Strange Desert Castle Qasr Kharana In Jordan

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - In Jordan, about 55 km east of Amman, near Saudi Arabia's border, there is a strange ancient structure known as the desert castle Qasr Kharana.

This imposing and well-preserved building stands in the middle of a vast, treeless plain, and despite its name, the structure is not a real castle. The purpose of the building, dating to before 710 A.D., is unknown.

The desert castle Qasr Kharana in Jordan. Credit: High Contrast, Public Domain CC BY 3.0

Compared to other military castles, this peculiar structure has solid towers, and the arrow slits are too high to fire anything from.

It's undoubtedly a unique ancient construction, and many historians have tried to figure out why the building stands in the middle of the desert. It was never used as a military castle because researchers have not found evidence of its ability to defend its inhabitants.

The square building rises just 15 meters (49 ft), measures 35 meters (115 ft) on each side, and is built of stone rubble with mortar. It has been suggested it may have been used as a resting place for traders. The trouble with this theory is that the lack of a water source makes it unlikely it was near a trading route. Inside the castle was a courtyard with a basin for collecting rainwater, but the amount of water would not be enough for larger groups.

It's possible the desert castle Qasr Kharana was only used temporarily. Perhaps it served agricultural or commercial agendas similar to other Umayyad palaces in greater Syria.

Courtyard of Qasr Kharana, Jordan. Credit: Daniel Case, CC BY 3.0

Historians examined the architecture, and it's clear the building was constructed in the early Umayyad period by the Umayyad caliph Walid I, whose dominance of the region was rising at the time.

The Umayyads were the first Islamic dynasty that dated from 661 until 750. Nevertheless, the construction techniques and the decoration show influences from Syrian, Parthian, and Sasanian traditions.
Before being abandoned and neglected, several ancient civilizations most likely used the fortress. Some speculate it was a meeting place for Bedouins or used as a representative place for political meetings between local tribal communities and Umayyad rulers.

Today, it's one of the best-known desert castles. Visit this unique ancient site in Jordan. You'll find that within the castle, there is also graffiti from the 8th century, a beautiful cross-vaulted ceiling, and two stone staircases leading to an upper floor with several small rooms. All this clearly shows that Desert castle Qasr Kharana was used in ancient times, but we don't know its purpose.

Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer

Updated on January 6, 2023

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