We took advantage of a beautiful day in October and drove east towards Iraq- getting very close to a town Ben and I had been years ago during the war. It was quite surreal being a few kilometers away- this time with two kids in tow, no body armor, and big smiles. The desert castles are a group of four early Islamic castles dotting the eastern desert of Jordan. These castles date back to the 7th century, when the Umayyad dynasty ruled from Damascus. The castles were rediscovered in the 19th century by a team of archeologists.
The first stop was Qasr Hallabat, an elaborate structure 30km northeast of the city of Zarqa. It began as a Roman fort built out of black basalt and later restored with limestone. The kids loved running through out the courtyards in the middle and got incredibly dirty along the way.
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| Qasr Hallabat |
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| Our little explorer |
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| Another family shot- everyone is kind of looking. |
Our next stop was Qasr Azraq. This catsle was also originally a Roman fort and later used by the Byzantines and then the Umayyads. It was then rebuilt in 1237 by the Ayyubid governor Azz al Din Aybak, shortly after expelling the Crusader forces from what is now eastern Jordan. It was most famously occupied by Lawrence of Arabia from 1917-1918. Lawrence and the armies of the Arab revolt launched their final attack on Damascus from this castle, initiating the fall of the Ottoman empire.
Fun fact about the border region near Azraq: This portion of the border is known as "winston's hiccup." The border at this point zigzags where Jordan meets Saudi Arabia and people often wonder why. Legend has it that the demarcation of this border was drawn by Winston Churchill in 1921 after a particularly boozy lunch. Churchill, then the Colonial Secretary, was behind the decision to create the emirate of Transjordan after World War I and hiccuped after too many scotches while drawing the new border out on the map.
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| Qasr Azraq |
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| Hi from the secret room |
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| Our little terror |
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| trouble |
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| Brought the iPad in for pictures- kind of a strange dynamic- IPAD in a 7th century castle |
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| Pretending they are listening to our quick history lesson |
The third castle on our loop was Qasr Amra, a small but charming compound on the road south of Azraq. The castle was apparently a vacation home or getaway hunting lodge for the rich in Damascus. It is full of beautiful frescoes depicting desert landscapes, lots of naked women, cupids, and hunters. The kids started to get antsy here but we managed to make it to one final castle on our way home.
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| Qasr Amra behind the kids (the smaller arched building) |
Our final stop was Qasr Harraneh, a fortress looking structure that stands out from miles away. The castle is within four giant walls that are still perfectly in tact. You can go all the way to the top level and look down- there are not even railings or anything- great to take two kids to!
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| Qasr Harraneh |
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| Dylan helping Owen explore |
