Qasr Amra

Amra, Jordan

 

The desert complex of Qasr Amra is located about 100km east of Amman and 20km south of Azraq. It was built in the early 8th century by an Umayyad ruler or prince: perhaps Walid I (705-715), builder of the Great Mosque in Damascus; or alternatively the pleasure-loving Walid II (743-744), during his long exile in the desert, before he became caliph.

The restored buildings consist of a triple-vaulted audience hall (right) with attached bathhouse and waterworks (left). They are seen here from the front (north). The inside is covered with rare but very deteriorated wall paintings, that depict scenes of pleasure in a style influenced by Classical and Byzantine traditions.

Alternate spellings include Qusayr or Quseir for Qasr, and Amrah for Amra.

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 Le complexe désert de Qasr Amra est situé à environ 100 km à l'est d'Amman et 20km au sud de Azraq. Il a été construit dans le début du 8ème siècle par un prince souverain omeyyade ou: peut-être Walid Ier (705-715), constructeur de la Grande Mosquée de Damas, ou encore le plaisir d'amour-Walid II (743-744), au cours de son long exil dans le désert, avant qu'il ne devienne calife.

Les bâtiments restaurés se composent d'un public triple salle voûtée (à droite) avecétablissement de bains ci-jointe et d'adduction d'eau (à gauche). On les voit ici à l'avant(au nord). L'intérieur est recouvert de peintures murales rares, mais très dégradé, quidépeignent des scènes de plaisir dans un style influencé par les traditions classiques et byzantines.

Les variantes orthographiques Qusayr ou Quseir pour Qasr, et Amrah pour Amra.

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Il complesso deserto di Qasr Amra si trova a circa 100km ad est di Amman e 20 km a sud di Azraq. E 'stato costruito agli inizi del secolo ottavo da parte di un sovrano o principe omayyade: forse Walid I (705-715), costruttore della Grande Moschea di Damasco, o in alternativa, il gaudente Walid II (743-744), durante il suo lungo esilio nel deserto, prima di diventare califfo.

Gli edifici restaurati sono costituiti da una tripla volta Aula (a destra) con annessostabilimento balneare e giochi d'acqua (a sinistra). Sono visti qui di fronte (nord).L'interno è ricoperto da pitture murali rari ma molto deteriorato, che raffigurano scene dipiacere in uno stile influenzato dalla tradizione classica e bizantina.

Varianti includono Qusayr o Quseir per Qasr e Amrah per Amra.

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El complejo desierto de Qasr Amra está situado a unos 100 kilometros al este de Ammán y 20 kilómetros al sur de Azraq. Fue construido en el siglo 8 por un gobernanteo príncipe omeya: tal vez Walid I (705-715), constructor de la Gran Mezquita de Damasco, o, alternativamente, el amante de los placeres Walid II (743-744), durante su largo exilio en el desierto, antes de que él se convirtió en califa.

Los edificios restaurados consisten en una audiencia de triple bóveda de la sala (derecha) con baños adjunto y abastecimiento de agua (izquierda). Se ve aquí desde el frente (norte). El interior está cubierto con pinturas murales muy raras, aunque deteriorados, que representan escenas de placer con un estilo influenciado por la tradición clásica y bizantina.

Variantes incluyen Qusayr o Quseir de Qasr, y Amrah de Amra.

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Die Wüste Komplex von Qasr Amra liegt etwa 100km östlich von Amman und 20 km südlich von Azraq entfernt. Es wurde im frühen 8. Jahrhundert von einemUmayyaden-Herrscher oder Fürst gebaut: vielleicht Walid I. (705-715), Erbauer der Großen Moschee in Damaskus, oder alternativ die vergnügungssüchtigen Walid II. (743-744), während seines langen Exils in der Wüste, bevor er zum Kalifen.

Die restaurierten Gebäude bestehen aus einem dreifach gewölbten Audienzhalle(rechts) mit angebautem Badehaus und Wasserwerke (links). Sie werden hier von der Vorderseite (N) zu sehen. Die Innenseite ist mit seltenen, aber sehr verschlechtertemWandmalereien, die Szenen der Freude zeigen und im Stil von klassischen undbyzantinischen Traditionen beeinflusst abgedeckt.

Alternative Schreibweisen gehören Qusayr oder Quseir für Qasr und Amrah für Amra

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Το συγκρότημα του Κασρ έρημο Amra βρίσκεται περίπου 100 χιλιόμετρα ανατολικά τουΑμάν και 20 χιλιόμετρα νότια της Azraq. Χτίστηκε στις αρχές του 8ου αιώνα, από ένανχάρακα ή Umayyad πρίγκιπα: ίσως Ουαλίντ Ι (705-715), οικοδόμος της Μεγάλης Τζαμίστη Δαμασκό? Ή, εναλλακτικά, την ευχαρίστηση που αγαπούν Ουαλίντ ΙΙ (743-744), κατά τη διάρκεια της μακράς εξορίας του στην έρημο, πριν γίνει χαλίφης.

Τα αναπαλαιωμένα κτίρια αποτελούνται από ένα τριπλό-θολωτή αίθουσα ακροατήριο(δεξιά) με συνημμένη λουτρά και ύδρευσης (αριστερά). Έχουν δει εδώ από τηνμπροστινή (βόρεια). Το εσωτερικό είναι καλυμμένο με σπάνιες αλλά πολύυποβαθμισμένες τοιχογραφίες, που απεικονίζουν σκηνές της απόλαυσης σε ένα ύφοςεπηρεάζεται από κλασική και τη βυζαντινή παράδοση.

Αναπληρωματικό ορθογραφίες περιλαμβάνουν Qusayr ή Quseir για Κασρ, και Amrahγια Amra.

Ayyubid Mosque

Azraq, Jordan

The simply-built mosque includes a cylindrical projection, seen here, to accommodate the mihrab, the prayer niche inside the mosque that faces south towards Mecca.

Entrance Gate

South Wall, Azraq, Jordan

Azraq's major claim to fame seems to be that T. E. Lawrence spent a rain-soaked and very uncomfortable winter here in 1917 . 

Located 90km east of Jordan in what was once a large oasis, the Roman fort was built in the 3d century and rebuilt under the Ayyubids in 1237. Its three-ton basalt doors 

 were reported by Lawrence to shake the entire wall when slammed shut. The gate forms a right angle with the south wall for security; a machicolation and several arrow slits guard it from above.

 Birdlife

Spur-winged Plovers in Safi. © Jad Al Younis, Discovery Eco-Tourism

Jordan also possesses a large and varied assortment of birdlife. This can be traced, once again, to the variety of habitats found within the country–from mountains forests to desert oases, from high cliffs to sweeping deserts, and from deep gorges to broadwadis. Two distinct types of avifauna can be found in Jordan: those species which stay year-round, and migratory visitors.

At the junction of the Mediterranean and Arabian faunal regions, Jordan lies on one of the world’s major bird migration routes, between Africa and Eurasia. Before the water levels of the Azraq Reserve were depleted over the past ten years, up to 200,000 birds–including spoonbills, white pelicans, egrets, terns and gulls, to name a few–would congregate there at one time during the migratory season. The numbers of migrants have decreased as Azraq has grown drier, yet even today up to 220 migratory species continue to transit through Jordan on their journey north or south. The approximately 150 species which are indigenous to Jordan seem not to have been affected greatly by the great drought of the 1980s.

 Marine Life

The Gulf of Aqaba is home to some of the finest marine life in the Middle East, while its coral reefs are unmatched in the world. The gulf is very narrow–at its northern end it is only five kilometers wide–and quite deep, ranging in depth from between 1000 to 1800 meters. The depth of the gulf, combined with its isolation from sea currents, minimize turbulence and improve visibility. On the sandy shores, one can find creatures such as the ghost crab, sandhoppers and the mole crab.

Gulf of Aqaba

The sea waters, meanwhile, host a plethora of marine life including starfish, sea cucumbers, crabs, shrimps, sea urchins, many species of fish and several worms which burrow into the sandy sea bottom. A variety of sea grasses can be found in the shallow waters, providing both food and shelter to the fishes which inhabit the area. Several species of eel make their home in the gulf’s grass beds, where one can also find sea horses and pipe fishes.

Marine meadow beneath the surface of the Gulf of Aqaba. © Camerapix 1994

Perhaps the greatest attraction for divers in the Gulf of Aqaba is the colorful coral reefs, found especially near the southern part of Jordan’s coastline. There are around 100 varieties of stony coral, and they are found mainly in shallow waters, as the algae that live within them require light for photosynthesis. Many hundreds of fish species make their homes among the reefs, and some live by eating the algae that grows on the coral.

 Shomari Wildlife Reserve

Situated about 15 minutes south of Azraq, the Shomari Wildlife Reserve covers 22 square kilometers. The park is open daily from about 07:30 until around 16:00. It can be reached by following a desert road to the western side of the reserve, which is completely encircled by a fence. Numerous species of wildlife, including ostrich, gazelle, wild donkey, Arabian oryx and others inhabit Shomari. While the park has been able to protect these animals from being hunted, the lack of water in this area has caused these species’ habitat to shrink. Shomari’s great success story is Operation Oryx. This project has attracted worldwide recognition for its reintroduction into the wild of an almost extinct species, the Arabian oryx. With its two straight horns and black face markings, the white oryx once roamed the deserts of Arabia and the Fertile Crescent. Overhunting almost brought the species to extinction, but because of careful management Shomari now boasts around 200 Arabian oryx. The reserve has also fostered 14 ostriches from a single pair, and about 30 gazelles call Shomari home, as well. For more information about Shomari Wildlife Reserve, call the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (tel. 533-7932). 

 Qasr al-Azraq

About 13 kilometers north of the Azraq Junction, on the highway to Iraq, you will find the large black fortress of Qasr al-Azraq. The present form of the castle dates back to the beginning of the 13th century CE. Crafted from local black basalt rocks, the castle exploited Azraq’s important strategic position and water sources.

The first fortress here is thought to have been built by the Romans around 300 CE, during the reign of Diocletian. The structure was also used by the Byzantines and Umayyads. Qasr al-Azraq underwent its final major stage of building in 1237 CE, when the Mamluks redesigned and fortified it. In the 16th century the Ottoman Turks stationed a garrison there, and Lawrence of Arabia made the fortress his desert headquarters during the winter of 1917, during the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire.

The castle is almost square, with 80-meter long walls encircling a central courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard is a small mosque that may be from Umayyad times, along with the main well. At each corner of the outer wall, there is an oblong tower. The primary entrance is a single massive hinged slab of granite, which leads to a vestibule where one can see carved into the pavement the remains of a Roman board game. Above the entrance area is the chamber that was used by Lawrence during his stay in Qasr al-Azraq. The caretaker of the castle has a collection of photographs of Lawrence; in fact, his father was one of the Arab officers who served with the legendary Brit.

Azraq Oasis Azraq is located about 110 kilometers east of Amman at the junction of roads leading northeast into Iraq and southeast into Saudi Arabia. With 12 square kilometers of lush parklands, pools and gardens, Azraq has the only water in all of the eastern desert. The oasis is also home to a host of water buffalo and other wildlife. There are four main springs which supply Azraq with its water as well as its name, which in Arabic means "blue." Over the past 15 years or so, the water level in Azraq’s

Azraq. © Zohrab

swamps has fallen dramatically due to large-scale pumping to supply Amman and Irbid. This has resulted in the destruction of a large part of the marshlands. While Azraq remains one of the most important oases in the Middle East for birds migrating between Africa and Europe, its declining water levels have led many species to bypass Azraq in favor of other stops. The area was once home to numerous deer, bear, ibex, oryx, cheetah and gazelle, many of which have been decimated in the last sixty years by overzealous hunters.

Although the Iraqi border is far to the east, the town of Azraq has the feel of a border town, as there are no major settlements further east. There are a number of cafés and small hotels, along with a Government Rest House, in Azraq.

The stone door in one of the Desert Castles in Jordan: Qasr Al-Azraq. This castle is said to have been used as his headquarters by Lawrence of Arabia (so said the keeper).
Although each of the leaves of this door weights about one metric ton (still so said the keeper), this door is quite easy to move, as it is lubricated by palm tree oil. The right-side leaf was closed specially for the photo by the author.
Français : La porte de pierre d'un des Châteaux du Désert en Jordanie: Qasr Al-Azraq. Ce château aurait été utilisé comme quartier général par Lawrence d'Arabie (d'après le gardien).
Bien que chacun des vantaux de cette porte pèse environ une tonne (toujours d'après le gardien), elle est assez facile a bouger, car lubrifiée à l'huile de palmier. Le vantail de droite a été fermé spécialement pour la photo par l'auteur.

Qasr Azraq Desert Castle
About 13 kilometers north of the Azraq Junction, on the highway to Iraq, you will find the large black fortress of Qasr Al Azraq.

The present form of the castle dates back to the beginning of the 13th century CE. Crafted from local black basalt rock, the castle exploited Azraq’s important strategic position and water sources. There is also a wetland natural reserve surrounding Azraq.

The first fortress here is thought to have been built by the Romans around 300 CE, during the reign of Diocletian. The structure was also used by the Byzantines and Umayyads. Qasr al Azraq underwent its final major stage of building in 1237 CE, when the Mamluks redesigned and fortified it.

In the 16th century the Ottoman Turks stationed a garrison there, and Lawrence of Arabia made the fortress his desert headquarters during the winter of 1917, during the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire.

The castle is almost square, with 80-metre long walls encircling a central courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard is a small mosque that may be from Umayyad times, along with the main well.

At each corner of the outer wall, there is an oblong tower.

The primary entrance is a single massive hinged slab of granite, which leads to a vestibule where one can see the remains of a board game carved into the pavement.

Above the entrance area is the chamber that was used by Lawrence during his stay in Qasr Al Azraq.