Qasr el `Uweinid, Roman fortlet in Zarqa Governorate, Jordan

Qasr el `Uweinid is a small Roman garrison on a low basalt spur above the Wadi Butm, about 75 km east of Amman and 17 km southwest of the Azraq oasis. The spur drops roughly 20 m steeply into the dry valley, giving the post open views east, south and west. The site lies where the basalt flows of the Jebel ed-Druze give way southward to sandy desert.

Roman forces built this fortification in the 2nd century as part of the Limes Arabicus, a defensive line protecting trade routes. It served as a key position within the broader network that stretched across the Arab region.

The fortlet's name preserves the Arabic qasr, a castle or fort, while locals know the spot as a resting place on the old Amman-to-Arabia route: the medieval geographer Al-Muqaddasi (born 945) named a halt called al-Awnid on that road, which Alois Musil in 1898 was the first to identify with el-Uweinid. The ruins stand on a basalt spur above the Wadi Butm.

The site is accessible year-round and sits in a highland desert area with moderate temperatures. Visitors should prepare for rocky terrain and limited shade along the ruins.

The fortlet stands on a low basalt spur that drops about 20 metres steeply into the Wadi Butm, giving the garrison an unobstructed view over the desert to the east, south and west. The spur is joined to the plateau only at its north-east end.