decorated it with ornate frescoes and decorative carvings. Two kilometers past Qasr al-Hallabat, heading east, are ruins of the
main bathing complex known as Hammam al-Sarah. The baths were once adorned with marble and lavish mosaics. Today, you can still see the channels that were used for hot water and steam. Qasr al-Mushatta offers an excellent example of characteristic Umayyad architecture. The castle is an incomplete square palace with elaborate decoration and vaulted ceilings. The immense brick walls of the complex stretch 144 meters in each direction, and at least 23 round towers were nestled along these walls. The palace mosque is sited in the traditional position, inside and to the right of the main entrance. Throughout, there is a powerful symmetry and axiality in the planning, with a tendency for compartmentalization, often into three sections. The vaulting systems are considered essentially Iraqi, but the
stonemasonry and carved decoration is Hellenistic. Both influences are modified by their interaction, and this palace presents the
most complete fusion of the two traditions in Umayyad architecture then back to Amman See less