“One of these desert palaces is frescoed with bathing scenes and a painted zodiac; another sheltered Lawrence of Arabia behind massive stone doors.”
About Desert Castles (Desert)
The Desert Castles were built largely by the Umayyad caliphs in the 7th and 8th centuries as country estates, hunting lodges and rest stops in the eastern desert, reflecting both Arab desert tradition and inherited Greco-Roman and Persian styles. Qusayr Amra's frescoes are a unique survival of early Islamic figurative art. The basalt fort at Azraq, far older in origin, later became Lawrence's wartime headquarters.
The Desert Castles are a scattered group of early Islamic complexes built across the semi-desert east of Amman, dating mainly from the Umayyad period of the 7th and 8th centuries. Variously serving as hunting lodges, caravan stops, bathhouses and rural retreats, they include some of the earliest and most surprising Islamic art and architecture, from frescoed bathhouses to massive basalt forts.
The Desert Castles are a scattered group of early Islamic complexes built across the semi-desert east of Amman, dating mainly from the Umayyad period of the 7th and 8th centuries.
Frescoes, Forts and Lawrence
The most celebrated, Qusayr Amra, is a small Umayyad bath and pleasure pavilion whose walls are covered in rare early Islamic frescoes, including bathing scenes, hunting, musicians and a zodiac painted on the dome, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Others, like Qasr Kharana, resemble compact forts, while the black basalt fort at Azraq was a base for T. E. Lawrence during the Arab Revolt, its massive stone doors still swinging on their hinges.
The Experience
You tour several castles on a loop east of Amman, marvelling at the vivid frescoes of Qusayr Amra, the compact fortress of Qasr Kharana, and the brooding black basalt walls and heavy stone doors of Azraq, where Lawrence based himself. The drive through the desert between them is part of the experience, revealing a remote, historic landscape that few visitors reach.
Why It Matters
The Desert Castles offer an exceptional glimpse into the Umayyad world and the birth of Islamic art, including its rare early figurative frescoes, as well as a tangible link to Lawrence of Arabia. They reveal a lesser-known, eastern dimension of Jordan's heritage, away from the classical and Nabataean sites.
The Desert Castles offer an exceptional glimpse into the Umayyad world and the birth of Islamic art, including its rare early figurative frescoes, as well as a tangible link to Lawrence of Arabia.
Why Visit
A loop of early Islamic desert palaces east of Amman, including the frescoed UNESCO bathhouse of Qusayr Amra and the basalt fort where Lawrence of Arabia was based.
✦ Insider Tips
- 1
Visit them as a loop east of Amman, ideally by car.
- 2
Do not miss the rare frescoes of Qusayr Amra, a UNESCO site.
- 3
See Azraq fort, Lawrence of Arabia's wartime base.
- 4
The desert is very hot in summer; carry plenty of water.
