Qasr Kharana, Umayyad desert castle in Eastern Amman, Jordan
Qasr Kharana is a nearly square building, 35 metres on each side, with three-quarter-round buttresses at the corners, a projecting rounded entrance on the south side, and half-round buttresses bisecting every other facade. It is made of rough limestone blocks set in mortar, with decorative courses of flat stones running through the facing. Inside, 60 rooms on two levels surround a central courtyard with a rainwater pool; many rooms have small slits for light and ventilation.
The castle was built around 710 CE during the reign of Al-Walid I, confirmed by Arabic inscriptions above a doorway on the upper floor. It was constructed during an era when such buildings served as residences and administrative centers for the ruling class.
The building's purpose is still debated, but scholars now think it served as a meeting place for local Bedouin leaders. Its many rooms, stables and courtyard could host gatherings, though the limited water supply ruled out long stays for large groups. The name Kharana comes from the black basalt stones of the surrounding harra.
The castle sits roughly 65 kilometers east of Amman along a main highway and is open during daylight hours. Because the location is quite remote, a car or guided tour is essential to reach it.
The upper-floor great hall carries the building's only decoration: plaster flowers and geometric shapes, with a 7-metre decorated frieze running around the whole qasr, which some read as a Persian architectural influence. The exterior walls have no ornament at all.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,111 contributors worldwide.
