Petra

AL-MSHATTA PALACE "WINTER PALACE" Al-Mshatta Palace is one of the desert castles built by the Umayyads. Situated nearly 32 km southeast of Amman, this palace was built by the Umayyad Caliph al-Walid bin Yazid in 744 AD and is surrounded by a 144-meter-long square wall comprising of 25 circular towers.  QASR AL-HARRANA/AL-KHARANAH Named Al-Harrana Castle as it is positioned in the Al-Harrana Valley; the square fortress was resurrected during the reign of Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik. The castle has been restored several times as a result of the constant invading empires. Located on the international road on the way to Azraq, visitors are encouraged to get medieval and explore inside the fortress walls.   QASR AMRA Built during the reign of the Umayyad caliph Yazid bin Abd al-Malik, who is considered to be the sixth caliph of the Umayyad successors, Qasr Amra is believed to have been a location to aid in hunting. With the preservation of castle carvings and fresco p

AL-Karak Castle Overview AL-Karak Castle  Located in the governorate of Karak, in the south of Jordan at a distance of 120 kilometers from the capital Amman. Al-Karak Castle one of the largest and most important castles of the Crusades in  Jordan  and the Levant, the castle we see today essentially dates back to the 12th century, Karak has been a fortress since biblical times. The Bible relates how the King of Israel and his allies from Judah and Edom ravaged Moab and besieged its king Mesha in the fortress of Kir Heres. History of AL-Karak Castle It was the Crusaders who made Al-Karak (biblical Charach Mouba) famous.it built-in 1142 by Payen le Bouteiller, lord of Montreal and of the province of Oultre Jourdain, on the remains of earlier citadels, which date back to Nabataean times. He made Al-Karak the new capital of the province, for its location on the King’s Highway, where it could control all traffic from north and south and grow rich by the imposition

Little Petra little Petra Location: 10 Min Away from Petra, Jordan. Names:  Al-Beidha. Description:  It’s a small copy of the main site. Usage:  agricultural center, trading suburb and resupply post for camel caravans visiting the rose city. Al- Beidha You May Have heard about the most famous archaeological site in Jordan Which is Called Petra ( The rose city ). but the thing that you may don’t know about that there is a small copy of the huge Petra called a little Petra(Al – Beida). it’s 10 minutes far away from the huge Petra It’s one of the first settled villages in human history.  Founded between 7200BC to 6500BC, The settlement burned down and rebuild around that time. it inhabited for a short while before it abandoned. The Retaining wall and houses are still visible today. The site includes tombs, temples, water channels, and cisterns carved out of the rock as well as the remains of frescoes on plaster. many religious activities were held, including

Qasr Kharana Located in the middle of a vast, treeless plain, this imposing thick-walled structure was the most likely inspiration for the ‘desert castle’ moniker and is arguably the most photogenic of all the desert castles. There is controversy about its function and purpose, but this important Umayyad structure remains an interesting sight for visitors, of the main Azraq–Amman road.  Although it clearly isn’t a castle, Kharana was a vital building for the Umayyads as evidenced by its dramatic size and shape. Despite the fact that it has the appearance of a khan (caravanserai), Kharana wasn’t located on any major trade route, and there appears to be a total absence of structures for water storage. That just leaves the supposition that the building served as a meeting space for Damascus elite and local Bedouin. Named after the harra (surrounding gravel plains), Kharana lords imposingly over a harsh and barren moonscape that appears inhospitable for human habitation. Inside, ho

Quseir Amra Built in the early 8th century, this exceptionally well-preserved desert castle was both a fortress with a garrison and a residence of the Umayyad caliphs. The most outstanding features of this small pleasure palace are the reception hall and the hammam, both richly decorated with figurative murals that reflect the secular art of the time. Location Located in the  eastern desert , Qusayr Amra is just over one hour away from Amman and  Madaba  by car. The castle of Qasr Kharana is just a ten-minute drive away, and Qasr al Alzraq is 25 minutes away. Qusayr Amra’s History Qusayr Amra was built in the 8th Century by the Umayyads as a fortress and place of residence. After construction was complete, it quickly became famous for being a pleasure palace with nightly parties. The castle also contained a Hamman and was adorned in non-religious wall paintings that reflected early Islamic life. The painting takes inspiration from pagan themes and Byzantine portraits bu

WadiRum, Jordan A journey to Wadi Rum is a journey to another world. A vast, silent place, timeless and starkly beautiful... Wadi Rum is one of Jordan's main tourist attractions being one of the most stunning desertscape in the World, lying 320 km (199 miles) southwest of Amman, 120 km (75 miles) south of Petra, and only 68 km (42 miles) north of Aqaba. Uniquely shaped massive mountains rise vertically out of the pink desert sand, which separates one dark mass from another in a magnificent desert scenery of strange breathtaking beauty, with towering cliffs of weathered stone.. The faces of the sheer rock cliffs have been eroded by the wind into faces of men, animals, and monsters. Wadi Rum is probably best known because of its connection with the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence, who was based here during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18, and as the setting for the film that carried his name "Lawrence of Arabia". Everywhere in this moonscape place ar