Jordan: The Desert Castles

Cultural Crossroads: Jordan

Country & Custom

Past & Present

Land, Sea & Sky

The Desert Castles

From the Eastern Desert. Today, we drove east to visit the Desert Castles. Along the drive, it was strange seeing road signs that read ‘Saudi Border’ and ‘Iraqi Border.’ I had only seen these places in the news and they always seemed so far away.

We visited 3 castles, but there are others scattered across the eastern part of Jordan. They were built between 661 CE and 750 CE by the Umayyads. Archaelogists and researchers believe these castles were used as hunting lodges, fortresses, and caravan stations.

Our first stop was Qasr Kharaneh. It seemed to magically appear in the desert -- there was absolutely nothing else in sight! Qasr Kharaneh had 2 stories and a flat roof. We were able to climb up to the top of the roof to get a great view of desert.

The second castle we visited was called Qusayr Amra. Qusayr means ‘little castle’ in Arabic. Amra is famous for its beautiful frescoes.

The final castle on our tour was Qasr Azraq which made from large basalt stones. Unlike the first 2 Umayyad castles we visited, Azraq was built in the 3rd century CE by the Romans.

The main entrance to Azraq castle is through an enormous door that weighs over a ton! Adam tried his best to open and shut the door. We decided that a door this heavy would be great protection for any castle.

My favorite castle was Qasr Kharaneh which had over 60 rooms to explore. But, you can take a peak inside all 3 and decide which is your favorite.

Next: Visit the Royal Botanic Garden.



	AUDIO SLIDESHOW: The Desert Castles