Unayzah, Heritage castle in Ma'an Governorate, Jordan.

Unayzah is a castle perched on elevated terrain overlooking the surrounding desert landscape in Ma'an Governorate. The fortification features thick stone walls and multiple defensive positions arranged to command views of the lands below.

The castle was built under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent to protect pilgrims on the Damascus pilgrimage route to the Hejaz. Some sources call it Khan Unayzah. The historian Muhammad ibn Tulun al-Salihi passed through in 920 AH/1514 CE on his pilgrimage, and Abd al-Qadir al-Jaziri mentioned it around the same time; Ibrahim al-Khayyari later described it in his 17th-century travel account.

The name Unayzah comes from the nearby black basalt hill, Jabal Unayzah, an extinct volcano. The castle is also called Khan Unayzah in historical sources, and the site lies on the old Shami pilgrimage route to the Hijaz. The historians Ibn Tulun (1514) and al-Jaziri mentioned it, as did Ibrahim al-Khayyari in the 17th century.

Plan your visit during daylight hours when the remains are visible and accessible throughout the grounds. Bring sturdy footwear and water, as the surrounding terrain is desert-like with minimal shade available on site.

The site is named after Jabal Unayzah, a dormant volcano whose stones are entirely black, standing beside the castle and the Hijaz railway station. The area is uninhabited and lies at about 1,000 m above sea level, 36 km north of Ma'an on the Amman–Aqaba road, the old Syrian pilgrimage route to the Hijaz.