Desert Castles of Jordan
With a geographical location bordering Syria to the north and Iraq to the east, and 260 km from the capital Amman, the Jordanian city of Ruwaished, affiliated with the Mafraq Governorate, still retains an ancient historical monument.
In the depth of its desert and 22 km from the city, the archaeological "Barqa Palace" stands as a witness to the depth of its history, dating back to 700 AD, to the reign of Al-Walid bin Abdul Malik (668-715 AD).
The journey to reach the place was not easy, but Anadolu Agency, in coordination with the General Department of Antiquities (governmental), was able to visit the place and stand on its most prominent features and the idea of choosing the place to build it.
Despite the collapse of most of its stones due to weather factors and tampering with it, the palace still tells the story of Islamic history and the wisdom of the people of the past in choosing sensitive places to ensure security and maintain the stability of the caliphate, with what remains of its features.
Before parts of it collapsed, the palace consisted of 3 different floors, and another residence next to it, equipped with stone and pottery channels to provide cold and hot water.
Alongside the palace is a large pond (water pool) whose formation due to weather factors is unknown, and the people of the region say that the people of Iraq and Syria used to visit it since ancient times to obtain water.
A large number of various flint tools were found in the site, especially axes, scrapers, knives, blades, and arrowheads of various shapes and sizes, in addition to basalt pestles for crushing grains.
The palace was named Barqa because Al-Walid bin Abdul Malik was fond of hunting and using trained Arabian falcons to hunt rabbits and small deer, as well as geese and ducks, especially in the spring. The burqa is what is placed over the eyes of the falcon before it flies to its prey. It is also used now by the men of the Arabian Peninsula, the Gulf States, and the countries of Central Asia to hunt animals and birds.
Qasr Al-Hallabat is located in the eastern desert, 60 km northeast of the capital, Amman. The palace was a Roman fort, before it was demolished and rebuilt during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham bin Abdul Malik, to become one of the largest Umayyad desert complexes.
Al-Sarh Bath Palace, also known as the Eastern Hallabat Palace, is located north of the capital, Amman, in Zarqa Governorate. It is an Umayyad bath built by Caliph Hisham bin Abdul Malik in the early eighth century AD.
